How to Reduce Human Error in a Data Center?

One of the primary causes of data center downtime is human error. Hardware failure or some outage is also a reason for interruptions in service. However, it has been identified that 60 to 80% of the time it is due to some act of human beings that is the main culprit. Pulling the wrong plug, switching off unintentionally, or any other unintentional act can bring down the systems and infrastructure.
 
As the saying goes "to err is human" and this is something that cannot be eliminated so easily. Humans beings are not automated machines that they can function mechanically. What is required is to look at every possible way to minimize the risks of errors.
 
Put Indicators: Put proper markings classifying them in different colors based on their importance. All mission critical products must be marked in one color with strict instructions that it should not be touched without authorization. The same procedure should be applied with the other infrastructure.
 
Implement Operational Guidelines: It is necessary to keep a user manual and be distributed among all the employees/ personnel in the facility.
 
Evaluation: Do an evaluation at periodic intervals to make sure the personnel are following the guidelines seriously. It should be a surprise inspection and if possible incentive-motivated. This will make them be prepared and alert to face mock tests again in future.

Staff Monitoring: Monitoring the facility with CCTV cameras will allow you to keep a vigil to ensure if anybody is accessing areas that are marked "restricted". This will enable you to catch a person from barging into areas that have mission-critical hardware installed.
 
There could be several more points about how to control human errors. If the employees are incentivized, it could keep them motivated. One feasible alternative is to use the services of data center service providers like CloudOYE and leave the technical aspects to their professional experts.

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