Aleksey Mayorov, Distribution Account Manager EMEA at Axis Communications, explains the importance and key benefits of close collaboration with distribution, and the steps data centre operators must take to ensure timely access to critical resources.
In the fast-paced world of data centres, facilities need to be brought online quickly and efficiently – even the smallest delays can lead to significant setbacks and huge costs. Accenture reports that the world’s low resiliency to delays, shortages and other market fluctuations costs $1.6 trillion in potential revenue growth every year.
The risks of, for example, environmental regulation and geopolitical disruption, which 70% of operators suggest will limit digitalisation in Europe in the coming years, have to be mitigated. To do so, data centre operators must nurture proactive partnerships with distributors that can offer reliable, scalable, and responsive service – those which deeply understand the unique, specific pressures affecting one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors.
A baseline standard for partnership
A proactive approach to supply chain management begins even before selecting one’s partners and continues as those partnerships evolve. To begin with, data centre operators should be looking up their supply chains for the Three Rs: Resiliency, Robustness and Responsibility. Resiliency represents the shield, there to protect against difficult times; robustness is the ability to act quickly if something does go wrong; and responsibility is a commitment to the highest quality, sustainability, and trust.
But trust is earned, not given – and in supply chain partnerships, trust is built on a foundation of transparent communication and commitment. There is rarely any wiggle room for delays or mistakes. All parties need to be on the same page, clear with their requirements and able to deliver what is promised. Clarity around project goals ensures equipment availability far in advance, thus a pre-emptive approach to trusted partnership leads to far fewer delays.
Building and growing on a global scale
Data centres operate globally – and global businesses want to work with global companies. With an increasing number sited in remote regions, and with the technology market now so widely distributed, virtually every data centre needs to source equipment and materials from all over the world. As data centre projects expand to meet growing demand, it is vital that operators seek robust distribution partners which exhibit close relationships with their own manufacturers and logistics providers.
Optimising the supply chain is crucial in order to ensure timely access to critical resources. Construction materials, IT and energy infrastructure, physical security and access control systems – if just one of the myriad elements of a data centre falls behind, everything falls behind. Consider the potential revenue lost if crucial equipment or materials are trapped overseas for weeks or months. Operators must be confident that their suppliers can deliver.
Disasters or global instability can be problematic, but distributors that are closely integrated with their manufacturers can, if looking far enough into the future, work through them. Operators, similarly, should consider their options: creating local partnerships or diversifying suppliers helps build a backup plan. A pre-emptive approach to dealing with issues can help operators, distributors and manufacturers alike develop a relationship built to encourage stability.
Alignment and efficiency through communication
A proactive supply chain strategy helps meet the precision challenge of worldwide procurement. If a supply chain partner is aware of deadlines and expectations far in advance, they can prepare. And when it comes to navigating the challenges of distance, it is far more straightforward to coordinate inventory, shipping, on-site logistics and cross-border complexities when close partnerships are built on transparent communication.
The best partnerships tend to be those made with mature and well-established distributors, whose infrastructure and expertise in planning ensure they can work with their manufacturers and logistics partners on an integrated approach to risk management and disruption prevention.
Integration doesn’t stop there; shared understanding, supported by collaborative platforms, means data centres can make partners at all stages of the supply chain clear on the route forward and affect a quicker turnaround. Every part of the supply chain provides a building block vital for the efficient completion and onboarding of data centres, and every partner should be treated with the same amount of care and clarity.
Working together with trust and shared values
In the end, any relationship with key partners comes down to trust – and while execution and communication contribute to building a shared culture, operators should be aligned with their distribution partners in terms of their values. Data centres need to meet the highest standards of cybersecurity and sustainability, and their equipment must play its part.
Partners with aligned values can help reinforce these standards. The supply chain is not only a source of equipment, after all; build trusted partnerships and it can also be a source of reassurance around secure handling and eco-friendly activities. That is, as long as distribution partners can offer straightforward, detailed and provable information on their manufacturers’ sustainability and ethics practices.
The supply chain exists for a reason. No business can work alone. The role of a proactive, collaborative supply chain underscores the value of selecting partners who prioritise trust, responsibility, and forward-thinking solutions. By working together, data centres and their partners can create a smarter, safer environment on a global scale.
