In a digital economy where uptime is non-negotiable, effective critical facilities management (FM) is becoming a primary lever for managing outage risk in high‑density, AI‑driven data centres. As infrastructure grows more complex and AI-driven compute places unprecedented strain on power and cooling systems, operators face escalating risks, making the cost of getting FM wrong higher than ever.
Evolving Pressures, Escalating Risks: The New Reality for Data Centre Operators
Despite steady year-on-year improvements in resilience, the industry continues to operate under significant pressure. According to Uptime Institute’s 2025 Outage Analysis, outages are occurring less frequently but are becoming more complex and more expensive when they do happen. Power-related failures remain the leading cause of impactful incidents, accounting for 54% of major outages, while 53% of operators reported at least one outage in the past three years, even as overall rates decline.1
This challenge is amplified by the rapid rise of AI and the high-density compute requirements. AI workloads are now “straining existing infrastructure, especially around power and cooling,” creating new categories of risk that simply didn’t exist a decade ago. Staffing shortages across the sector add further pressure, reducing the availability of experienced professionals capable of managing mission-critical environments.2
The financial implications are equally significant. More than 54% of organisations reported that their most recent outage exceeded $100,000 in cost, and 20% experienced losses above $1 million. For large enterprises, downtime can reach $540,000 to well over $1 million per hour, depending on sector and workload criticality.3
This is the operating landscape that data centre leaders must now navigate, where even small procedural missteps can cascade into business-critical failures.
Keeping the Digital World Alive: The Essential Role of Critical Facilities Management
At Datalec, our Critical Maintenance methodology is purpose-built for high-risk, high-availability environments. It offers a structured, standards-aligned approach designed to maintain live systems without compromising redundancy, performance, or customer SLAs.
Our critical FM capability spans the full breadth of mission-critical infrastructure, including power systems such as UPS units, batteries, generators, and switchgear; cooling systems, including CRAC/CRAH units and chillers; fire detection and suppression systems; and advanced BMS and monitoring platforms.
Industry pressures are not easing. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) has plateaued at 1.54 for the sixth consecutive year, while rack densities continue to climb, putting further strain on already-stretched systems. This means critical maintenance teams can no longer rely on “easy efficiency wins.” A proactive, risk-mitigating approach to critical FM is therefore essential for protecting both efficiency and reliability.4
Where Precision Meets Protection: How Datalec Manages Risk in Real Time
Every maintenance activity at Datalec is governed by rigorous planning and disciplined execution. Our engineers work to detailed Method Statements and Risk Assessments, supported by ITIL-aligned change management that ensures full control in live environments. Before any intervention begins, redundancy and load paths are validated to safeguard availabilit, (dry running the MOPs & SOPs). Experienced engineers then perform all live maintenance, followed by comprehensive post-maintenance testing to confirm system performance and provide complete transparency.
This end-to-end process aligns with globally recognised standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, and ISO 45001, and adheres to Uptime Institute operational principles. The result is a maintenance approach engineered for safety, business continuity, and uncompromising reliability.
Delivering What Matters Most: Reliability, Trust, and Peace of Mind
Partnering with Datalec gives operators a measurable lift in resilience and operational confidence. Our disciplined, repeatable processes significantly reduce maintenance-related outages, while enhanced documentation and governance strengthen compliance and audit readiness, particularly valuable for organisations operating in tightly regulated sectors.
As workloads grow and rack densities rise, our high change-success rates ensure upgrades and interventions can be delivered without jeopardising uptime. Combined with 24/7 monitoring and engineering response, this provides constant protection that keeps your environment stable, secure, and responsive.
With one in ten outages across the industry still resulting in severe operational disruption, the importance of a resilient, strategically managed critical FM framework cannot be overstated.5
Conclusion: Critical FM as a Strategic Advantage
Data centres today face unprecedented challenges, from rising power demands to AI-driven volatility and persistent supply-chain constraints. Effective Facilities Management is no longer simply an operational requirement; it is a strategic differentiator that protects uptime, safeguards customers, and ensures true business continuity.
At Datalec, our Critical Maintenance service is engineered to keep you ahead of these risks.
“Your uptime and customer trust are too important to risk. Contact me today to arrange a detailed data centre assessment and discover how our Critical Maintenance strategy delivers the resilience, reliability, and compliance your operation depends on.”
By Scott Longhurst, Director of Data Centre Services
2 [https://www.dpstele.com/blog/2025-outage-report-changing-risks.php]
3 [https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/outages/data-center-outages-decline-for-fourth-straight-year-but-issues-persist]
4 [https://dns-consulting.net/the-2025-global-data-center-survey-by-uptime-institute/]
5 [https://www.networkenvironments.com/key-insights-uptime-institute-2025-global-data-center-survey/]