t cht lk
On an operational level , the Digital Twin provides a clearer picture across your IT and facilities systems by enabling integration of tools and creating a more complete operating picture of your facility .
No one can predict exactly what ’ s coming next – but we do know that the increased use of applications , generation of data and demand for digital services will sit at the heart of this resurgence . Most importantly , this all needs to be seamless if organisations are to maximise their competitive advantage , be it through improved customer experience , faster time to market for products or more effective sales teams .
So the data centre has its moment to shine , but it must also become a more financially predictable and manageable asset .
Understanding ROI in the data centre
Let ’ s sit in the CFO ’ s chair . Too often the data centre appears as a financial sinkhole – because while its essential role is undisputed , there is always a sense that its capacity to handle workloads is not keeping pace with what was initially expected . Its power and cooling demands don ’ t seem to be reducing , despite advances in technology .
And at some point , there will be that knock on the door asking for the budget to expand the data centre footprint . So , as margins tighten and the need to return value from each investment increases , there is a growing dissatisfaction with the ROI on many data centres .
This situation creates tension . IT and facilities teams – who may not share resources or reporting lines – are asked to deliver more , but frequently they may feel they cannot . In most data centres today , the facility is run at a conservative level to avoid outages . Operational teams are at full stretch to deliver performance from a facility that may not be optimised to deliver against such demands .
The CFO and their team will be seeking every opportunity to minimise cost and maximise return . The conservative management of the data centre can leave the CFO feeling like money is being left on the table . The difficulty lies in knowing whether the business can stay competitive at the current cost base , whether it needs to invest more , or whether the
78 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com