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BusinessWhen People Are the Single Point of Failure

When People Are the Single Point of Failure

The world is more connected than ever before in 2025. However, for the world to stay connected in the future, people, technology, and processes must continue working together.

Working together means reducing the risk of vulnerabilities that could lead to single points of failure (SPOF). A single point of failure can disrupt entire systems.

When businesses over-rely on specific elements, especially individuals, it can destabilize existing vulnerabilities. When the point of failure is a person, the aftermath can be just as catastrophic as a technical or structural breakdown.

How Do People Become Single Points of Failure

If you consider it logically, it is not hard to imagine an employee or even manager being a single point of failure. If one person has critical knowledge and skills that no one else has within a business, that person is a SPOF. The same applies if the person is in charge of making decisions that no one else can.

For instance, an IT administrator typically has sole access and understanding of a company’s network infrastructure. If that person is suddenly not available or leaves the business abruptly, the employer has a big problem. The person will be irreplaceable (at least for some time).

If a manager is the only one who makes decisions, things can quickly fall apart if they are not at work. When critical decisions are delayed, it can lead to costly disruptions for the business.

SPOFs also come in the form of a lack of training. If there is no ongoing training of new employees, there is too much dependency on specific workers. If only one person knows how to perform a specific task, an entire workflow will halt if they are absent.

These scenarios usually also result in certain employees taking on too much responsibility. When they work too hard, do not distribute their workload, or document their processes, they inevitably become SPOFs.

The Risks of SPOFs

When people become SPOFs, they impact several areas within a business. These include the following:

  • Operations. If a solely-skilled employee is unavailable, processes that depend on their knowledge will halt. For instance, employees will not be paid on time if a payroll manager is the only one who runs the payroll.
  • Training and knowledge. Employees leave businesses all the time, whether they are solely skilled or not. If employees leave unexpectedly, they take their skills and knowledge with them. This can cause major disruptions in a business as the employer scrambles to replace the employee.
  • Security. Overreliance on a single employee undoubtedly exposes a business to risks. This is especially true if the person is responsible for IT or cybersecurity. The risk here is two-fold. The person may be unavailable for whatever reason, putting the company’s systems at risk.

The person may also become angry or disillusioned with the employer and act maliciously. When this happens, sensitive systems and data will likely be compromised.

It is also true that employees who ‘carry’ a company often experience severe burnout. This will ultimately result in decreased productivity and higher turnover. It can also result in further operation risks.

Furthermore, when compliance is critical (in industries like finance or healthcare), a single individual’s absence can result in missed deadlines for audits or regulatory filings. This could mean penalties for the business.

How Businesses Can Avoid Creating SPOFs

Businesses need to be proactive about preventing SPOFs. The following methods can help them achieve this goal:

  • Knowledge sharing. There should be a culture of process documentation and collaboration in each business. More than one employee should have access to processes and systems. Multiple employees should also know how to complete specific tasks.
  • Technology. Technology goes a long way in preventing SPOFs. Businesses can use ERP systems and automated workflows to reduce dependency on one employee. These systems can also ensure that information and processes are centrally stored so that teams can access them.
  • Succession plans. For leadership roles, there must be a clear succession plan. This will keep the decision-making process going even when a manager leaves.
  • Risk assessment. Companies should review their operational processes often to find potential SPOFs. This is the best way to proactively prevent them from being created.
  • Access protocols. For IT roles, access to systems and passwords must be available to a small group of employees. Role-based access control will help maintain security while reducing dependency on one employee.

Prevention is Always Better

When people become SPOFs, the risks to a company are significant. Employers and leaders should take all the necessary steps immediately to ensure their businesses can prevent and manage potential SPOFs.

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