How to make a presentation to a customer? it applies for DC´s -or any- project.

Last week I have been involved in a project where the end customer has VERY clearly what they want to have in its DC, but the DESign team have had a gap in their skills to present the systems designs (ARCHitecture, ENErgy, COOLing, SAFEty, SECurity; ITT).

 

It is not a matter of technical skills neither language (math, physics) but more goes in understanding deeply the OPRs (Owner´s ¨Project Requirements) and that is a lack of developing project skills of course but mainly thinking in organization customer´s business needs instead of TECHNICAL formulas, software results, drawings and so on.

It is a matter of thinking in the needs of our customer instead ours; why ? of course in some point we have to sell our services or goods , so we try that those fit inside the customers´needs but sometime a free cooling solution, or a modular UPS, or a trunk communication cabling or raised flooring are NOT the solution for such project.

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Here I always suggest that before a salesman come into the Conceptual design team a clear understanding of the OPRs must be done by all the incumbents in the group. If you can get this simple knowledge you will have walked half of the distance to get a successful project accomplishment.

Then each DESigner can go trough drawing, calculating and specifying the alternatives that have to be evaluated to solve the challenge for the project. That will be moment to include the salesmen into the arena.

After that stage the final decision must go versus the OPRs  and the total performance of the facility : PUE, energy billing, data speed rate, security, safety, cooling, availability, sustainability, business continuity management, and......all others that our customers is prioritizing -budget included-

Or what do you think?

roberto sanchez, RCDD