Something I see often overlooked, but no less important, are the people and companies performing all the manufacturing and installation work for data center equipment across the world. These skilled professionals are truly boots on the ground, making this digital acceleration move along.

Without their efforts, nothing would happen. As a long-time product manager and marketing person, I am interested in seeing not only how a product performs – but how it gets to where it needs to go, and how easy it is to set up.

I wanted to speak with this sector of our industry to see how we can help them to achieve the universal goal of accelerating AI rollout plans globally. I asked a few key questions to my global network of installers, OEMs, and distributors – and the answers I got back were quite common across the board. Below is how they responded:

What is the biggest challenge you are facing when carrying out installation work in data centers?

Trust

With the industry growing in popularity, many established companies or qualified new-entrants find this one of the most important aspects to overcome. Establishing trust with an operator is vital for successful operations – even when those answers provided may conflict with an established opinion.

One major service company I spoke with in Europe stated, ”When we challenge or question suggestions based on our experience, some clients unfortunately opt to work with other suppliers who simply implement their ideas without question, even if those choices may not be in the client’s best interest.”

Building the trust needed to perform the work, means relationship-building and credibility become all the more important.

This service provider also went on to say, ”Additionally, security protocols at client facilities continue to increase. This has had a direct impact on how some operate – particularly when it comes to involving third-party contractors.

“These external partners now also need to be pre-approved by the data center operator, which introduces logistical complexities and higher administrative demands for every technician or subcontractor involved.”

People

Installing power equipment, software, and batteries is a tough job! Finding the right individuals who are dependable, skilled, and motivated is becoming a larger concern.

Another large data center equipment installer in the USA explained that dependability is where it starts: ”We get a lot of sick call outs – people just disinterested in the work. We need to provide the proper training, support, and materials to help these individuals grow in a career they will find rewarding.”

Furthermore, a large OEM equipment provider in the USA added, ”Talent shortages in specialized fields like electrical engineering and advanced IT infrastructure integration present significant hurdles. Building and coordinating multidisciplinary teams quickly enough to meet client expectations remains a persistent hurdle.”

Complexity

A common challenge when installing data center equipment is managing the complexity and pace of digital transformation projects, while ensuring that infrastructure deployment aligns with rapidly evolving business needs.

A large OEM equipment provider based in the APAC region stated, ”The complexity and scale of AI-driven digital transformation projects have increased the need for precise project management, rapid deployment, and seamless integration of new technologies.

“We are adapting by investing in workforce training, modular installation techniques, and prioritizing close collaboration with technology partners, to ensure that our clients’ digital transformation journeys are as smooth and efficient as possible.” Attracting talent that is motivated to build trust with operators is a key challenge installation crews continue to deal with.

Planning, especially for equipment access and future maintenance operations, is another key hurdle. A large equipment installer in the APAC region said, ”Planning a site for heavy equipment access in conjunction with future maintenance planning, makes all the difference when we install equipment. Impactful things such as maintenance of external bypass switches around a UPS with bus-ties to different power paths and battery strings, means concurrent maintenance can happen while supporting uptime.”

Could anything that data center operators are doing now be done more efficiently to help speed up deployments?

Supply chain

Another common struggle that accelerated during the COVID pandemic is keeping equipment manufacturing flowing and in stock, to ensure installation work can continue: ”Bulk purchasing and centralized storage of long-lead-time components can significantly reduce delays.

“By working closely with suppliers and logistics partners, operators can ensure that critical equipment is available when needed, shortening installation timelines by months,” said a major OEM from the APAC region. Everyone I spoke with said that supply chain constraints are still very real. They’re counting on operators to help them alleviate this pain with advance orders where possible, and by increasing inventories.

Collaboration

Many installer and OEM companies feel more can be done to collaborate with operators. Both digital and in-person opportunities exist. Some commonalities I heard about were how manual reporting and data-gathering made tracking more challenging.

”A more streamlined and secure approach would be to move these report processes into a fully digital environment. This would not only improve efficiency but also enhance traceability, reduce errors, and allow for more agile project management – especially when dealing with scheduled maintenance that might impact uptime,”said one installation partner in Europe.

How has AI adoption affected your business specifically?

Growth

All OEM and installation-service companies are predicting significant growth over the next five years minimum. A major OEM installation company in the USA said, “AI adoption has directly impacted our business by driving demand for high-density, high-performance equipment installations.

“AI workloads require specialized hardware, such as GPUs and accelerators, which have greater power and cooling requirements than traditional IT infrastructure. This has led us to focus on deploying advanced cooling solutions, robust power distribution systems, and intelligent monitoring platforms to support these workloads.”

Others across the market haven’t felt the impact so directly, but surely expect growth impacts in the coming months and years. An installation company in Europe explained, “We haven’t yet seen a direct operational impact from AI on our own business processes, but we are seeing ripple effects through our clients' needs.

“Many are now asking for infrastructure capable of supporting AI workloads, which puts new demands on their power and cooling systems. In response, several UPS manufacturers are marketing products specifically designed to handle the intense and often unpredictable loads that come with AI processing.”

With that demand, comes a growing backlog of work required. A major installation partner in the USA said, “There is a significant increase in the expected workload. We already have work orders for 2027, we’re quoting for 2028 and 2029 – and we’re expecting those orders soon. All data centers are in growth mode for the next ten years. We see a lot of operators moving or expanding to Texas and Arizona due to land and power availability.”

In conclusion, it’s clear these installation partners and OEM companies are here for the long-haul to help the global transformation of AI adoption continue. We must listen to their concerns and feedback to help improve how we roll out these technologies to the masses.

Building trust, finding talent, adapting to complexities, mitigating supply chain challenges, collaborating on projects, and bracing for high growth levels all sound daunting – but achievable.

The key positive I take away from these conversations is that today, we have a large network of talented, motivated individuals who want to do the right thing, and find win-win solutions to help support operators. We just need more people who want to join our cause of making the AI revolution available to everyone.