In this contribution, experimental and numerical experiments showed that the contact area must be subdivided into the nominal and the real one in order to understand the influence of topography on friction and wear at ultra-mild wear rates. The dissipated energy depends on any local contact situation within the real contact area, which can be approximated by means of the ‘half-space’ method. Still, neither a standardized surface parameter nor the coefficient of friction provides sufficient information about the tribological performance. The surface topography alters during running-in and, therefore, the dissipative characteristics. The complex relationships between the machining strategy, the obtained surface topography, and microstructural alterations are still not fully understood as to their influence on the tribological performance. But, following the proposed methodology, the contact in regards to the localization of the highly loaded areas can be evaluated. In combination with sound surface and subsurface analyses, a well-aimed optimization of the tribological system is possible.