Data Center Operations Assessment

M&O Stamp of Approval Program

Uptime Institute’s enhanced Management & Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval improves an organization’s ability to meet the compounding demands on their data centers, to better manage the complexities of data center infrastructure more efficiently and effectively, and to reduce operational risk.

Data center operations programs and procedures must demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to address a proliferation of challenges. These include supply chain issues and staffing challenges, new industry and governmental regulations, and an increasing focus on comprehensive cyber and physical security. In addition, rapidly scaling demands required to incorporate and support new technologies such as AI, liquid cooling adoption and rapidly increasing power density of racks are shaping the way data centers can and should be operated. Operations teams must be prepared to anticipate as well as respond to accelerating change, and the new enhanced M&O Stamp of Approval provides the comprehensive framework to address the ever-expanding number of challenges and risks to critical facilities.

With over 100 unique observation areas, this comprehensive M&O program and its focus on continuous improvement, the M&O program allows clients to more precisely identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in critical facilities in 7 key areas: Personnel Management; Maintenance; Facility Management & Optimization; Health, Safety, and Security; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Planning, Coordination; and Quality Management.

Participants in the Uptime M&O program are provided with a comprehensive operations risk profile and actionable steps that drive organizational standardization throughout a site and an entire data center portfolio and emphasize continuous improvement to better address the ever-evolving risks in all data center operations. M&O provides a roadmap to align organizational strategies with common and critical business objectives such as risk reduction, reduced downtime and driving operational efficiency.

As part of the enhanced M&O, facilities staff, and management will benefit from access to Uptime’s proprietary Competency & Confidence Assessment Modeling (CCAM®). CCAM results will identify training and growth opportunities for each member of staff, whether at the time of recruitment, onboarding, or on an ongoing basis. Managers can now quickly identify risks associated with specific individuals and mitigate these by providing a customized roadmap for precision training. M&O with CCAM® provides a complete, standardized, globally recognized assessment that enables data center operations teams to perform at their best. It ensures that hidden inefficiencies, gaps in skills or understanding and the associated risks do not impact the organization.

Whether your data center portfolio is scaling up, managing change, or seeking a performance boost on a single site, the M&O program ensures that no opportunity to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and risks in data center operations is overlooked.

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Thanks to the M&O Stamp of Approval, we can provide more meaningful demonstrations of our operational excellence. Our results show us consistently scoring well and recognising we are operating ‘at a highly effective level’. This has really assisted us and customers to understand the true value of our data centre solutions.

Tom Jacob, Data Centres Director, Datacom

Achieving Uptime Institute's M&O Stamp of Approval validates that Aligned Energy’s mission-critical infrastructure meets the highest industry standard for operational excellence and upholds our responsibility to ensure consistent, transparent data center management and operations processes. Our team is laser-focused on eliminating risk and cost exposure, as well as applying best practices across our facilities and operations, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to existing and future customers.

Andrew Schaap, CEO, Aligned Energy

In a world built on mission critical data, uptime is both the data center’s most vital asset and an absolutely indispensable component of client success. Receiving an Uptime Institute M&O Stamp of Approval underpins STACK’s core dedication to supporting growth trajectories of rapidly-scaling enterprises today and into the future, certifying that our critical infrastructure is not only flexible, scalable and accessible, but highly dependable as well.

Mike Casey, Chief Data Center Officer, STACK INFRASTRUCTURE

This independent assessment of RBC's maintenance and operations processes ensures an objective evaluation. A testament that we are on the right track for best in class in the eyes of our peers and stakeholders.

Stephan Abraitis, Senior Director of Critical Environments, RBC

M&O Scope infographic - Skills, Optimization, Technology, and Portfolio Management

Benefits of Getting a Data Center Operational Assessment

Establish Consistency Across Data Centers

Driving consistency and operational excellence across a portfolio of data centers is exponentially more difficult than managing just one. Technical and organizational complexity multiplies as you move to multiple sites, regions, and countries where codes, cultures and climates differ.

Our M&O Program understands these challenges and provides a framework to address them with consistent, repeatable processes.

Reduce Incidents of Human Error

A recent Uptime Institute analysis of 20 years of abnormal incident data from its members showed human error to blame for more than 75% of all data center outages.
Our M&O Program helps you create better processes and drive collaboration. This helps to establish better communication across levels and departments, resulting in more robust procedures, more consistent behaviors, and the adoption of industry best practices in your team.

Drive Continuous Improvement

Data center operational excellence is in large part about maintaining discipline and consistency over time, as well as constantly adapting to changes in the environment.
Our M&O Program helps critical facility teams align their practices around operational excellence, providing them with the process, procedures and industry best practices that scale across groups, departments, and cultures to create discipline and a culture of continuous improvement.

Reduce the Number and Severity of Incidents

Frequent or severe incidents can have a significant impact on your CapEx and OpEx costs. Keep the financial health of your data center safe with Uptime Institute.

Our M&O Stamp of Approval Program reduces the number and severity of incidents that have a meaningful impact on your OpEx and CapEx expenditures.

Reduce Insurance Premiums

When you prove you have taken measures to minimize downtime and are awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval, your insurance provider may use your award as a metric for reduced risk.

Our M&O Stamp of Approval is recognized by various insurance underwriters as a metric for risk and may reduce your premiums.

Improve Maintenance Plans

Proper maintenance is the cornerstone of any data center's health. By performing preventive maintenance and keeping measures in place to address malfunctions, your data center will be more reliable and your organization will be better prepared when problems arise.

Our M&O Program analyzes your data center's deferred and predictive maintenance procedures, equipment life-cycle plans and vendor support plans to provide recommendations for improving your maintenance protocols.

Set Up Better Employee Staffing Practices

Placing the blame of downtime on front-line operators fails to recognize the influence of management on factors such as staffing, resource allocation and organizational culture. As we assess your data center's staffing, organization, process and procedures, planning and management, we will recommend new practices to minimize downtime.

Our M&O Program fully assesses your training, staffing, organization and management protocols to identify potential process improvements.

Demonstrate a Commitment to Operational Excellence

When you have your data center operations assessed by Uptime Institute, it shows your stakeholders and the market that you are committed to operational excellence.

Our M&O Stamp of Approval Program is widely considered the leading program of its kind in this industry, and completing it successfully commands a level of respect for your organization.

Key Behaviors of the Data Center Management & Operations Program

Laying the blame on human error and front-line operating staff often ignores the influence of upstream decisions, resource allocation, and organizational culture. That’s why the M&O Stamp of Approval takes a holistic approach that includes: Seven new scope areas combined with the CCAM® proprietary staff assessment tool to help clients strengthen operational excellence, minimize human error, and improve workforce skills:

Personnel Management and Organization

Assessment of staffing plan and processes, training, documentation of qualifications by role and documentation around organizational charts and escalation paths.

Maintenance Management

Assessment of maintenance plans and procedures including vendor support plans, predictive and deferred maintenance, Maintenance Management System (MMS), and critical spare parts management.

Planning, Coordination, and Quality Management

Assessment of change management processes, quality management, lifecycle planning, financial processes, and facility innovation to ensure the high-level effectiveness of data centers and critical infrastructure.

Facility Management

Assessment of site operations and optimization, including capacity management, use of technology, and energy management.

Health, Safety, and Security Management

Assessment of fire, electrical, workplace safety programs, and physical security processes and procedures.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Assessment of policies, plans, and procedures to deal with emergency situations effectively and efficiently to reduce potential injuries, prevent or minimize environmental impacts, protect employees and neighbors, reduce asset losses, and minimize downtime.

Staff Competency and Confidence

Assessment of individual staff members, designed to identify gaps in knowledge, understanding, and ability to execute operations tasks in line with best practices. The assessment result identifies clear development needs while also continuously assessing, improving and empowering staff to reduce risk.

Over 400 Facilities Worldwide Have Been Awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval

More than 400 data centers globally have been awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval, recognizing their excellence in managing and operating critical facilities. Uptime Institute's M&O Program allows clients to reduce risk related to human errors which account for the majority of downtime incidents, while also achieving business goals around higher resource utilization, increased efficiency and overall operational sustainability.