Dan Moore, senior operations manager, Northeast Region, CyrusOne, has been named 2017 Mission Critical Magazine Manager of the Year Runner-Up.

Dan, who joined CyrusOne in the Spring of 2015 when the company acquired Cervalis, oversees four sites across the New York Tri-State region that include a total of six buildings encompassing 500,000 sq ft. Within these four data centers and two disaster recovery sites there is 157,000 sq ft of data center space and 21.7 MW of power.

Dan supervises 25 security personnel and 22 operations engineers/facilities managers, leading the Northeast team through inclusive leadership, fully involving his team in the decision-making process. He collaborates with the sales and engineering teams as well as subject matter experts (SMEs) to ensure that improvements manifest themselves in benefits to CyrusOne’s customers, i.e., the entire approach to quality and efficiency improvements, is “customer-backed.” Additionally, Dan is focused on security, recognizing that the first employees CyrusOne customers interface with are the security personnel and maintaining high standards in terms of training and customer-relations skills is crucial for his front-line staff.

According to his nomination form, standardization has been one of Dan’s primary focuses and he has led efforts to standardize maintenance practices, corporate operational programs, and contract management at CyrusOne. The realized contract savings and efficiencies have helped reduce operational expenses; thereby improving CyrusOne financials.

Improvements and More

One of the key factors in determining the Mission Critical Magazine Facility Manager of the Year is the nominee must demonstrate a commitment to energy efficiency, operational efficiency, and sustainability. According to his nomination form, there were a number of improvements that Dan undertook including capital improvements such as cooling tower dunnage replacement and parallel gear upgrades. Additionally, by identifying electrical power as one of the key areas in which to improve efficiency, Dan’s initiatives helped save 1.2 million kW/hr per year by optimizing the setpoint for condenser water and replacing inefficient and dirty humidification equipment with new ultrasonic humidifiers. This resulted in significant water and energy savings, a reduction in maintenance hours, and an overall PUE improvement by 0.02

Innovation is another key area in which nominees are judged. Dan partnered with OEMs to optimize equipment and processes. For example, he adjusted the setpoints for condenser water — from fixed setpoints to entropy-based setpoints for condenser units — helping drive operational efficiencies.

According to Anand Krishna, VP Product Management, PDI, who nominated Dan for the award, “Innovation in a data center doesn’t happen in a new site. True innovation in legacy facilities are reflected in the savings gained in keeping sites fully operational throughout various upgrades. The innovative approach Dan introduced reflects his deep insight into the ecosystem and all the interactions within it. He zeroed in on specific focus areas to drive efficiencies and operational improvements.”