The data centre is a major cost base for the majority of organisations, and requires constant changes to be implemented alongside the installation of new hardware and software. Much of this complexity is hidden from the business, yet green initiatives, uncertainties around energy prices and pressure on business approaches during a period of recession are raising the impact of IT capabilities to the board of directors. Ensuring that a data centre is run at its optimal levels will become increasingly important - yet the tools required to carry out such a task are not necessarily covered by the general IT budget: indeed, the tasks may be carried out through extensive spreadsheet use. Concentrating on the business values data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) will provide will help in enabling such a project to be undertaken more effectively.