More than half of compliance managers are currently relying on manual spreadsheets to track and manage licenses are planning to implement software solutions to assist in this process. This marks a 22% increase compared to the beginning of 2024.
Existing Landscape of Data Center Compliance Management
Ensuring compliance within the Data Center sector is essential for both growth and sustainability. Compliance is not optional for data center operations and navigating compliance can be quite challenging.
Manual Tracking Processes & Regulatory Updates
If you can believe it, 42% of data center companies rely on spreadsheets and manual processes to handle compliance tasks, including monitoring license statuses, expirations, continuing education requirements and/or document management.
Of those 51% plan to change that in the next 12 months by adopting some form of automation or software to help centralize compliance management.
68% of compliance managers are frequenting sites to get the latest licensing, certification, and other requirements impacting the Data Center sector.
Compliance Challenges
Here are the primary challenges faced by data center companies…
Tracking Expiration Dates: Keeping up with numerous licenses across different jurisdictions with varying expiration dates can be complex, and missed deadlines may result in penalties, fines, or operational disruptions.
Compliance with Regulations: Staying informed and compliant with ever changing regulations and jurisdictional differences can be overwhelming.
Documentation Management: Organizing, accessing, and maintaining a vast amount of paperwork associated with licenses can be challenging.
Cost Management: The cumulative expense of renewing numerous licenses, along with potential late fees and penalties, can be substantial.
Coordination Across Departments: Ensuring effective communication and clear responsibility for license management across different departments can be difficult.
Risk of Non-Compliance: Operating without a valid license can result in operational disruptions and legal consequences, including fines or license revocation.
Training and Awareness: Keeping employees informed and properly trained on licensing requirements and ongoing changes is crucial.
Audit and Reporting: Regularly auditing license status and compliance, as well as meeting reporting requirements, can strain resources.
Vendor and Third-Party Management: Overseeing and ensuring compliance with licensing requirements for third-party vendors is essential for risk mitigation.
Compliance Trends for Enhanced Compliance
- Harness human expertise towards valuable applications, such as focusing on regulatory changes that affect a data center’s workforce.
- Put data to work by using advanced reporting tools that help set up reports for use cases such as identifying skill gaps and showcasing areas of strength.
- Establish onboarding work flows that promote scalability and consistency, enabling new employees to achieve productivity more quickly.
Data center managers have called the shortage of skilled talent one of their top priorities for over a decade. Today over 70% say they are experiencing a skills gap and shortage of experienced technology professionals.
Compliance Solutions to Consider
Data centers aiming to utilize software for compliance management need to be aware of key factors to consider, ensuring that both their current and future requirements are adequately addressed.
- Gather Requirements: Compile a comprehensive list of all your compliance management duties and responsibilities.
- Mind the Gaps: Identify all the areas where you struggle with compliance management and face challenges.
- Set Goals: Identify data points to measure and predict productivity or long-term cost savings from adopting software for automating compliance management.
- Continued Learning: Take your requirements, wish list, and desired outcomes to 1-2 leading compliance software vendors. Align their capabilities with your needs and budget.
Phased Approach To Adoption
PermitPROS’ clients in the Data Center sector typically prefer to concentrate on the essential services we provide. To meet this need, we have developed a core offering that encompasses license tracking, license monitoring, and license verification for all employees and subcontractors. Adopt a phased approach with PermitPROS, and we’ll help you to implement it.
License Tracking, Monitoring, Verification
Primary Source Verification
Regulatory Monitoring
Business Cost Savings & ROI
Reduction in Fines
Compliance modules from PermitPROS eliminates the risk of substantial fines. The average OSHA penalty is $16,550 per violation and quickly goes up to $160,000 for more severe offenses.
Zero Technical Debt
Prevent IT implementation failures and reduce technical debt by choosing compliance software that includes an in-house onboarding team and dedicated success managers.
Flexible Pricing Models
Modular pricing to pay solely for what you need while also offering the potential to scale with your business. As your business expands, you can incorporate additional components.
Icing on The Cake
Unified Compliance Management, Centralized Document Storage, Automated Onboarding, Ready-to-go Audit Trails, Regulatory Adherence, License-Ready Employees