Reevaluating the data center workforce

Integrating IT Ops and facilities management in data centers

Data centers have physical rooms and assets that require the attention of electricians, HVAC specialists, physical security experts, construction workers and IT personnel. Past practice placed much of the data center's physical equipment under the company's facilities manager. IT data center managers didn't have to worry about overseeing elements such as heating and cooling.

However, as energy efficiency and sustainability become more important, facilities accommodate heavier AI workloads and data centers expand to edge and remote locations, IT operations and facilities management increasingly overlap. Managing data centers is now a shared responsibility of IT and facilities teams.

Workforce pressures

Workforce pressure is most often felt during the installation and maintenance of data center electrical, cooling and battery systems, as well as in the construction modifications that may be needed to support them. Consequently, data center managers are suddenly finding themselves in the crosshairs of labor shortages affecting the electrical, HVAC and construction trades.

Here are a few figures:

• Nationwide, there is a shortage of HVAC professionals that drives up costs and wait times for service.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of electricians will grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
• As early as 2025, the Associated Builders and Contractors Association estimated that the construction industry would need to attract 439,000 net new workers to meet the anticipated demand for construction services.

What can data center managers do?

Data center managers must take proactive steps to ensure facility efficiency and reliability. Key actions include fostering collaboration, enhancing preventive maintenance, and using advanced technologies to optimize performance and address challenges in today's data landscape.

Form a collaborative team between IT and facilities

Both the IT and facilities groups should collaborate on planning, budgeting and operational support for the entire data center (i.e., both IT and facilities equipment). This is the only way to ensure 360-degree management of every data center asset.

Lock in local contractors with service agreements before you need them

Data center and facilities managers want to avoid contacting contractors for assistance when a data center issue arises. Establishing service agreements with providers proactively helps prevent problems and fosters a partnership for when support is needed.

Perform preventive maintenance and cross-train data center operations staff

Basic facility health checks, such as inspecting UPS systems and switching gear, monitoring energy usage, verifying data center physical security, checking for noise and vibration, and changing filters, can be performed by existing IT ops staff as part of regular preventive maintenance schedules. This work isn't much different from the check-ups staff already perform on servers and disk arrays, so cross-training shouldn't be difficult.

Use sensors and remote monitoring

Sensors and remote monitoring can track environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, as well as data center physical security, cooling and energy. These devices can be installed in the central data center and in remote edge facilities. This setup provides automated alerts and health checks that can be sent to staff as part of the daily maintenance routine.

Standardize equipment

Standardizing equipment across fewer brands and configurations simplifies maintenance for both IT and facilities.

Continue to use cloud-based IT assets

Everyone is feeling the pinch from shortages in HVAC, electrical and construction. One way around this is to outsource more IT to cloud-based providers that have the money to obtain or hire facility service personnel more easily than their customers can.

Mary E. Shacklett is president of Transworld Data, a technology analytics, market research and consulting firm.