Client’s Challenge
A global financial institution, active in more than 40 countries, serving approximately 100 million customers, reconstructed their datacenters in order to upgrade the availability (uptime) of the datacenters. The reconstruction program was meant to ensure regulatory requirements were and will be met, as well as to improve their service level to their customers in the competitive banking world. During the reconstruction program loss of function of the datacenters must be prevented, i.e. during the reconstruction the datacenters must be fully operational to meet daily demand (electronic banking traffic, treasury activities, trading on international money markets, et cetera).
To prevent loss of function of the datacenters the institution wanted continuous operational risk management in place to mitigate risks (electrical, cooling, civil) during the design and reconstruction phases, including the test- and commissioning phases.
Assignment
The financial institution asked DNV to identify risks in their datacenter’s energy infrastructure (electrical, cooling, civil) that possibly can occur before (drawing table) and during the reconstruction phases, including the test- and commissioning phases. DNV also defined risk mitigation measurements and residual risks. In addition the client asked DNV to execute audits on the quality system of the projects, to investigate failing circuit breakers, and to provide ad hoc advice and expertise.
Our Solution
DNV formed a team of electrical, mechanical, civil, and risk management experts. These experts visited the datacenters on a weekly basis to review the reconstruction plans and planning, and to perform visual inspections. Findings were discussed with project leaders of the client, the owner’s engineer, and contractors and sub-contractors. For each datacenter a Risk Table was monitored and updated. The experts reviewed the content of work plans and execution plans of FATs, SATs, functional system tests, and Total Outage Acceptance Tests. DNV coordinated an investigation to find the root cause of tripping circuit breakers, and determined suitable temporary measures. DNV performed a root cause analysis regarding fire in an UPS-room, and investigated power failures. In addition DNV facilitated post-project risk management meetings and workshops aimed at creating more risk awareness.
Client benefits
The independent operational risk management services provided insight and prioritization in the risks identified, enabling the institution to decide on risk mitigation measures, and to ensure normal and save availability of the datacenters during the reconstruction program. The risk management services improved the level of quality of the reconstruction projects executed (with regard to personal safety, design, way of working, risk awareness) and the operation of the datacenters after commissioning. During the different project phases we provided the financial institution with clarity whether the risk mitigation actions proposed/in progress were sufficient and lead to acceptable residual risk, or that additional actions were required to support GO / NO GO decision on project steps.