Make-Buy, Outsourcing & Network Design worked example

Footprint Optimization Score with footprint risk severity of 15 score: a worked example

What does the result look like when footprint risk severity reaches 15 score? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when footprint optimization in make-buy, outsourcing and network design needs a defensible ranking against other make-buy, outsourcing and network design risks for the next review.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Footprint risk severity (impact if it goes wrong): 15 score (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 6)
  • Footprint risk occurrence (how likely it happens): 4 score (unchanged)
  • Footprint risk detection (how easily you'd catch it): 3 score (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Footprint optimization risk score = footprint optimization severity score × footprint optimization occurrence score × footprint optimization detection score) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8.15 score for footprint optimization risk score, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15 score for footprint optimization severity score.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4 score for footprint optimization occurrence score.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3 score for footprint optimization detection score.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where footprint risk severity sits at 6 score and the headline result is 4.55 score, this scenario comes in 79.12% above the baseline at 8.15 score.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when footprint risk severity is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. RPN is ordinal, not linear — a 200 is not literally twice as risky as a 100, and the multiplication can mask a high-severity item hiding behind low occurrence and detection, so always review severity 9–10 risks on their own regardless of total.

Results at a glance

  • Footprint optimization risk score: 8.15 score (headline result)
  • Footprint optimization severity score: 15 score
  • Footprint optimization occurrence score: 4 score
  • Footprint optimization detection score: 3 score

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Footprint Optimization Score calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.