{"id":6581,"date":"2021-04-15T10:55:06","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T17:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=6581"},"modified":"2023-08-02T11:06:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T18:06:41","slug":"datacenter-construction-at-microsoft-transforms-thanks-to-compass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/datacenter-construction-at-microsoft-transforms-thanks-to-compass\/","title":{"rendered":"Datacenter commissioning at Microsoft transforms thanks to Compass"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This content has been archived, and while it was correct at time of publication, it may no longer be accurate or reflect the current situation at Microsoft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"MicrosoftIt used to be a lot harder for Nich Zies and his team to verify critical infrastructure by checking electrical, fire safety, and all the auxiliary systems needed to power buildings, during datacenter construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Microsoft has a new use for a datacenter, we verify that all the equipment meets our specifications,\u201d Zies says. \u201cOne of the things about any kind of quality-type process is documentation. If the documentation isn\u2019t there, it never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Zies, now a Microsoft regional commissioning lead for the Americas, first started, this kind of documentation was all done via Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft Word document, and email.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, all the files went into one big folder,\u201d Zies says. \u201cThere will be points down the road where you might need to go back and see if something was tested, especially if something goes wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Syed
Syed Mazhar is a software engineer on the Compass team. (Photo by Syed Mazhar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This along with other manual and decentralized steps, made things difficult.<\/p>\n

Commissioning is more than just documentation, and datacenter construction is more than just commissioning. Datacenter construction relies on a myriad of teams working harmoniously in sequence to successfully bring new services to customers. Everything from site selection to safety relies on established stages and processes to ensure a quality build that comes in on time and on budget.<\/p>\n

New datacenter construction takes anywhere between six months and three years. That timeline is getting better and more efficient thanks to a Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution developed by the Microsoft Datacenter Planning and Execution Engineering (DPXE) team in Microsoft\u2019s Cloud Operations + Innovation Engineering (CO+I E) organization.<\/p>\n

Called Compass, the internal-to-Microsoft tool built on the Dynamics 365 platform manages and orchestrates procurement, cost management, change management, safety and commissioning brings visibility and unity to the complex world of new datacenter construction. The tool is now managed by Microsoft Digital, the organization that powers, protects, and transforms Microsoft.<\/p>\n

As a result, end users like Zies and other stakeholders have a secure and dynamic way to improve processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompass helps us take all of those very hard-to-find documents and organizes them, and that\u2019s one of the minor things it does,\u201d Zies says. \u201cThis system looks at a multi-step process and tells us what we need to complete before moving on to the next phase.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks to the new solution, datacenter construction now has efficient process management and oversight.<\/p>\n

[Discover how Microsoft moved IT infrastructure management to the cloud with Microsoft Azure.<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Transforming datacenter construction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Compass team, led by Danielle Harden, a senior engineering program manager with DPXE, and Venkatesh Muthiah, a principal software engineer with DPXE, <\/span>selected Dynamics 365 to move away from third-party legacy systems that had scalability and security issues. Microsoft Digital was selected as the implementation partner. <\/span><\/p>\n

As demand for Microsoft Azure and Microsoft\u2019s cloud-based businesses grew, so did the need for new datacenters. Exponential growth in Microsoft Azure usage meant datacenter construction needed a revamp. In order to maintain a competitive advantage in cloud innovation, teams would need to deliver quality datacenters at a low cost around the globe.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigital transformation triggered everything,\u201d says Swaroopa Gajji, a principal software engineering manager with Microsoft Digital.<\/p>\n

Compass is all about reducing the manual process to improve communication and integration. But it wasn\u2019t as simple as building an automation platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cDatacenter construction happens all over the world,\u201d Gajji says. \u201cEach country and region use tools in different ways. We had to learn the processes and needs of every group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking to build Compass in a centralized way, the Compass team conducted a series of interviews with dozens of groups who participate in new datacenter construction, including Zies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey spent a long time trying to determine which functions needed to be there,\u201d Zies says. \u201cIt was about understanding the day-to-day work that goes into new construction.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Gajji, bringing everyone onto the same page meant building one simplified process to maximize the impact of Compass.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to standardize the process globally,\u201d Gajji says. A single process, according to Gajji, will help collaborators maximize the value of Compass. However, the solution still accounts for some variation, including regional differences in regulations and processes. \u201cWe also made the system customizable so users can configure it to their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once user requirements were understood, the team could go deep on executing a new vision for datacenter construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Building one system for all<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLots of external tools were being leveraged,\u201d says Rajat Singhal, a senior software engineer with Microsoft Digital who helped build Compass. \u201cNow, most of these solutions are built using Microsoft products, customized to develop Compass. The design is flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building Compass on Microsoft Dynamics 365 made it easy to create modules to support each workstream needed to build a datacenter. It also allowed for work to be centralized into one system and promoted standardization while still allowing for customization.<\/p>\n

No longer would teams need multiple solutions for cost management, procurement, or the variety of operational processes that contribute to new datacenter construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a module where budgets can be estimated and tracked,\u201d Singhal says. \u201cHow much budget is being utilized? How much is left? Further on, we have a module for the commissioning process, like inspecting and testing equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The de-coupled architecture of Compass allows the platform to adapt to regional variance and different needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just say someone needs eSigning in their finance and operation,\u201d Singhal says. \u201cThey can use this module because we have de-coupled architecture. There are several processes that can be reused as part of a bigger system or as modules.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is how end users like Zies can synchronize efforts with other teams to support optimal datacenter construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompass puts rules in place to make sure people adhere to the process,\u201d Zies says. \u201cIf an issue is open, the system forces us to resolve it or agree that it\u2019s not a blocker before we can proceed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Automating old practices<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where possible, Singhal and Microsoft Digital automated legacy processes and added telemetry to improve the visibility of efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cAutomating manual processes saves days,\u201d Gajji says. \u201cEverything from planning, designing, cost management, commissioning, and safety\u2014all of these are critical processes, and all of them are handled in Compass. The goal is for 100 percent automation.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re getting closer to that milestone.<\/p>\n

A lot of mundane and small micromanagement stuff is taken care of in Compass. The bigger issues, things that actually need to be completed by a human, now have our focus.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Nich Zies, regional commissioning lead, Microsoft Digital<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe have automated 54 of 68 processes into Compass,\u201d Singhal says. \u201cWe want to reduce the amount of time any step takes. We can measure how much time it takes. Our aim is to take that time down through automation.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is one area where Zies enthusiastically agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of mundane and small micromanagement stuff is taken care of in Compass,\u201d Zies says. \u201cThe bigger issues, things that actually need to be completed by a human, now have our focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The telemetry is another benefit to Zies\u2019 team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can now analyze data from the project,\u201d Zies says. \u201cHow long did it take to get to different points? How many issues did we encounter? What\u2019s recurring?\u201d<\/p>\n

This intelligence allows teams to identify bottlenecks and develop new practices. Tracking inside of Compass enables real-time insights that employees can use to see how Compass lines up to other projections.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, real-time visibility and transparency are important,\u201d Zies says. \u201cBusiness decisions are made based on data. If I don\u2019t have correct data, it\u2019s difficult to make a good business decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another benefit to all this visibility\u2014accountability.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, we had to pull vendor issues manually, and that\u2019s just a pain,\u201d Zies says. \u201cNow I can go into Compass, pick their name, and it shows me all the issues the vendor has, where and when it was found, and if it was preventable. Several vendors are adjusting their process in the factory so that issues are caught earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of these centralized, structured datasets generated by Compass create opportunities for even more intelligence. Predictive and prescriptive analytics derived from Compass\u2019 telemetry enables additional efficiencies, cost savings, and scalable growth in datacenter construction.<\/p>\n

Navigating to new horizons with Compass<\/strong><\/p>\n

Compass is already a big hit.<\/p>\n

A variety of major tasks have seen measurable outcomes.<\/p>\n

Improvements to cost management have cut cashflow cycle times from 11 to six days. Supplier onboarding has been reduced from around eight days to less than 12 hours. Contract processing on purchase orders has dropped from a multi-week experience to less than seven days.<\/p>\n

Early and frequent engagement with the various teams involved in new datacenter construction allowed the Compass team to gain buy-in. Listening to feedback and designing Compass around the needs of end users drove user adoption.<\/p>\n

Compass can be used by others if they have a similar problem. We want to be able to create a solution that\u2019s generic so that other customers can leverage it.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Rajat Singhal, senior software engineer, Microsoft Digital<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe have thousands of users now,\u201d Gajji says. \u201cWe defined one simplified process, did user training, and got buy-in. This is one process that we will follow across the globe.\u201dSinghal sees Compass having an impact outside of Microsoft\u2014not just on datacenters, but any large-scale construction process with multiple teams and steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompass can be used by others if they have a similar problem,\u201d Singhal says. \u201cWe want to be able to create a solution that\u2019s generic so that other customers can leverage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teams will eventually be able to grab and localize their own version of Compass, using a variety of modules to support efficient construction practices.<\/p>\n

In addition to the drive for full automation, the DPXE and Microsoft Digital teams will continue to build new features in Compass that improve the efficiencies of new datacenter construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutlook-based approvals are coming,\u201d Singhal says. \u201cInstead of having to go into Compass, end users can sign off through emails.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of these small efforts result in significant time savings the team was seeking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a notable difference in how projects flow,\u201d Zies says. \u201cOur duration for each task is going down. We\u2019re more efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

It used to be a lot harder for Zies and his team to verify critical infrastructure during datacenter construction. Now his team has Compass.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to have a variety of different programs, third-party and in-house,\u201d Zies says. \u201cCompass replaces all of those with a single source of information that\u2019s all linked together. The more we improve on our efficiencies, the faster we can get the datacenter to market.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Related<\/p>\n