Assessment

An Assessment of your data centre infrastructure is a best practice management tool that can be used to identify and establish a gap analysis between the current state of your IT infrastructure and a desired potential state, based on recommended industry best practices.

As technologies improve and standards get higher, it is necessary to ensure that a regular, annual, assessment is conducted to understand how efficienct your data centre is compared to industry standards and best practice.

When used effectively it can help identify what actions should be considered to develop the required programme of change and establish the necessary priorities of the actions so that they deliver the benefits in a maximised and in a cost effective order. This holistic perspective also helps ensure that you invest your resources into the areas of highest potential return and impact.

One of the major benefits of conducting regular assessments is the ability to compare current results against previous completed assessments. This enables reporting of progress to be established with management and aides justification of previous expense and future budget requirements.

The assessment process is conducted using a proven methodology for collecting, analysing and presenting the required data. Assessments should also be conducted in such a format that it they can be repeated using the same set of methodology steps so that comparison with previous assessments can be achieved.

The result of an assessment can be the production of a baseline or benchmark. Refer to Benchmark for further information. This is the measurement that is used to for comparison with other similar assessments.

It should be noted though that the comparison of benchmarks should only be taken or considered if the original assessments and methodologies are the same, otherwise the result of the comparison may be meaningless.

Summary benefits of Assessment

In summary, regular assessment delivers the following benefits:.

1. Targeted solution to maximise investment in data centre energy management
2. Gap analysis of existing environment against industry best practice and standards
3. Identification of problems and issues that are inhibitors to increasing energy efficiency
4. Prioritisation of resolutions
5. Confidence of compliance with CSR, legal responsibilities and general industry standards
6. Maintaining of energy efficiency skills within organisation