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More than Data Location
A European provider or a data centre in Germany can be a good starting point. Neither, however, answers who can access your systems, which technologies you depend on or how a switch would work.
An export function alone does not make data and applications portable. What matters is whether you can also reuse configurations, permissions and workflows in another environment.
Ask specific questions:
- What technical, legal and operational dependencies exist?
- Which claims are supported by current evidence?
- Which dependencies are particularly important to your organisation?
- How realistic would a switch to another solution be?
- Which improvements can you tackle now?
What Digital Sovereignty Management Means
Digital sovereignty management makes digital sovereignty an ongoing management responsibility. You define the scope, assess dependencies and evidence, and decide which actions make sense.
- Define the scope: Which services, processes and data are you examining?
- Review the evidence: What is substantiated, and what information is missing?
- Assess the impact: How do dependencies affect your operations and available options?
- Decide and act: Which dependencies will you accept, reduce or end?
- Review the results: Have the actions worked, and have circumstances changed?
This involves a deliberate balance of benefits, effort, risks and realistic alternatives. A well-founded dependency can be a sensible decision.
Five Perspectives for Assessment
Legal Framework & Control
Who is your contracting party? What ownership arrangements and jurisdictions matter? What rights do you have concerning changes, audits or termination?
Data & Operations
Where are data and backups held? Who has administrative access? How are the technical control plane, support and recovery operated?
Technology & Supply Chain
Which software, interfaces and other providers are necessary? Which open standards make switching or connecting other systems easier?
Portability & Provider Switching
Can you reuse data, configurations and workflows? What target environment, skills, costs and transition time would switching require?
Evidence & Reliability
Which claims are substantiated? Which legal entity, services and periods do contracts, audit reports and certificates cover? Which questions remain open?
Turn insights into decisions
An important finding needs three answers: what do we know? Why does it matter to us? What will we do next?
Depending on the situation, you can:
- Deliberately accept a known dependency
- Reduce dependencies through open interfaces or a different architecture
- Limit risks through backups, exports or additional controls
- Develop additional provider options and in-house expertise
- Renegotiate contractual terms
- Migrate applications and data to another environment
- Replace a product or provider
- Bring a critical activity in-house
Missing information remains visibly unresolved. It is linked to a next step and an owner, rather than silently being treated as a positive or negative assessment.
Why evidence and switching options matter
European frameworks are making requirements for digital dependencies more specific. The European Commission’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework, for example, considers 48 criteria across eight areas. It demonstrates how far the subject extends beyond data storage location.
For financial entities within its scope, DORA addresses risks associated with ICT service providers and exit strategies, among other matters. NIS2 and the German BSIG include supply chain security. The Data Act governs, among other things, switching between data processing services.
Which requirements apply depends on your organisation and the service under review. Your technology decision should reflect the relevant requirements and the evidence needed to assess whether they are met.
How Autonomy Track supports you
Autonomy Track turns a one-off checklist into a repeatable management process. You record your starting point using structured questions and controls, link evidence, and track risks and improvements.
Over 190 action templates make it easier to begin implementation. Adopt relevant suggestions, assign responsibilities and monitor progress. Reports support discussions with senior management, teams and other stakeholders.
The Next Step
Want to examine a particular IT provider more closely? The guide “A Practical Guide to Assessing Digital Sovereignty” takes you through 25 questions. A list of required evidence and a decision documentation template help you put it into practice.
Or talk to us about which dependencies matter most to your organisation and how to take the next steps.