Etusivu › What is required of a local PMC partner for data center projects?

What is required of a local PMC partner for data center projects?

9.11.2026 – As the complexity of a project increases, there must be a party that manages the project as a whole. Our project management consultancy services for data center projects are provided by a team that combines local and international insight and is committed to the client's goals.

Picture: Granlund & Telia HDC

Granlund’s project management consultancy (PMC) expertise in data center projects did not come out of nowhere. We have been working in the data center sector since the 2010s – that is, long before the global data center boom – and have grown into the largest partner in data center design, consulting and construction management in the Nordic countries.

For the past two years, Marco Savolainen has been putting together a dream team for Granlund’s PMC services, from cost control to procurement, scheduling, construction management, project management and site supervision. Few in Finland have such expertise. We have:

more than 500 experts specialised in data centers
more than 10 megawatts’ worth of data center projects under construction.

However, our PMC services do not rely solely on expertise. We have benchmark data on data center projects completed over more than 15 years and a local’s understanding of Finnish construction.

More than 65 years’ worth of market and customer insight

Granlund’s insight on the local market and clients is based on the Group’s more than 65 years of experience in Finnish construction and its regulation. Despite the fact that we operate internationally, we are still a local player: we have expertise across 36 local offices in Finland.

We apply the same principle around the world. Granlund already has five companies in Sweden. We share market information, exchange special expertise and implement data center projects together.

Expert teams for each area of the PMC service

In our data center organisation, there is a team for each area of the PMC service. As data center projects constitute our largest business sector, we can quickly put together a dream team for the client, leaving no need to look for special expertise elsewhere.

1. QS & cost consultancy services

Our QS team’s contribution to the cost control of a project is much more than just putting numbers in Excel spreadsheets. We deep dive into the project’s cost data and use it to proactively steer planning, risk management and cash flows (EVM).

Our cost control team uses the latest local cost information and the price data accumulated over the years from implemented data center projects. The QS team is supported by a commercial team, which is responsible for invoice and document management, among other things.

2. Transparent reporting platforms

We are continuously developing new reporting tools, and our experts are trained to use different data platforms flexibly according to the client’s needs. Reporting is carried out using the client’s WBS codes.

In addition to monitoring the progress of the project, the reporting covers the commercial aspects of the business. We compile a real-time picture of procurements, costs, cash flow, risks and schedules on the same visual reporting platform. The data is updated on the dashboard hourly.

We compile a real-time picture of procurements, cash flow, risks and schedules on the same visual reporting platform.

3. Management of national and international contracts

Our YSE and FIDIC experts bring a profound understanding of contracts in Finland and around the world to the project. Our contracts team includes several certified MRICS experts.

We build different contract models by creating suitable combinations for both clients and contractors. The team is very familiar with local legislation, which means that cooperation with the authorities will be smooth.

4. Procurement control

Our procurement team challenges the assumption that procurement is a bottleneck in data center projects. Even though the projects involve long lead items with a small number of suppliers in the global market, it is possible to stay on schedule if orders are placed proactively. We are in contact with our suppliers daily, which means that our price information is always up to date.

Together with the project team, QS experts, the contracts team and equipment engineering specialists, the procurement team drives forward the client’s procurements. As the market leader in MEP design, we can ensure that the selected equipment is suitable for the local operating environment and climate.

5. Transparent data speeds up decision-making

The use of ICT tools is second nature to our experts. We maintain a database that enables a direct view of the market situation. Information flows transparently and securely between us and the client.

We are able to implement quick calculations and preliminary plans flexibly during the project. Transparency is everything: the client has open access to the situation picture, databases and work folders. And it only takes one click.

6. Quality control and monitoring

The QAQC team is responsible for creating, steering and monitoring the project’s quality process. The quality lead guides quality managers in monitoring and assuring the quality in different areas. This links the quality process to everything that is done right from the start of the project all the way to the commissioning of the data center.

7. Health, Safety and Environment

A dedicated HSE team is responsible for the health and safety of employees. Special attention is paid to site safety, and we provide onboarding and further training. The HSE process is binding on all operators, and the situation is reported on weekly.

XTX Markets data center campus was completed as a PMC service

The XTX Markets campus project was carried out from start to finish using the PMC service.

Granlund was responsible for the design management, all design disciplines and project management services of the first data center on the campus. Project management also included procurement and contractual matters. The first data center is comprised of three data halls totalling 22.5MW of IT power.