1. Sustainable corporate governance // 2. Business model and business performance // 3. Social affairs // 4. Environment
2.1 Strategy and Market
SQS pursues a so-called 3A strategy:
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Expansion of position as leading provider in Switzerland for the auditing and certification of management systems in the accredited or regulated sector (strategic business unit 1)
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Establishment of a strong market position for the evaluation and verification of sustainable corporate governance (strategic business unit 2)
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Recognised provider of further education in the area of management system standards and methods (strategic business unit 3)
« The freedom to work independently and in a variety of organisations is a challenge that expands my knowledge every day. As an auditor, no two days are the same. »
Larissa Tschirky (Lead auditor)
Value proposition
The value propositions to our customers can be differentiated according to these three SBUs as follows:
|
Value proposition |
SBU1 |
SBU2 |
SBU3 |
|
«Our external perspective brings clarity in your thinking and order in your company.» |
X |
X |
|
|
«With our management solutions, your company continues to develop.» |
X |
X |
X |
|
«In our continuing education program, you develop the skills you need to solve problems and advance professionally.» |
|
|
X |
|
«The SQS network enables you to exchange experiences with colleagues.» |
|
|
X |
|
«Our verifications and certifications provide you with credibility and market access.» |
X |
X |
|
|
«Our assessments provide you with transparency, comparability and credibility.» |
|
X |
|
Branches
The branches in which we realise these value propositions are manifold:
The diversity of our clientele contrasts with the relative uniformity of company size (see chart «Clients by company size»): 62% are micro and small companies (up to 49 employees) and 26% are medium-sized companies (50 to 249 employees). Only 12% are large companies. In addition, our clientele is relatively homogeneous in terms of origin: The two main markets Switzerland and Italy account for 89% of all certificates issued.
SQS operates in a «People's business»: Customer relationships in the certification and assessment business are highly personalised. Auditors therefore play a key role in our value proposition and in the fulfilment of our value proposition.
Accordingly, SQS invests considerable resources in training and further education (see Chapter 3 «Social Affairs»). This is not only about imparting competences, but also about the SQS core values: credibility, neutrality, independence, honesty and incorruptibility. It is only by combining these competences and virtues that we create the added value that makes us successful in the market. An expression of the appreciation and trust of our customers is their loyalty: at the end of 2024, customer loyalty averaged 14 years; 60% of customers had been with SQS for more than 9 years.
