Data center buildouts have become complex projects from the proposal to buildout. One slipped deadline risks bringing the entire project to a halt but an experienced partner can manage that complexity with ease.
The unending appetite for AI has brought about a change within the very facilities that power the technology. Where data centers have generally been CPU-centric, AI data centers rely on power-guzzling GPUs which are pushing rack power draws to 100 kW and beyond, with facilities now pulling anywhere from 100 MW to 1 GW.
Demand for AI computing isn’t slowing down, with estimates suggesting that the value of the AI market is set to increase 25-fold by 2033. That demand is hamstrung by complexity. Securing land and power can take upwards of three years leading to paper-thin margins for buildout timelines.
With margins so thin, a single logistics delay, a mismatched component, or a construction team that isn’t properly staffed can bring an entire buildout to a screeching halt, jeopardizing even the most well considered plans.
Density is only the beginning
Stalwarts of the sector will remember when a data center was no more than a few server racks in an air-conditioned room. Today AI facilities span hundreds of acres and require cooling technology older facilities can’t support, higher voltage and amperage than before, and networking that can’t lag by so much as a millisecond.
In some parts of the world, energy density within AI data centers has more than tripled compared to traditional data centers. This not only adds complexity to the power procurement process, it changes the pre-development conversation for the facility itself.
This density creates other considerations that must be made including how power is delivered throughout the facility and how backup power will factor into the operations. Each of these thousands of components must be sourced and scheduled to arrive as it is needed.
Where buildouts actually break
As with any chain, one weak link in a supply chain can bring a project to its knees.
By partnering with Wesco Anixter, you are bringing a trusted partner onboard that has a global network of integrators, contractors and installers. Through this network, every aspect of a buildout is accounted for from design to orchestration to project management. Not only is Wesco Anixter managing the project’s supply chain, it’s accounting for every eventuality.
With margins being so thin, a project can be delayed for months because of one missed delivery. This delay cascades down the chain and suddenly the construction teams and technicians who were only meant to be on site for a week are there for another two. With Wesco Anixter coming in early, it is able to effectively manage these risks because it identifies every aspect of a buildout and coordinates it from procurement to installation.
Whether it’s geopolitical upsets or a new project in unfamiliar territory, the location can make managing a buildout just that much more complicated. This problem becomes exponentially worse as buildouts lean on more vendors from around the world, especially if the site of the project is located in a country that restricts imports from the country a vendor is located in. With its global reach, Wesco Anixter is able to effectively navigate these pitfalls before they even become a problem.
This complexity is manageable, but managing it effectively demands a partner that coordinates the work across the entire timeline. From planning and specification through procurement and execution. If a trusted partner is brought on as soon as possible, problems can be headed off at the pass.
Fewer hand offs, fewer delays
Coordinating complex projects and managing them is what Wesco Anixter excels in. The company’s experience in the sector means it isn’t just a partner, but a single point of coordination across the entire buildout from beginning to end and even long after.
Wesco Anixter provides comprehensive lifecycle services spanning pre-construction, deployment, and ongoing operations. Our expertise includes design and planning, site selection, power infrastructure support, long-lead procurement, end-to-end rack services, managed services, and post-installation operational support, ensuring seamless execution from concept to steady-state operations.
Gaps between design and construction are managed through end-to-end coordination and visibility across all partners and phases. Wesco Anixter also accounts for the complexity and risk introduced through interdependent systems through lifecycle planning that accounts for dependencies, providing greater resilience, even as the data center’s requirements evolve.
By engaging with Wesco Anixter from the outset, developers can make better informed choices early on, requiring less rework later.
Through Wesco Anixter, more than 130,000 customers including AI data center developers and operators have gained access to a deep portfolio of product and service vendors at every step of the buildout. Services such as offsite configuration are also made available for developers and operators juggling multiple projects in different geographies and require consistency. Its global network also gives Wesco Anixter the leverage to secure better terms from vendors, which developers feel directly in those all important capex figures.
Wesco Anixter offers global availability with a physical presence in over 50 countries. Most important is the company’s local awareness that is so often missing from projects of this caliber. That local touch helps mitigate the risks associated with global supply chain management whether you’re building a hyperscale data centre, a neocloud, or just trying to get cabling through customs.
With Wesco Anixter your buildout isn’t just another project, it’s the start of a long relationship with a partner that has spent over 100 years building the modern world alongside businesses just like yours.
Learn how Wesco Anixter can help accelerate your data centre strategy with scalable, resilient and future-ready infrastructure solutions – https://www.wesco.com/us/en/solutions/data-center.html