Management & Operations

Stamp of Approval

Validating Operational Effectiveness for Existing Data Centers

The Management & Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval encompasses a set of benchmarks and best
practices that have been proven to support effective data center operations and reduce human errorthe
leading cause of data center outages. Regardless of the underlying design and infrastructure of a facility,
well-informed management practices, systematic and documented policies and procedures, and effective
training regimens, when applied and followed consistently, can insulate a data center from the majority of
downtime risk.

Management & Operations
Assessment and Award
Attaining the M&O Stamp of Approval assures
stakeholders and the market that your data center
satisfies industry-recognized criteria for excellence,
risk management, and reliability. It is a stand-alone
assessment of critical facilities management and
operations practices of a non-Tier Certified data
center, encompassing both day-to-day activities on
the ground and upstream planning and decision-
making. Earning this credential demonstrates your
organizations leadership and commitment to
operational excellence.
The M&O Stamp of Approval path begins with an
on-site evaluation of the current practices in place
at a data center. Uptime Institute experts review
documentation and policies, interview personnel, and
directly observe operations activities. The assessment
process is a thorough, multi-day analysis to determine
if appropriate management and operations behaviors
exist and if they are executed effectively. It provides
accountability for the operations team, service
vendors, and leadership. The M&O Stamp of Approval
is being leveraged by organizations with a globally
distributed footprint to drive standardization and
sustain operational excellence.

Key Areas Assessed

The M&O behaviors are divided into five categories, with criteria in each that
have been identified as necessary for a site to achieve its full uptime potential,
reduce its risk of errors, and maintain efficient operations.

Planning, Coordination, and Management

Site Policies Financial Process Reference Library Capacity Management

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STITUTE APP
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Staffing and Organization
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Staffing Qualifications Organization
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M&O Company
Training
Data Center Staff Vendors
Site
Exp. Day Month Year Operating Conditions
Load Management Operating Set Points

Maintenance
PM Program Housekeeping MMS Vendor Support Deferred Maintenance
Predictive Maintenance Life-Cycle Planning Failure Analysis Program
Uptime Institutes M&O principles are built upon
the fundamental conviction that operations and
management issues are addressable, often without a
major resource commitment, and represent the single
greatest opportunity to reduce the risk of data center
incidents and downtime.
Sites that meet criteria in all five categories are
awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval. Youll also
receive a report of findings and recommendations on
how the organization can align resource allocation
with facilities performance to minimize human error
and extract maximum value from your installed
infrastructure.
M&O Stamp of Approval awards are valid for two
years. Operational excellence is in large part about
maintaining discipline and consistency over time
and making continual adaptation to changes in the
environment. Accordingly, Uptime Institute requires
reassessment every two years.
We sought a level of achievement to differentiate
beyond what was expected or commonplace.
Uptime Institutes M&O Stamp of Approval
requires a level of rigor and aptitude specific to
data centers that digs into, and recognizes, our
operational achievements.
David Meredith
Senior Vice President, CenturyLink
Benefits of the M&O Stamp of Approval
Earning the M&O Stamp of Approval validates the rigor
and effectiveness of your data center management
and operations. It helps:
Provide a consistent and proven set of standards,
processes, and measurements across an entire
global data center portfolio
Validate that you have appropriate measures in
place to safeguard your facility from errors and
failuresmitigating the human factors risk that
accounts for the majority of unplanned downtime
Protect your investment in data center equipment
and systems and increase the market value of your
data center
Improve resource allocation
Establish a more effective selection process for
service providers
For enterprise owners, it gives you and your
stakeholders the assurance needed that effective
operating practices and risk management
measures are in place
For colocation and managed service providers,
it enhances the industry reputation of your data
center by acknowledging accomplishment as
witnessed through an independent and unbiased
third-party.
If you have your processes and content down,
getting M&O is the gold standard. Everything else
becomes easy. Compare that to owning an SSAE
certyou might not be anywhere near qualified
to pass M&O.
John Sheputis,
President, Infomart Data Centers
Reduce downtime risk and validate the operational
excellence of your data center. Contact the experts
in management and operations at Uptime Institute
today and let The Global Data Center Authority help
you keep your operations on track.
Questions?
Please contact your regional representative online:
http://uptimeinstitute.com/contact-us,
email us at: info@uptimeinstitute.com,
or by phone at: +1 206.706.4149
For more information about the Management &
Operations assessment criteria and a list of recipients
of the M&O Stamp of Approval, visit the Uptime
Institute website: https://uptimeinstitute.com/
management-and-operations
Uptime Institute is a division of The 451 Group, a leading technology
industry analyst and data company. Uptime Institute has office locations
in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, U.K., Spain, U.A.E., Russia,
Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Visit www.uptimeinstitute.com for more information.
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