Preparing to switch vendors: how to keep core software replaceable
According to Bitkom, 40 percent of companies are preparing to replace important vendors and systems if necessary. What that takes: knowing your dependencies, testing the data export, checking contracts and describing your own use cases so an alternative can be tested.
You prepare a change of software vendor by knowing which processes depend on which system, being able to export your data in full, knowing the exit rules in your contract and having described your use cases so that another vendor can be tested against them. You do not have to switch to do this. PASSION4IT supports the assessment of alternatives independently of any vendor with Smart Software Selection. Book a meeting directly at passion4it.de/en/booking/.
The occasion is a Bitkom survey published on 19 October 2026 among 602 companies with at least 20 employees: 40 percent are preparing to replace important vendors and systems if necessary, and 44 percent are increasingly relying on vendors from Germany and Europe. 73 percent are worried about dependence on the USA, up from 38 percent in 2024. 68 percent of companies source software from abroad, 73 percent source cloud services from abroad.
What you will take away from this article:
- Which systems to check first for replaceability
- How to test whether you can take your data with you
- What the contract must say so that a switch remains possible
- When it is worth looking at vendors from Germany and Europe
- Why 40 percent of companies are preparing right now, according to Bitkom
- Who helps and which BAFA funding applies, up to €1,750 grant in Bavaria
How do I prepare to switch a core software vendor?
In four steps, none of which requires giving notice. Record which processes depend on which system. Test whether the data can be exported in full. Check terms, notice periods and the rules for returning data in the contract. And describe the most important use cases so that another vendor can be measured against them.
The result is not a decision to switch but an estimate of how long a switch would take and what it would cost. With that, a price increase, a product discontinuation or changed contract terms can be assessed calmly instead of under time pressure.
Which systems should I check first?
The systems that most processes depend on, meaning ERP, CRM, document management, and email and collaboration. A switch there affects many departments and takes correspondingly long. A single application for a small team, by contrast, can usually be replaced with far less effort.
A simple list per system helps: which departments work with it, which other systems are connected to it, where the data is stored and who the contact at the vendor is. This list alone often shows that a single interface creates more dependence than the software itself.
How do I know whether I can take my data with me?
From a test export, not from the product description. Have a complete export created and check whether, besides master data, it contains attachments, history, links and permissions, and in which format.
An export that only delivers tables without their relationships is of little value for a switch. A new vendor has to be able to take over the data so that transactions, documents and contacts fit together again. A test export gives an early estimate of how much work that is.
What belongs in the contract so that a switch remains possible?
The contract must cover the term and the notice period, the right to have data returned in a usable format, a period during which the data can still be retrieved after the contract ends, and the costs of export and exit support. If one of these is missing, the next contract renewal is the right moment to renegotiate.
When selecting a new system, these points belong on the list from the start. In Smart Software Selection you negotiate the contract yourselves; PASSION4IT provides the basis for it and puts the entry price and the running costs of the following years side by side. The cost of a later exit belongs in that comparison.
Do I have to switch to a vendor from Germany or Europe?
No. The preparation is the actual protection; the vendor’s origin is one criterion among several. A European vendor with a poor data export locks you in just as much as one from the USA.
Looking at vendors from Germany and Europe makes sense where data protection requirements, customer requirements or your own risk assessment call for it. Which alternatives exist for Microsoft 365 is covered in the article What alternatives to Microsoft 365 are there from Germany or the EU?.
Who helps prepare a vendor switch?
A different route fits depending on whether you first need an overview or already want to test a specific alternative.
| Option | What it delivers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Internal IT and business departments | List of systems and dependencies, test export | internal time |
| Systems integrator or reseller | Assessment of its own products as the alternative | often included in the offer, with an interest in its own product |
| PASSION4IT Digital Check | Overview of the system landscape and processes across five dimensions, prioritised roadmap | €3,950 fixed price, eligible for BAFA funding |
| PASSION4IT Smart Software Selection | Script with your use cases, casting of three to five vendors, decision by a jury from your company | by effort in person-days, scoped in advance, BAFA grant in Bavaria up to €1,750 |
PASSION4IT earns only the agreed fee from Smart Software Selection, neither licences of the assessed systems nor a referral commission. That way no vendor has a head start when the question is whether a switch pays off.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How long does a switch of ERP or CRM vendor take?
That depends on the number of connected processes and systems and on the quality of the data export. A reliable estimate only emerges once the dependencies and a test export are available. That is why preparing before a switch is due pays off.
Do I have to terminate the contract to prepare?
No. All steps take place within the existing contract. Knowing the notice period is part of the preparation; using it is not.
What does PASSION4IT’s support cost?
PASSION4IT bills Smart Software Selection by effort in person-days, and we scope it in the first conversation. The consulting share can qualify for BAFA funding; the assessment basis is capped at €3,500, so in Bavaria the grant is at most €1,750. The Digital Check costs €3,950 at a fixed price.
What should a test export contain?
Besides master data, also attachments, history, links between transactions and permissions. Check the format as well, because a new vendor has to be able to take over the data so that transactions, documents and contacts fit together again.
How is Smart Software Selection different from advice from a systems integrator?
PASSION4IT earns only the agreed fee, not licences or commissions. A systems integrator usually assesses its own products as the alternative. For the later rollout, a systems integrator can still be the right partner.
Where do the figures on vendor switching come from?
From the Bitkom press release “16 Monate könnten Deutschlands Unternehmen ohne Digitalimporte überleben” of 19 October 2026. Bitkom Research surveyed 602 companies with at least 20 employees in Germany by telephone, in calendar weeks 33 to 39 of 2026.