The hidden costs of neglecting your database administration

The hidden costs of neglecting your database administration.

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In many organisations, database administration is an afterthought – a background function that only gains attention when something breaks. But the costs of neglecting proper DBA practices are far from hidden.

From performance issues and downtime to security vulnerabilities and compliance failures, weak database management quietly undermines business performance and increases operational risk.

Whether your systems run on Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL or a cloud-native platform like Azure SQL, the complexity of today’s environments demands more than reactive support. It requires proactive, professional database administration – something many internal teams simply don’t have the bandwidth or expertise to deliver consistently.

Database administration (DBA) encompasses everything from performance tuning and security patching to backup, recovery and high availability planning. It ensures your business-critical data is fast, safe, recoverable and compliant.

Despite the rise of managed services and cloud infrastructure, the need for skilled DBA oversight has not gone away – it has evolved. Misconfigured cloud databases, inefficient queries, forgotten indexes and missed updates still cause costly problems. Cloud reduces infrastructure burden but does not eliminate the need for database expertise.

Failing to prioritise database administration may not trigger alarms at first – but over time, the costs add up:

• Downtime and outages: Unpatched systems, bloated storage or poorly configured instances can lead to unexpected downtime that disrupts users and revenue.
• Performance bottlenecks: Slow-running queries, missing indexes and lack of optimisation drag down application performance – frustrating users and reducing productivity.
• Security vulnerabilities: Outdated databases, overprivileged users and unmonitored access create ideal conditions for data breaches and compliance violations.
• Compliance risk: Without regular backups, proper audit trails and retention policy enforcement, businesses risk failing audits or violating data protection laws like GDPR and POPIA.
• Lost productivity: Developers and analysts spend more time working around database issues than building solutions – costing the business time and momentum.
• Opportunity cost :Organisations that neglect DBA fall behind on modernisation, scalability and cloud readiness – stuck firefighting instead of innovating.

Relying on overstretched internal teams or informal support from developers might seem sufficient – until something goes wrong. Without a structured, proactive approach, teams often end up in firefighting mode, reacting to symptoms rather than preventing root causes.

Knowledge silos and inconsistent documentation become common – especially when DBA responsibilities are fragmented across multiple roles. Staff turnover can mean critical operational knowledge is lost overnight, leaving teams scrambling to maintain stability. Worse, without 24/7 monitoring and response, issues that arise after hours can escalate into full-blown outages before anyone even notices.

DIY approaches may seem cost-effective, but over time, they increase operational risk, reduce reliability and limit the organisation’s ability to scale with confidence.

Ascent helps clients take control of its database environments through DB Admin, its specialised database administration outsourcing service.

DB Admin offers:

• Health checks and diagnostics
• Performance tuning and query optimisation
• Backup and recovery management
• Security hardening and patching
• Monitoring and maintenance
• High availability and disaster recovery planning

Delivered remotely and available 24/7, DB Admin gives your business continuous access to expert support – without the overhead of building an in-house DBA team. Ascent proactively manages and resolve issues to ensure maximum uptime and performance, so your systems stay resilient, secure and responsive.

Ascent’s “Cheaper and Better” approach, combined with its flexible service delivery and proven reliability, has made it the preferred enterprise data platform services partner for organisations across North America, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Ascent's team of 40+ permanent, highly skilled data platform consultants bring decades of experience to every engagement. Because they work across a wide variety of client environments, their expertise continuously grows – delivering additional value with every interaction.

Ascent supports platforms including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Azure and more – empowering your organisation to reduce cost, minimise risk and operate with confidence.

Let’s talk about smarter database management

If your organisation is operating without dedicated database oversight – or relying on overstretched internal teams – it’s time to rethink the cost of inaction.

Contact Ascent to learn more about DB Admin, and discover how proactive database administration can protect performance, reduce risk and free your team to focus on what matters most.