Data centers have become perhaps the most scrutinized areas of many institutional and commercial facilities in recent years. Along with other critical areas with facilities, including computer rooms and operating rooms, data centers are nerve centers for key organization operations, as well as monumental challenges for departments that must ensure that they operate reliably and energy efficiently.
From monitoring and managing the electrical-distribution systems supporting the center to ensuring that cooling and dehumidification systems operate effectively, the challenges for maintenance and engineering managers are high-priority and constant.
The challenges for managers multiply when an organization decides to expand its data center to better support operations and achieve its business goals. George Guck, director of facilities with Frito-Lay at its North American headquarters in Plano, Texas, knows this challenge all too well. The company completed a multi-million dollar data center expansion in 2011 that added equipment and upgraded its power supply.
The project, along with several other upgrades to improve the headquarters’ energy efficiency and sustainability, was part of the company’s three-year efforts to reduce energy use by 25 percent, reduce water use by 50 percent, and reduce landfill by 75 percent. The projects earned the department a 2015 Facility Maintenance Decisions Achievement Award.
Frito-Lay Data Center Expansion Shows Value of Maintenance Department
