5 Things I’ve Learned Leading a Large Data Center Project

1. Schedule (and how much you can coordinate, shave off, and stick to it) is EVERYTHING!
Time is money. Schedule compression is real. Every decision, every task, every delay impacts how soon the facility can begin storing and processing data. With multiple teams working on stage-gated electrical components, coordination and communication is critical.

On our data center project, we had eight foremen leading distinct crews with unique daily objectives. To keep everyone aligned, we held daily foreman meetings to review expectations, labor concerns, and task dependencies. We also utilized a team messaging app to quickly disseminate project updates and safety alerts.

2. Expertise on your bench matters.
A large data center project demands excellence across a wide range of electrical disciplines. From complex medium-voltage feeds to miles of low-voltage Cat 6 cabling, every component needs to be executed flawlessly. Thankfully, FZ has the electrical expertise and depth to support whatever was thrown at us. We regularly pulled in specialists from different teams to tackle specific challenges. To stay ahead, we held weekly manpower and skillset meetings every Wednesday, bringing together Assistant Project Managers, Project Managers, and Foremen to plan upcoming tasks and identify where support was needed.

3. Material logistics and ordering are a necessary headache.
Sourcing and managing materials for a data center is no small feat. With high demand and tight specs, early procurement is essential, especially for critical items like copper. Because FZ has multiple branches across the United States, we were able to leverage our large resource pool to identify and procure materials that we could not get in Michigan. When we faced a nationwide cabling shortage, our team leveraged our network and connections to find a material rep out of Las Vegas to secure cabling. Being creative and flexible in identifying and procuring hard-to-get stock is critical.

Finding and ordering the material is one thing, but keeping it in perfect condition is another. Our team documented every step of material quality control, from the material arriving, being loaded off, wrapped, unwrapped, stationed, and installed.

4. Avoid getting tired legs.
Our recent data center project spanned over ¾ of a mile. To keep our 150+ electricians from unnecessarily trudging back and forth, wasting time (and money), we focused on efficiency logistics.

We got creative:

• Everything was on wheels (tool cages, gang boxes, desks, etc.) so that teams could move seamlessly from space to space as the project progressed.
• We deployed a fleet of FZ bikes to reduce walking time.
• We partnered with vendors for just-in-time delivery, cutting down on staging space and congestion.

5. Data Centers are teaching gold.
If you’re an electrician and you want to learn the electrical trade, data center projects are where you are going to experience a wide range of electrical situations – from low to medium voltage, and everything in between. Our data center projects have provided our apprentices with a breadth of opportunities to learn and experience different electrical skills and applications that they may not have experienced in years. Also, owing to the massive size of the facility, every task needs to be completed time and time again, so apprentices can quickly go from learning a skill to mastering it.

Leading a data center project is a masterclass in electrical coordination, logistics, and leadership. It pushes you to think strategically, act decisively, and lean on your team’s strengths. The lessons learned here don’t just apply to data centers—but every other project we’ll encounter.