Criticality
Criticality refers to how important a particular asset is to the overall function, safety, and profitability of a building or real estate portfolio. In simple terms: how bad would it be if this asset failed?
Why is 'Asset criticality' important?
Criticality helps prioritize maintenance resources and investments by identifying which assets require the most attention due to their operational, financial, or safety impact.
How is 'Asset criticality' configured and used in Planon?
In Planon ProCenter , you can configure criticality for assets in the Criticality TSI. For information on adding criticality records in this TSI, see Defining 'Criticality' for assets. The configured criticality records can be assigned to (standard) assets via the Criticality reference fields on the (standard) asset. These fields have to be added to Assets layouts in all relevant TSIs where an Assets selection step is configured.
In the Assets TSI, users can add / edit the main criticality value for an asset and various criticality sub values, via the various criticality reference fields.
 | There is no business logic directly built into the criticality feature, such as automatic calculation of criticality scores. With a Planon PaaP app you can implement custom business logic to monitor your asset criticality. See Apps Development and Planon Marketplace for more information about using PaaP apps. |
How is 'Asset criticality' usually assessed?
The following factors are usually considered:
• Impact on operations: Will building services stop if this fails?
• Impact on safety: Are people at risk if it fails?
• Compliance/regulatory: Is it required by law or code?
• Costs of failure: What’s the financial or business impact?
• Redundancy: Are there backups in place?
Criticality levels
Criticality is often categorized based on the level of importance:
Criticality level | Typical assets | Approach |
|---|---|---|
High criticality | Fire alarms, HVAC units, elevators | Frequent inspections, preventive maintenance, rapid response |
Medium criticality | Backup pumps, lighting | Scheduled preventive maintenance |
Low criticality | Decorative lighting, non-essential equipment | Minimal maintenance |
Criticality in Activity planning / Maintenance planning
Criticality guides decision-making in:
• Preventive maintenance prioritization
• Risk management and mitigation
• Budget allocation
Summary
Criticality scoring helps answer the question: Which assets matter most, and how should we manage them? It supports informed decisions across activity planning / maintenance planning, resource allocation, compliance, and tenant satisfaction.