Global Procurement Assistance

Situation

A Swiss textile company exports equipment to the Far East. Within a short period of time, sales prices fell by over 25% due to currency fluctuations and global market upheavals.

Our approach

In the short term, the extreme price drops could not be offset by new products or new technologies. Sustainable reduction of material costs could only be found in optimized global procurement.

Your result

The material costs of essential components were reduced by 35% thanks to local procurement expertise in Taiwan. This enabled the Swiss machine builder to achieve a positive business project conclusion in this highly competitive market.

Situation

The production-oriented SME acquired a tool patent which, in addition to pure production, is intended to enable a second strategic orientation with its own product. Capacity and know-how were lacking to develop the necessary product/market, sales and production strategies.

Our approach

Through GPA's procurement network, decision-making bases for the main sales markets were developed in a short time. With further elaborated foundations, the product/market matrix and the basis of the sales strategy could be determined. The regional distribution of potential customers and their technological orientation were decisive. At the same time, the production concept was advanced. In addition to the evaluation of machine tools, the focus was on the design of technical and personnel capacities.

Your result

Within four months, the corresponding concepts and strategies were completed and the way for a successful market launch was paved.

Situation

A renowned Swiss heating boiler producer was unable to withstand the increasing cost pressure at the Swiss location. The production was to be merged with the subsidiary located in northern France.

Our Approach

The extremely cyclical heating business, in which 70% of sales are made in the 3 summer months, did not allow for extensive planning. From the relocation decision in January to the start of production in May, GPA had only 4 months available. Highly efficient project control was the basis of this project work. For the most demanding part, the transfer of know-how, GPA benefited from its many years of production management experience and handling of employees in production.

Your Result

The plant in France was able to start production on time for delivery during the main season. During the following summer months, the on-site operation was continuously optimized and the sales support points located throughout Europe were integrated into a new order processing process.

Version effective as of September 1st, 2023

With this Data Protection Statement we, the GPA Switzerland GmbH (we or us), describe how we collect and further process personal data. This Data Protection Statement is not necessarily a comprehensive description of our data processing. It is possible that other data protection statements [or General Terms and Conditions, Conditions of Participation or similar documents] are applicable to specific circumstances. 

The term "personal data" in this Data Protection Statement to shall mean any information that identifies, or could reasonably be used to identify any person. 

If you provide us with personal data of other persons (such as family members, work colleagues), please make sure the respective persons are aware of this Data Protection Statement and only provide us with their data if you are allowed to do so and such personal data is correct. 

This Privacy Notice is aligned with the EU General Data Protection Regulation («GDPR»), the Swiss Data Protection Act («DPA») and the revised Swiss Data Protection («revDPA»). However, the application of these laws depends on each individual case.

1. Controller / Data Protection Representative

Sergio Malacarne, Managing Director of GPA Switzerland GmbH, is responsible for the data processing described here. If you have any data protection concerns, you can contact us at the following email address: gpa@gpaswiss.ch.

2. Collection and Processing of Personal Data 

We primarily process personal data that we obtain from our clients and other business partners as well as other individuals in the context of our business relationships with them or that we collect from users when operating our website.

To the extent permitted, we obtain certain personal data from publicly accessible sources (e.g., debt registers, land registries, commercial registers, press, internet). Apart from data you provided to us directly, the categories of data we receive about you from third parties include, but are not limited to, information from public registers, data received in connection with administrative or court proceedings, information in connection with your professional role and activities (e.g., in order to conclude and carry out contracts with your employer), information about you in correspondence and discussions with third parties, credit rating information (if we conduct business activities with you personally), information about you given to us by individuals associated with you (family, consultants, legal representatives, etc.) in order to conclude or process contracts with you or with your involvement (e.g. references, your delivery-address, powers of attorney), information regarding legal regulations such as anti-money laundering and export restrictions, bank details, information regarding insurances, our distributors and other business partners for the purpose of ordering or delivering services to you or by you (e.g., payments made, previous purchases), information about you found in the media or internet (insofar as indicated in the specific case, e.g. in connection with job applications, media reviews, marketing/sales, etc.), your address and any interests and other socio-demographic data (for marketing purposes), data in connection with your use of our websites (e.g., IP address, MAC address of your smartphone or computers, information regarding your device and settings, cookies, date and time of your visit, sites and content retrieved, applications used, referring website, localization data). 

3. Purpose of Data Processing and Legal Grounds

We primarily use collected data in order to conclude and process contracts with our clients and business partners, in particular in connection with [CORE BUSINESS ACTIVITY] to our clients and the procurement of products and services from our suppliers and subcontractors, as well as in order to comply with our domestic and foreign legal obligations. You may be affected by our data processing in your capacity as an employee of such a client or business partner. 

In addition, in line with applicable law and where appropriate, we may process your personal data and personal data of third parties for the following purposes, which are in our (or, as the case may be, any third parties') legitimate interest, such as: 

• asserting legal claims and defense in legal disputes and official proceedings; 
• prevention and investigation of criminal offences and other misconduct (e.g. conducting internal investigations, data analysis to combat fraud); 
• ensuring our operation, including our website 

4. Cookies / Tracking and Other Techniques Regarding the Use of our Website 

We use a session cookie on our website that serves exclusively for security purposes and does not store any personal data:

• wires
  • ProcessWire session identifier.
  • First-party session cookie, expires when the browser is closed.

This is only stored on your device and automatically deleted when you close your browser. By using our website, you agree to the use of this cookie. If you do not want this, you must adjust your browser accordingly.

 

5. Datatransfer and Transfer of Data Abroad 

We do not transfer any data abroad.

6. Retention Periods of your Personal Data

We process and retain your personal data as long as required for the performance of our contractual obligation and compliance with legal obligations or other purposes pursued with the processing, i.e. for the duration of the entire business relationship (from the initiation, during the performance of the contract until it is terminated) as well as beyond this duration in accordance with legal retention and documentation obligations. Personal data may be retained for the period during which claims can be asserted against our company or insofar as we are otherwise legally obliged to do so or if legitimate business interests require further retention (e.g., for evidence and documentation purposes). As soon as your personal data are no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes, they will be deleted or anonymized, to the extent possible. In general, shorter retention periods of no more than twelve months apply for operational data (e.g., system logs).

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access and misuse. In cooperation with our hosting providers, we strive to protect databases as well as possible against unauthorized access, loss, misuse or falsification.

8. Obligation to Provide Personal Data To Us 

In the context of our business relationship you must provide us with any personal data that is necessary for the conclusion and performance of a business relationship and the performance of our contractual obligations (as a rule, there is no statutory requirement to provide us with data). Without this information, we will usually not be able to enter into or carry out a contract with you (or the entity or person you represent). In addition, the website cannot be used unless certain information is disclosed to enable data traffic (e.g. IP address). 

9. Your Rights 

In accordance with and as far as provided by applicable law (as is the case where the GDPR is applicable), you have the right to access, rectification and erasure of your personal data, the right to restriction of processing or to object to our data processing, in particular for direct marketing purposes, for profiling carried out for direct marketing purposes and for other legitimate interests in processing in addition to right to receive certain personal data for transfer to another controller (data portability). Please note, however, that we reserve the right to enforce statutory restrictions on our part, for example if we are obliged to retain or process certain data, have an overriding interest (insofar as we may invoke such interests) or need the data for asserting claims. If exercising certain rights will incur costs on you, we will notify you thereof in advance. We have already informed you of the possibility to withdraw consent in Section 3 above. Please further note that the exercise of these rights may be in conflict with your contractual obligations and this may result in consequences such as premature contract termination or involve costs. If this is the case, we will inform you in advance unless it has already been contractually agreed upon. 

In general, exercising these rights requires that you are able to prove your identity (e.g., by a copy of identification documents where your identity is not evident otherwise or can be verified in another way). In order to assert these rights, please contact us at the addresses provided in Section 1 above. 

In addition, every data subject has the right to enforce his/her rights in court or to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority. The competent data protection authority of Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch). 

10. Amendments of this Data Protection Statement

We may amend this Data Protection Statement at any time without prior notice. The current version published on our website shall apply. If the Data Protection Statement is part of an agreement with you, we will notify you by e-mail or other appropriate means in case of an amendment. 

GPA Switzerland GmbH
Industriestrasse 1
8404 Winterthur
Switzerland
Email: gpa@gpaswiss.ch

Company Name: GPA Switzerland GmbH
Registration Number: CHE-104.812.144

Disclaimer

The author does not guarantee the accuracy, precision, timeliness, reliability, or completeness of the information.
Liability claims against the author for damages of a material or immaterial nature, arising from access to or use or non-use of the published information, through misuse of the connection or due to technical malfunctions, are excluded.

All offers are non-binding. The author expressly reserves the right to change, supplement, delete or temporarily or permanently discontinue parts of the pages or the entire offer without separate announcement.

Disclaimer for content and links

References and links to third-party websites are outside our area of responsibility. Any responsibility for such websites is rejected. Access to and use of such websites is at the user's own risk.

Copyright statement

The copyright and all other rights to content, images, photos or other files on this website belong exclusively to Bauert Treuhand GmbH or the specially named rights holders. The written consent of the copyright holder must be obtained in advance for the reproduction of any elements.

Image References