Diarmaid Connolly is venture director at building consultancy Linesight

The rise in AI know-how and functions like ChatGPT is making a growth within the digital infrastructure market, however the rising demand for information centres brings with it a heightened pressure on provide chains. 

Current volatility in vitality and materials costs has affected all industries, however has been felt significantly keenly within the data-centre sector, the place the provision of key supplies and parts can have a big influence on building prices and timelines. However by taking a standardised method to design, we will realise the potential of streamlined pipelines, bringing down related prices and lowering delays within the course of. 

Watch out for bespoke

Let’s begin by taking a look at why a bespoke method is so usually the default route taken. It usually outcomes from altering occupier wants, restricted energy provide and particular planning necessities resulting in the design being tailored to every website and infrequently revised throughout building. 

A scarcity of technical experience is one other key issue stopping extra progressive approaches from being adopted. The Royal Establishment of Chartered Surveyors’ UK Development Monitor Q1 2023 report identifies labour shortages as a big space of concern for the development market. A scarcity of expert labour, significantly for specialised information areas similar to mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades, is affecting value and timelines of tasks.

“Though limiting the number of designs used can take away the dangers related to bespoke options, you will need to depart room for evolution”

Standardised design can go a great distance in direction of mitigating a few of these points; it encompasses a motion in direction of a repetition-based methodology for using gear, methods and supplies, by the adoption of extra constant design options. This contains using Proprietor Furnished Contractor Put in (OFCI) procurement fashions, in addition to offsite manufacturing or modular building. As soon as outlined, this method can take away a number of the complexities of tasks, giving contractors the flexibility to plan forward and perceive the best way to successfully prioritise expertise and supplies, resulting in vital value and time financial savings for shoppers.  

As with nearly all of building tasks, when constructing information centres, time equals cash. The place demand is excessive, the predictability of scale and velocity of supply are essential elements for builders searching for to stake a declare out there. With timeframes squeezed, adopting standardised designs permits venture groups to, in flip, standardise their schedules, making it simpler to beat challenges offered by provide chain constraints and even materials shortages. 

Purchasers could begin reaping rewards from the outset, as the development of standardised parts can begin sooner. An instance right here could possibly be using modular building to provide prefabricated parts off website as early as in the course of the planning course of.

Standardised design signifies that builders can improve established provide chain relationships by repeat transactions. Within the case of OFCI, figuring out the supplies and gear wanted for a venture earlier than bringing on a contractor permits builders to probably scale back the wait window and enhance velocity to market. This additionally provides the developer direct information of, and involvement with, the provision chain. This collaborative framework affords a extra streamlined course of, in addition to a better dedication to assembly deadlines. 

Having oversight of the design necessities additionally provides builders better consciousness of the talents wanted to get the ability up and working. Standardised design gives a brief answer to the technical talent shortages, which for some tasks are resulting in delays in supply. 

Furthermore, standardisation may play an vital position in de-risking tasks, by the appliance of predictable processes and materials specs. The standardised method also can lengthen to the operation and upkeep of tasks, which permits producers to keep up manufacturing the place in any other case peaks and troughs would happen in provide chains.

Supporting innovation 

Though limiting the number of designs used can take away the dangers related to bespoke options, you will need to depart room for evolution, to be able to hold enhancing the standard of the UK’s data-centres supply, significantly in gentle of latest sustainability requirements. 

It might sound counterintuitive, however standardised design additionally brings alternatives for innovation. Within the case of vitality use, the implementation of constant design options permits for a extra predictable efficiency as soon as information centres are in operation, making it simpler to analyse and benchmark vitality use. This offers builders the info wanted to grasp the facility consumption of a given venture and thereby determine the alternatives to cut back consumption or to herald sustainable provide options. 

Whereas variation in native planning circumstances and end-user necessities will proceed to alter from venture to venture, understanding the advantages of standardised design is vital to assembly the rising want for information storage and discovering methods to future-proof the sector.