Data center projects are won or lost on procurement. The equipment that decides a schedule takes two years or more to build, the power that decides a site is never guaranteed, and the contracts that decide who pays when things slip get written long before anyone breaks ground. Most of what it takes to get this right lives in the heads of a small number of people.
I'm Branden Espinoza, a consultant at Alpen Systems, where I work on procurement for large data center projects. I built this site to share that knowledge so more people get it right.
The curriculum runs in three parts:
- The Domain: what you're buying (power, cooling, construction, the market).
- The Craft: how you buy it (sourcing, cost, contracts).
- The Function: how a procurement organization is built and run.
Each lesson builds on the ones before it. Each one cites its sources, so you can check the facts yourself. Each one ends with a case study, often followed by my answer. Work the case before you read the answer, because the reasoning matters more than the verdict.
Everything here is general. It contains no client names, no engagement details, and no confidential figures. Case studies draw on public record or clearly labeled hypotheticals. Views are my own and not those of Alpen Systems.
The site grows over time. Hubs marked "soon" are planned and on the way. Definitions live in one place, the Glossary, and every lesson draws from it, so a term means the same thing everywhere.
I'm glad to hear from people working on these problems, whether you have a question, a war story, or a correction.
Contact: brandenespinoza.com · LinkedIn