Data Center Operations Assessment

M&O Stamp of Approval Program

In today's digital world, your data center is more important than ever. A single mission critical data center can house information representing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and vast amounts of sensitive data integral to keeping businesses running smoothly and efficiently. Maintaining uptime is of utmost importance. Most downtime can be attributed to human error, which is often preventable with the use of correct methods and techniques.

By having the proper infrastructure in place and educating staff and management personnel, data center downtime caused by human error can be minimized.

Uptime Institute is the global authority on data center standards and Tier Certification. Through more than 25 years of experience consulting at global critical facilities and data centers, we have created the Management & Operations Stamp of Approval Program incorporating some of the learnings and best practices of critical facilities around the world. By having your facilities assessed by the data center operations audit program, you will show your stakeholders you have confidence and dedication in your operations.

Once your business goes through an Uptime Institute data center management assessment, we deliver recommendations for minimizing downtime and help your data center teams introduce the industry's best practices to create a consistent and transparent data center operations program. We tailor our recommendations to complement your operation's dedication to limiting human error and to ensure your business has the process, procedures, and resources needed to keep downtime to a minimum.

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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

I see three clear benefits to the Uptime Institute M&O Stamp of Approval, proven methodology of assessing operations practices, validating our program via benchmarking supported by a third party leader and promotion from a globally accepted and recognized organization.

Herb Alvarez, Director of Global Data Center Engineering & Critical Facilities, AIG

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

Protecting Your Data Center Assets from the #1 Cause of Unplanned Downtime

Human error is responsible for a majority of all data center incidents.

In fact, bad operational practices are 5x more likely to negatively impact a data center than any other cause.

The M&O Stamp of Approval is a holistic assessment of…

staffing and organization practices
maintenance and operations activities
management and planning

...to ensure that they’re aligned with business objectives of risk reduction, reduced downtime and operational efficiency.

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 Assessment

Laying the blame of human error on front-line operators ignores the influence of upstream decisions, resource allocation, and organizational culture. That’s why the M&O Assessment takes a holistic view that covers multiple criteria in five categories.

Planning, Coordination and Management

Assessment of documented site policies, financial processes, reference library of site and process documentation and a capacity management plan.

Staffing and Organization

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

Training

Assessment of staff training plans around methods of procedure (MOPs) including standard operating procedures (SOPs) and emergency operations procedures (EOPs).

Operating Conditions

Assessment of operating set points and load management procedures in the facility.

Maintenance

Assessment of maintenance plans and procedures including vendor support plans, predictive and deferred maintenance, life-cycle planning for equipment and facilities and failure analysis programs.

Global Data Center Owners & Operators Rely on Uptime Institute

The M&O Stamp of Approval Program helps data center owners and operators introduce consistency, reduce risk, and build a culture of continuous improvement in their critical facilities, whether they operate a single facility or manage a global portfolio.

The M&O Stamp of Approval shows that your data center's operations have been thoroughly assessed and mitigate risk. By putting Uptime Institute recommendations into place, your data center can reduce the opportunity for human error, enhance uptime percentages and improve working conditions. With an M&O Stamp of Approval, you will prove to stakeholders, insurers and management that your data center facility excels in this demanding industry. Some insurance companies offer better insurance policy terms and rates to data center owners who have earned the M&O Stamp of Approval.

CNA Insurance explains why they offer better insurance policy terms and rates to data center owners who earn the M&O Stamp of Approval.

Over 350 Facilities Worldwide Have Been Awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval

More than 350 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.