Technology Operations
Technology dependency risk explained
Every business depends on technology. Understanding that dependency — and pricing the risk — is a core part of operational maturity.
Technology dependency risk is the risk that a system, supplier or piece of institutional knowledge fails — and the business can't operate normally until it's restored.
The three shapes it takes
System dependency
A specific system going down (practice management, trust accounting, email).
Supplier dependency
A single supplier failing, changing terms materially or being acquired.
Person dependency
Only one person knowing how a system is configured, licensed or maintained.
Making it visible
- Rate every system critical / important / standard
- Rate every supplier by the same scale
- For every critical entry, document: owner, backup owner, fallback approach, restore path
Why it matters at partner / owner level
Legal, financial and clinical risk is usually well governed. Technology dependency risk usually isn't — and it's more likely to interrupt the business on a normal Tuesday. See the Operational Risk Assessment Template.