Facility managers responsible for data centers and other critical facilities are facing additional demands during the coronavirus pandemic. Many operations and maintenance tasks have become more challenging. For example, if critical equipment offers good onboard status reporting but limited remote capability, the facility manager could ordinarily rely on increased rounds, knowing that onsite staff will hear or see alarms, unusual sounds or smells, or otherwise experience the result of issues (such as a power bump). But with less than a full onsite staff, there is a greater risk of issues being missed.
The use of documentation is another example. Facility managers learn the interconnection of equipment very well over time and often don’t need to refer to manuals or construction drawings when they can see equipment, conduit and pipe runs, nameplates, posted flow diagrams, etc. But it’s a different story when a facility manager working remotely, without accurate as-built documentation, has to explain an issue to service providers.
Click here to PLANNET’s Michael Fluegeman and Antonio “Tommy” Tan III ‘s insights on the Top 8 areas that facility managers responsible for data centers and other critical facilities should address to ensure reliability during the pandemic.
