Key person dependency in the database? How to get rid of it for good

Does everything stop when a person is sick, changes jobs or retires? Then it's high time to remove the dependency. When all database expertise is in the head of one or two people, the operation becomes vulnerable, and it is often only noticed when it is too late.

Here, you as an IT manager will learn how to eliminate the risk, spread the knowledge, and create a robust database operation that works regardless of who is in place.

When knowledge is not on paper

In many IT teams, the most important database knowledge is not in a document, but in the heads of individuals. They have often been around for a long time, know the history of the systems and have made changes that were never documented.

Things like why a particular exception exists in the backup strategy, how a legacy integration works, or what performance adjustments have been made, and why.

As long as these people are available, everything works. But as soon as they leave, get sick or change roles, there is a knowledge gap, and the consequences are quickly felt.

When skills disappear, operations come to a halt

When all the important knowledge is held by one or two people, the business becomes fragile. A sudden departure or prolonged absence can have disproportionate consequences. It affects not only day-to-day operations, but also change management, compliance and the team's working environment.

key person dependency in the database environment often leads to:

• Prolonged downtime
• Errors during upgrades and migrations
• Risk of non-compliance during audits and compliance reviews
• Skills gaps in the team
• Difficulties in modernizing the environment

It's not just a technical liability, it's a strategic vulnerability.

Cegal Managed Services: your peace of mind when roles change

With a Cegal Managed Services approach, you reduce your dependence on individuals.

Here we've listed some of the things you get when you use us:

• A team of experts with proven methods
• Access to expertise around the clock
• Redundancy in delivery
• Clear SLAs that define responsibilities

It's not just about support, it's about future-proofing the entire database environment.

When knowledge is shared, capacity grows

When you eliminate personal dependency and replace it with documentation and delivery from a team, you create the conditions for growth. It becomes easier to scale up, manage change and develop the environment in a structured way.

Moving from person-dependency to documented delivery from a team means:

• More stable operations
• Better resilience in case of absences or departures
• Less stress in the team
  
• More room for innovation and proactive development

Real-life example: How the client avoided knowledge gaps

A company in the packaging and logistics industry had been dependent on a few in-house specialists; they wanted to change that and chose to transfer their database environment to a managed services approach.

Through a close collaboration, they established:

• Management meetings and planning using an annual planning cycle
• 24/7 monitoring
• Support for both operation and further development

Read the full case here >

What can you do today?

1. Identify which systems rely on one or two people
2. Take stock of what is documented and what is not
3. Ask the question: "What happens if this person is not available tomorrow?"

With that picture, you can start building an operating model that can cope with change, with the right partner by your side.

Read our blog article: The database is growing - but is your organization?

Does your database environment depend on a single person?

We help you secure operations, competence and documentation, with a team available 24/7, all year round