How sovereign is your IT infrastructure really?
What you get with the checklist
This checklist guides you step by step through an initial assessment of your IT infrastructure. You start with five key questions in the guide and can then expand on your analysis using the optional Excel self-assessment.
- Guide: gain initial orientation
Five key questions will help you identify core systems, known or suspected dependencies, outstanding issues and initial areas for action.
- Excel self-assessment: Organising results
The optional self-assessment helps you to gain a clearer understanding of your systems, their criticality, vendor lock-in and potential measures.
- Preliminary talk: Preparing for consultation with expert
During a brief preliminary talk, we will work together to assess what information is already available and which questions are relevant to you. The five key questions from the guide form the basis for this — so that any subsequent consultation with an expert can be prepared in a targeted manner.
How clear is your current situation?
Most dependencies develop gradually – and remain hidden in everyday life.
It is only when changes become necessary that we realise how limited our ability to act actually is.
A few key questions are useful for an initial assessment:
- Do you have a complete overview of your systems, platforms and automation tools?
- Can you name specific dependencies on individual suppliers?
- Would it be realistic to replace key components today?
If you are unable to give a clear answer to one or more of these questions, it is worth carrying out a structured assessment.
Checklist
From an initial overview to targeted refinement
The five key questions from the guide form the basis for the initial assessment:
Which systems are relevant, where are the interdependencies, and what questions remain unanswered?
At the same time, they serve as a basic preparation for a brief preliminary talk and a potential consultation with an expert.
If you would like to explore your assessment in greater depth, the optional Excel self-assessment tool will help you carry out a structured analysis.
A structured analysis in 4 steps
If you wish to go beyond the initial assessment, the optional four-step Excel self-assessment guide will walk you through key aspects of your infrastructure — from the systems in use and their interdependencies to specific measures.
What you will achieve with these 4 steps:
- Clarity on your key dependencies
- Identification of critical components
- initial steps towards greater flexibility and control
Important:
These four steps will help you assess your current situation. Which dependencies are critical and which measures are appropriate will depend on your specific infrastructure and requirements.
Inventory – Which systems are running where?
Please enter:
- Operating systems
- cloud provider
- Automation tools
- Repository sources
- centralised management systems
- Dependencies on individual manufacturers
Identify so-called ‘single points of vendor’ – that is, components that rely on just one supplier.
Assess criticality
Assign three values to each component:
- Operational relevance (low/medium/high)
- Interchangeability (easy/difficult/impossible)
- Supply chain risk (low/medium/high)
Result: You can immediately see which components need to be prioritised.
Identify dependencies
Frequently asked questions:
- Who controls access and manages update and patch cycles?
- To what extent are you tied to specific APIs or proprietary DSLs?
- Can your automations be transferred to other tools?
- Could you switch providers tomorrow – or would that be a major undertaking?
Define measures
Identify at least one realistic alternative for each critical component:
- alternative automation frameworks
- alternative distribution channels
- optional mirror repositories
- Multi-cloud or hybrid architecture options
Tip 1: Prioritise open standards
Whenever possible:
- open APIs
- open-source automation tools
- open-source operating systems
- modular architectures
- containerised workloads
Open standards increase interoperability – and thus the resilience of your infrastructure.
Tip 2: Gradually increase your digital sovereignty
Digital sovereignty does not happen overnight. What is crucial is a structured approach involving clear, actionable steps:
- Taking control of your own repositories
- Focus automation on open-source tools
- Implement cross-platform management
- Preparing for multi-cloud readiness
- Automate and document lifecycle processes
- Check vendor dependencies regularly
The bottom line: digital sovereignty is, above all, about the ability to act
The key question is whether your infrastructure remains manageable in these situations – or whether dependencies become a bottleneck.
Only those who understand their systems, dependencies and options for change can make reasoned decisions.
Why analysis alone is often not enough
They arise from the interplay between architecture, processes and the tools used.
Without a structured approach, many assessments remain vague – or key risks are underestimated.
Download the checklist for an initial assessment
This checklist provides you with a concise framework for identifying key interdependencies within your IT infrastructure and prioritising initial measures.
Once you have submitted the form, you will receive two items:
1. Guide to an initial assessment
This guide helps you assess your current situation using five key questions, and identifies initial interdependencies, blind spots and areas for action.
2. Optional Excel self-assessment
If you wish to explore this in greater depth, you can carry out a structured analysis of systems, criticality and vendor lock-in.
This provides an initial basis for internal discussions — or for preparing for a potential consultation with expert.
