Building an IT Data Centre? Let PRINCE2 Help!

The construction industry has always been seen as the primary stomping ground for PRINCE2 certification, with many of the world’s leading brands having already adopted the approach as standard. There are in fact a great many construction and development companies that will only take on individuals in a project management capacity if they have studied PRINCE2 project management and proved themselves as able to follow its unique methodology.

The name ‘Projects in a Controlled Environment’ largely explains what PRINCE2 is all about – that being to take any project of any size and transform it into a wholly manageable endeavour with a strategic roadmap and checklist to follow along the way. What’s more, it’s the kind of philosophy that’s workable and implementable across every industry imaginable, ranging from simple customer service roles right through to the biggest of construction projects. It remains one of the only universally relevant approaches to project management, which when implemented cannot fail to revolutionize performance and output.

In the example of building an IT data centre for example, this is the kind of project wherein a thousand and one considerations and variables must be accounted for in order to pull the project off. Before even getting off the ground in the first place, those involved must be aware of the importance of defining the various stages of the build process in order to ensure that each stage is controlled, monitored, analysed and optimized fully. This represents the very core of the PRINCE2 methodology, which addresses all key stages of any project and brings the utmost control. There are a mix of internal and external factors which influence the approach taken to build a data centre.

The most controlling factor is the budget, both for the initial building but also the long term operation as these centres require a large amount of power, cooling security and maintenance to operate, which have been quoted in 2010 as making up 65% of a total IT data centre’s cost. This is set out in the Business Case and may also be set in the Project Brief stage as well. PRINCE2 thinking allows businesses to avoid any hidden or unexpected costs which may cause issues later on. A project which implements such a high level of concentrated electrical equipment, in operation around the clock must also adhere to legal standards of fire safety and residential guidelines. Furthermore, there are demands which are not realised until the time comes to upgrade the Data Centre – how to dispose of the equipment legally, responsibly and ethically and ensure forwards compatibility. Using PRINCE2 to gain a comprehensive overview of the project as a whole, from conception to completion, should lead to a smooth and best practiced project when it is in operation.

It’s a simple fact that when and where any project is not adequately controlled during any of its stages, it runs the risk of overrunning, exceeding the available budget or perhaps falling apart altogether. And as the only adequate level of control is total, it’s little wonder that PRINCE 2 Project Management is fast becoming a prerequisite demand of applicants looking to get into the field.

The core principles of the PRINCE2 training program may be complex and intricate, but they are in fact geared toward total simplicity. Those that successfully study for and pass their PRINCE 2 exam will find themselves much better-equipped to tackle even the largest of projects, which can be made much more manageable when broken down into controllable stages. With PRINCE2 it’s all about simplifying the core structure of the project in order to not only control and implement each stage better, but also to optimize output and facilitate a faster, more affordable result.

The fact that no two construction jobs are ever identical makes PRINCE2 stand out as the ideal qualification to study for. Rather than targeting a single area of the trade or an element of the building process, PRINCE 2 training can be applied to any construction job of any size, magnitude and purpose across the board. It has the potential to revolutionize what any project manager and by extension the business they work for is capable of.