MAX-lab, the Swedish National Electron Accelerator Laboratory for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Physics is planning the construction of a new synchrotron light source facility in Lund, Sweden. The new facility's IT infrastructure introduces design, construction and maintenance challenges related to large distributed control systems, process control and monitoring, data analysis and representation, system integration and significant changes throughout the entire life cycle. MAX-lab will have to cope with organizational growth, information complexity, technical complexity and resource constraints. This paper describes the systems and software engineering issues related to the construction and maintenance of the MAX IV facility, and outlines the development of an engineering approach suitable to the possibilities and constraints of the MAX IV project. Key subjects are requirements and specifications, architectural design, standardization, organizational structure, systems and software lifecycle management and development processes.