Data Center Manager of the Year Interview

2011 Data Center Manager of the Year: Tom Roberts
When asked how he thinks a data center manager should approach nominating him or herself for AFCOM’s Data Center Manager of the Year award, last year’s finalist Tom Roberts had this to say: “Just think of all the things you do over a set time, and highlight those accomplishments that made a difference to either your team, your company or others. Don’t be shy; everyone’s hard work needs to be recognized.”

As data center facilities manager for Trinity Health Information Services, his supervisor made sure Roberts didn’t have to toot his own horn. The judges heard him loud and clear, naming the 30-year veteran as Data Center Manager of the Year at the March 30th award banquet.

What caught their attention this year is how Roberts implemented a hot/cold aisle containment approach in his data centers, which resulted in a 10 percent decrease in utility consumption and saved approximately $5,500 per month.  Roberts also made additional efforts to educate “server and network folks” about facilities management in order to foster understanding. Labeled as an innovator in the growing field of IT health, his supervisor described Roberts as “the lifeblood of the Trinity Information Services data center modernization efforts.”

Yaoz, AFCOM’s CEO, said has had the pleasure of working with Roberts on the Data Center Institute board and that, “Tom is one of the most knowledgeable and accomplished data center professionals I have ever met. He goes the extra mile to share his experiences with peers in his role on the board and off, and is certainly deserving of this award.”

Although he has numerous accomplishments under his belt, winning this award has made the short list of Robert’s professional highlights.

Here’s what he had to say after having a few days to soak it all in:

DCM: What does winning this award mean to you?

ROBERTS: It has taken a while for it to sink in, to be honest.  No matter how long you think about it before, you just are not ready for it, or should I say, what it means to you.  What I feel it means is that we are making a difference—“we” meaning the group of individuals I have the pleasure to work with.  I look at it as not just my award, but as a team award. It’s an honor to be recognized by your peers as making a difference not only for the data centers we are responsible for, but others who see what it is you are doing.

DCM: What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next couple of years?

ROBERTS: We are just kicking off a project we are calling our Data Center Modernization Project.  We are taking a step back and looking at ways we can be more efficient at each one of our locations.  This 12-week project will produce a roadmap to where we need to be in the next 3 to 5 years—whether that means additional consolidations, regional centers, or even outsourcing.  We need to stay out in front of what Trinity Health needs as a business and cut operating costs over time with the declining reimbursements for healthcare systems.  I am really looking forward to this project, then working down the roadmap over the next few years. It is going to keep us very busy.

DCM: What do you think are the top three reasons for the increased need for security?

ROBERTS: If we look at what is going on the world today, we know security is a very high priority.  Natural disasters, terrorist threats (cyber and physical) and regulation are what I view as the top three. Data centers today are the life of any business, whether you run them by yourself, use a collocation facility, or outsource the computing to someone else. Business continuity and disaster recovery have to be high on everyone’s list.  The recent AFCOM survey shows data center managers are still way behind in this, but we cannot do this alone.  This has to be a priority for the business, or it will never see any light of day, or become a priority.  All it takes is one incident for a business to go under or their data can be exposed to those that should not have it.  I think if we gave this issue as much press as cloud computing has received in the past year or so, it would receive the attention it deserves.  Somehow we have to raise the awareness.  We here at Trinity Health have an excellent team dedicated to working on this.  Data collection, determining the mission critical priority items and testing schedules take a lot of work and time, but are well worth it when you need to keep the business and, in our case, our patients safe.

DCM: How is Trinity Health utilizing cloud computing?

ROBERTS: At this time, Trinity Health has 200 incidents of cloud computing.  This includes internal and external clouds.  The term cloud computing is something that everyone reads differently. Our Data Center Modernization Project will take a deeper look into the cloud computing world and how we can further take advantage of this technology as it matures.

DCM: For someone just entering the IT field and who would like to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give them?

ROBERTS: Education is the key today.  I came up in this area in a bit of a different way, starting as a master electrician and moving to telecommunications and IT. It was quite a journey but extremely rewarding.  If someone wanted to work in this field, then studying electrical and mechanical engineering is a must.  Then obtain practical experience in the field, almost like an apprenticeship; and do not leave out analytics and common sense.  Designing something from specifications is one thing, but getting in the field to see how it really works is what it is all about.  You can only do this with experience, so try to obtain that hands-on experience wherever you can, and learn all you can.

DCM: How has your role in the data center changed over the years?

ROBERTS: Eight to ten years ago, we used to worry about having enough space, but now the concern for us is the power aspect and how we keep everything at a reliable operating level.  Systems are getting smaller, more productive, and now we are seeing them become more efficient too.  We are packing in more in a much smaller footprint.  What that means is the power density is higher; and what comes along with that is the ability to cool this dense environment.  I see this keeping pace over the next few years.  Some of the challenges will be to understand how we can convert what we have as assets, namely the data center space, to something that will have a lasting effect for the company.  Building new centers is very expensive as everyone knows, so retrofitting and knowing how to retrofit efficiently will be an ongoing challenge. It makes you think not only about today, but about what tomorrow will bring.

DCM: If you had the chance to choose a profession all over again, would you pursue data center management? Why or why not?

ROBERTS: Well, in short, yes.  I absolutely love what I do.  I loved my first work as an electrician in the commercial and industrial construction field because I had a chance to build something and watch it come to life and last for years.  Today, it is more or less the same thing.  The data center field is changing daily with new technologies, new ways to create efficiencies and reliability, and new ways to monitor and report.  I cannot think of anything I’d rather be doing.  And a huge plus for me is the team I have the pleasure to work with.  We are not a large team and everyone is different from personality to thought process.  Collectively we challenge each other and ask questions about whether we are taking the right stand or direction on things, and it pays off.  There is no way I could do the things I do alone.  It takes a team of professionals and the backing of the company you work for to make it work.  I look forward to coming to work everyday.  I know that sounds funny, but it is very true. It’s a great time to be in the facility management field.

 Click here for more information and the nomination form.