Do you hear statements like these from your Data Center’s Support Provider?
- “We’ll send the part via overnight shipping and provide you with tracking information later today.” Parts overnight means a missing 4 hour SLA.
- “The part is currently held up in customs. We’ll notify you as soon as it’s cleared.” Once stuck in customs, the part can take a week or longer to clear. Again, a missed 4 hour SLA.
- “While we don’t classify a power supply as a high-failure part, we’ll still proceed with ordering it and keep you updated on its estimated time of arrival.” And… another missed 4hr SLA!
In the fast-paced world of data center operations, downtime is not an option. That’s why many businesses invest in premium Data Center Support providers with a 4-hour Service Level Agreement (SLA) to ensure rapid resolution of issues. However, are you truly getting the level of service you’re paying for? Is your support provider investing in parts and positioning them correctly? Let’s delve into some key considerations to ensure you’re maximizing your support investment.
- Sparing Strategy Alignment: Your support provider should align their sparing strategy with current OEM specifications. This includes testing spares to meet OEM requirements and ensuring firmware levels match your environment, reducing the risk of compatibility issues.
2. Identifying High Failure Parts: High failure parts, such as HDDs, power supplies, and memory modules, should be readily available as spares. Your provider should have data-driven analytics on their spares to ensure meeting a 4hr SLA more than 95% of the time. Otherwise, you do not have a 4hr SLA.
3. Proximity of Parts: Local availability of parts is crucial for meeting a 4-hour SLA. Parts for critical assets should be within a 30-mile radius of your site and in country, enabling rapid response times in case of emergencies.
4. Global Parts Network: A robust parts supplier network is essential for addressing failures across different geographical locations. Your provider should have the capability to source parts locally, regionally, or in-country, ensuring timely resolution of issues regardless of location.
5. Replenishment and Provisioning: Understanding the replenishment process is key to ensuring continuous support. Your provider should have a proactive approach to replenishing spares, ensuring that replacements are readily available when needed.
In conclusion, parts availability is a critical aspect of any premium maintenance and support solution. By ensuring alignment with OEM specifications and a robust parts network you can maximize the value of your Data Center Support investment and minimize the risk of downtime. Don’t settle for subpar support—demand excellence from your provider and ensure you’re getting what you pay for.
Parts are just one key component to a Premium Support Solution, stay tuned for deep dives on more components to ensure you have the best possible solution for your environment.
