Criticality Analysis
Criticality analysis is a structured method for ranking assets by how severely their failure would affect safety, production, cost and compliance. The ranking directs maintenance resources, spare parts holdings and monitoring toward the assets that matter most.
Criticality analysis is a systematic process for assessing and ranking assets according to the consequences and likelihood of their failure. Each asset is scored against factors such as safety impact, production loss, repair cost, environmental risk, and failure frequency. The resulting criticality ranking guides where to concentrate maintenance strategy, condition monitoring, and spare parts investment.
Why it matters
No organisation has the resources to apply intensive maintenance to every asset equally. Criticality analysis ensures the limited budget for inspections, monitoring, and spares is directed at the assets whose failure would cause the greatest harm or cost. It is a foundation of reliability-centred maintenance and risk-based asset management, replacing one-size-fits-all servicing with a targeted approach.
How MapTrack helps
MapTrack lets teams tag each asset with a criticality rating and surface it alongside location, condition, and maintenance history, so high-criticality assets are easy to filter, prioritise, and report on across the fleet.
Related on MapTrack
Related guides
Automate your maintenance scheduling
Set recurring tasks, track work orders and eliminate missed services with MapTrack.
- No credit card required
- 30 days free trial
- Cancel anytime
Frequently asked questions
How do you perform a criticality analysis?
A common approach scores each asset on the consequence of failure (across safety, production, cost, and environment) and the likelihood of failure, then combines the two into a criticality rating, often using a risk matrix. Assets are then grouped into tiers such as high, medium, and low criticality, each with a defined maintenance and monitoring strategy.
What is the difference between criticality analysis and a risk matrix?
A risk matrix is the tool that plots likelihood against consequence to produce a risk rating. Criticality analysis is the broader process that applies this kind of assessment specifically to assets, ranking them so maintenance and reliability effort can be prioritised. The risk matrix is often the scoring engine used within a criticality analysis.
Related terms
Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM)
Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) is a structured methodology for determining the most effective maintenance strategy for each asset based on its function, failure modes, failure consequences, and operating context. RCM analyses what each asset must do, how it can fail, what happens when it fails, and what can be done to prevent or manage each failure. The output is a tailored mix of preventive, predictive, condition-based, and run-to-failure strategies.
Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
Failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a reliability technique that builds on failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) by adding a criticality assessment. After identifying how a component can fail and what the effects are, FMECA rates each failure mode on the probability of occurrence and the severity of its consequences, producing a criticality ranking that prioritises which failures demand action first.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining appropriate control measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level. It follows the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE) and produces a documented record of identified risks and the measures taken to manage them.
Asset Hierarchy
An asset hierarchy is a structured, multi-level classification that organises physical assets in a parent-child relationship reflecting their functional or physical relationships. A typical hierarchy might flow from site to building to system to equipment to component. It provides context for each asset’s role within the broader operation and enables structured analysis of maintenance data, costs, and performance at any level of the hierarchy.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance (PM) is a proactive maintenance strategy in which assets are serviced at predetermined time or usage intervals to reduce the likelihood of failure. Tasks may include inspections, lubrication, filter changes, calibrations, and component replacements. PM schedules are typically based on manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, or historical failure data.
See how MapTrack handles criticality analysis
Ready to track every asset?
Join construction, mining and field service teams across Australia.
4.9 on G2 · 4.9 on Capterra
- No credit card required
- 30 days free trial
- Cancel anytime