Ctrl + Build: Copy. Paste. Power Up. – Why Standardisation Gives Data Centre Builders an Edge

In a high-stakes race to deliver digital infrastructure, standardisation reduces risk, improves quality and gives project teams the “right-first-time” advantage.

Cranes on skylines from London to Leeds tell the story: the data centre boom is on.

The UK data centre construction market is currently estimated at around £13.5 billion. Some forecasts suggest it could exceed £44 billion by 2035 – almost doubling within a decade.

A Boom Without a Blueprint

The skyline shift is borne out by the data. According to RICS, 150 zettabytes of data was consumed globally in 2024, and is expected to almost double to 394 zettabytes by 2028. To put that into perspective, that's 433,207,581,343,744 gigabytes.

And yet, amid all this activity, one thing is missing: a blueprint.

That might sound like innovation – but it’s not. It’s risk.

As builds scale and complexity rises, the absence of repeatable systems multiplies friction, confusion and cost. As digital demand accelerates, a bespoke-by-default mindset just won’t cut it.

Why Repeatability Matters

Standardisation is the secret to scaling safely and predictably.

In other asset classes – think logistics parks, hospitals or schools – standardisation enables faster builds, lower costs and tighter quality control. The same is true for data centres.

And with data centre owners under pressure to deliver at speed while meeting exacting performance standards, predictable outcomes are non-negotiable.

Repeatable workflows also support smoother onboarding, cleaner handovers and stronger sustainability outcomes – especially when digital verification and audit trails are embedded from day one.

Counting the Cost of Complexity

Standardisation is often framed around time and quality benefits, but the cost case is just as compelling.

According to Savills, the United Kingdom is now the third-most-expensive market in Europe for data centre development – behind only Switzerland and Norway.

UK construction costs are predicted to rise by 17% over the next five years, according to BCIS.  Average costs per megawatt ranges from £7 million to £13 million, and high-spec builds in London and Manchester can reach even higher than that.

These figures capture more than steel and structure. They reflect an ever-growing slice of spend funnelled into services – mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), cooling, fire-protection systems – along with cost overruns from rework, scope creep and duplicated effort.

With skilled contractors commanding a premium, complexity adds even more to the bill.

How to Break the Bespoke Cycle

If every data centre has the same objective – a secure, reliable facility to store data – why are no two builds alike?

There are several reasons, Simon Baker reflects. Each site introduces unavoidable regulatory, climate and infrastructure variables. 

But as digital infrastructure matures, leading developers are shifting focus – from ‘one-of-a-kind’ to one-way-to-build.

Custom builds often rely on legacy habits or informal knowledge – the site manager’s spreadsheet, the subcontractor’s paper checklist.

That might work once. But it will not necessarily work twice.

When projects lack shared templates and structured workflows, mistakes get repeated, not resolved. Finger-pointing replaces accountability. Quality slips. And the bottom line suffers.

In contrast, a consistent process – delivered through a shared platform – reduces rework, clarifies responsibility and embeds trust.

Standardisation in Action

Some of the world’s largest technology companies are beginning to mandate standardisation.

Maryrose Walsh, Enterprise Solutions Engineering Manager with Procore, is working with one global technology company that requires all contractors to use Procore for quality assurance – across every data centre, in every region. The goal? Build it right first time.

The benefits are immediate:

• A consistent quality assurance process across contractors
• Real-time dashboards to track progress and flag delays
• Digital inspection and defect management tools to reduce onsite paperwork
• Faster commissioning and fewer surprises during handover.

Hyperscale Hypothetical

Many data centre developers are shifting towards repeatable, modular construction models.

Off-site fabrication allows for site preparation and construction to run in parallel – shaving weeks or even months off project timelines. Pricing is locked in early and material waste is minimal.

Controlled factory environments deliver consistent outcomes, lowering the risk of on-site defects. And with less work done on site, modular methods reduce exposure to bad weather, safety incidents and rework.

Repeatable designs can be deployed rapidly across regions, giving data centre owners a competitive edge as they expand.

Here’s what this could look like in practice. Imagine a global tech company plans to roll out five hyperscale data centres across the EMEA region. To accelerate deployment, a modular construction model is adopted:

• Standardised shell: Each facility uses precast concrete panels and prefabricated steel frames, manufactured centrally and trucked to site.
• Plug-and-play mechanical pods: HVAC, cooling and power units arrive as complete modules, craned into place and connected via standard interface kits.
• Digital twin alignment: Every module is tracked and quality-assured in Procore against the same digital model, ensuring consistency across all five builds.
• Commissioning checklists: The team uses identical quality assurance templates at each site, with learnings captured in real time to improve subsequent builds.

The result? Less rework. Faster handover. Lower risk. And a scalable, consistent approach that’s ready to roll out again.

Source: Adapted from PCX, 2020.

What Data Centre Developers Should Do Next

Standardisation supports cost predictability – but only if it’s deliberate. Here’s how developers can lead the shift:

• Mandate software in contracts: Require digital tools like Procore for quality assurance, documentation and reporting
• Use consistent templates: Create a standard library of forms, inspection test plans (ITPs), and handover checklists
• Link performance to incentives: Embed rework rates and RFT (right first time) metrics in contracts with builders and subcontractors
• Centralise oversight: Feed quality assurance and commissioning data into real-time dashboards for enterprise-wide transparency
• Insist on digital handover: Structured, digital quality assurance processes ensure nothing gets lost in transition from build to operation.

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