SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
strategicinsight
Using the right
systems integrator can
make or break a project. Here
are five things to consider when
choosing an integration firm.
5keys to picking the right integrator
SELECTING THE RIGHT VENDOR CAN
make or break a distribution center’s systems
integration project. Since it’s the integrator’s
job to make sure the warehouse management
system is able to “talk” to the facility’s material
handling equipment, choosing the right contractor for the job is key to ensuring that the
operation gets up and running quickly and
stays running without a hitch.
“I look on the integrator as the orchestra
leader—someone intimately familiar with each
instrument’s role, who knows how to direct and
blend those instruments for the best performance and, then, makes it happen,” says John M.
Hill, a veteran consultant who now serves as a
director at the York, Pa.-based supply chain
consultancy St. Onge Co.
There’s also a lot of money at stake when
companies go to choose a vendor. Integration
services represent a major expense in any ware-
house automation project, with the tab easily
running into the thousands of dollars.
