A spotlight on data centres… How MRO is central to their future explores the expanding role of MRO within modern data centres, as the sector expands to meet growing demand for AI, cloud computing and digital infrastructure. It incorporates commentary and insights from data centre professionals, combined with survey responses gathered in partnership with the Data Centre Alliance (DCA), from 74 professionals across the UK and Ireland.
This white paper covers a variety of themes shaping the future of data centre operations. These include the ‘commissioning cliff’ – the gap between completed facility handover and shift to live operations – where MRO planning often hasn’t been sufficiently embedded.
This operational risk pitfall, where spare parts planning is delayed, supplier relationships under-established and procurement processes reactive, is one many new facilities end up defaulting to, according to the white paper.
Will Boylan, who works in market intelligence and analysis for RS Ireland, said: “Ireland continues to play a pivotal role in Europe’s digital infrastructure, with data centres supporting cloud services, AI workloads and international connectivity. As Irish data centre operators continue to invest in resilience and operational efficiency, effective maintenance strategies are becoming increasingly important throughout the asset lifecycle.
“However, this is an industry growing at pace. The priority and focus is on building capacity, getting planning permission, getting the facility built and online. The ongoing management is something that gets pushed to the back of people’s minds. Rapid expansion tends to leave gaps around resource and capability, with engineers often ill-prepared for operational issues that may develop, and procurement professionals who haven’t yet got up to speed with what a procurement strategy needs to look like.”
Tom Parlon, chair of the Irish Data Centre Supplier Alliance (IDCSA), said: “Over the past decade and more, a world class data centre supply chain ecosystem has developed in Ireland. From design and delivery to technical services and engineering, Irish companies have grown into global leaders in their field.
“As the data centre sector continues to grow and mature, new operational challenges will undoubtedly arise, providing further opportunities for Irish supply chain firms which have a proven track record in this sector for innovation and problem solving.
“The white paper published by RS Ireland highlights how the data centre sector requires complex and multilayered supply chain networks to operate efficiently, which helps support Irish companies and drive economic activity across the country. It is further evidence of why it is crucial for Ireland to maintain a supportive environment for data centre investment.”
Supporting research included within the white paper indicates there is significant variation in how organisations approach MRO planning:
The white paper also advises that operators should avoid pursuing traditional linear supply chains, and focus on building supply ‘webs’, as new data centre capacity expands beyond Dublin into regional locations. This means connected networks of suppliers, regional stock locations and shared data. This will help multi-site operators understand where inventory is located and how quickly it can reach each site, to improve availability and support resilience across multiple sites. Regional coverage should be a primary consideration in MRO supplier evaluation.
Another key theme is the discoverability challenge. Finding the right part is becoming as important as having it, but the research revealed identifying critical replacement components remains a significant operational challenge. The white paper suggests rather than relying on generic product catalogues, operators should look to develop facility-specific critical spares frameworks, aligned to installed assets and operational risk.
The white paper offers practical insights for data centre operators, and highlights why organisations should treat their maintenance supply chains as a strategic business function rather than simply an operational necessity.
Will Boylan concluded: “Operators should look to work with trusted suppliers – people who have strong governance within their own supply chain and relationships with trusted brands and OEMS, as well as strong ESG credentials. Combined, all these things can help organisations in this space maintain uptime.”
The A spotlight on data centres… How maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) is central to their future white paper can be downloaded here. Find out how RS supports the data centre sector here.
