To achieve the purpose of a data centre, a concrete baseline must be established. According to the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA), data centres can deliver their full level of performance if augmented by a key strategic plan.

BSRIA offers the following tips for effectively running an efficient critical environment of a data centre:
1. Develop effective operational management strategies,
2. Ensure there is a continuous improvement culture
3. Ensure you capture performance data
4. Benchmark and use the data to drive improvements
5. Embrace new technologies that provide performance improvements
6. Ensure engineers are suitably trained and competent
7. Test critical assets and operating procedures regularly
8. Non useful electrical power ends up as heat, so match power input to load
9. Measure your static floor pressure to ensure ventilation is getting to the heat load: Think of warm air        as a pollutant
10. Review your maintenance tasks to ensure the activities address the likely causes of failure

Jo Harris, Sustainable Construction Group Manager at BSRIA, said: “For efficient critical environment management – there’s the trusted mantra: Plan, Do, Check, Act. You must have a management strategy in place that enables you to undertake the management and maintenance of the assets. Then the key is to check that what you had planned is actually giving you the results you wanted. Measures that reduce risk in a business with a critical environment are key for operators.” She also pointed out that good management will also help in reducing operational costs.

Harris cautioned that one must not underestimate the impact that management can have on engineering risks in a critical environment and good management can also help in prevention of any unfortunate incident.