The key to digital independence starts with procurement

In our previous post, we talked about why digital control and data ownership matter, and why an exit strategy is part of a mature digital strategy. But understanding why isn’t enough. Building a digital future with real independence has to start long before an exit becomes necessary – it starts with how you procure your digital solutions.

In the public sector, procurement is typically governed by strict rules designed to ensure competition and transparency. But if a tender focuses purely on functionality and price today, without weighing the long-term consequences for control and independence, you risk quietly building in new dependencies that become hard to escape.

Procurement is actually one of the most powerful tools you have for shaping your digital future. It’s where you set the terms for how systems can work together, share data, and be replaced later – without tearing everything down. So how do you set the right requirements?

Require open standards

Proprietary file formats and closed interfaces are the root of many lock-in problems. Requiring a solution to be built on open, documented standards ensures your data and functionality stay portable – for instance, that documents can be exported in formats that aren’t tied to a specific vendor’s software. That gives you easier data migration, broader compatibility with other systems, and keeps the door open to more vendors in the future.

Require systems that can actually talk to each other

Digital sovereignty depends on being able to integrate different solutions to meet your own needs – in other words, interoperability. In practice, that means four things: legislation shouldn’t get in the way of sharing data, processes and data should be able to align across organisations, data should mean the same thing everywhere in the system, and systems need to be able to connect technically. Require clear, documented APIs built on open standards – that’s the practical key to systems that can talk to each other without locking you into one vendor’s particular way of doing integrations.

Evaluate open source

The technology you choose affects your control and independence more than many realise. Actively evaluating open source software in procurement brings real advantages: the code is open to review, which improves security and gives you full visibility into how the system actually works. You’re not tied to one vendor for further development. And because the licence cost is often zero, support and maintenance can be procured separately – with a choice of providers, rather than being stuck with one. Public procurement rules don’t prevent choosing open source; it just needs to be evaluated against the same requirements and goals as any other software.

Procurement is a strategic question, not just a technical one

Looking beyond the initial price tag and weighing in long-term goals around control and data ownership takes real expertise – knowing which requirements to set, and how to write them into a tender. It also takes the courage to prioritise long-term strategy over short-term convenience.

Think of your next procurement as more than a purchase – think of it as a chance to actively build the foundation for your digital independence.

Facing a procurement where control and independence matter? Book a meeting and we’ll help you get the requirements right from the start.