Schmidt & Schmidt was founded in 2011 and has grown rapidly ever since, expanding around the world and becoming an organization with a global reach.

We have combined quality, safety and health as well as environmental protection into an integrated quality management system to ensure that all business processes are performed according to standards within a future-oriented and sustainable business strategy. Therefore, standards are essential to achieve our ambition to be recognized and trusted as a service provider that enhances economic mobility, builds trust in business partners, and creates transparency in society.

We are convinced that the basis of economic success depends more than ever on the responsible use of available resources at the economic, environmental and social levels.

We strive to never compromise on security, compliance and the quality of our services. This requires everyone to be involved, aware of their responsibilities and empowered to take action to protect our employees and their families, our customers and our reputation.

Our recognized data protection standards are indispensable to the company's business strategy. Our information security management system is a three-component structure consisting of people, processes and technologies that comply with ISO 27001.

Our risk management philosophy aims to proactively evaluate, identify, manage and monitor risks as an impact of uncertainty on our goals, and build on our internal policies and sustainability techniques to ensure quality even in challenging environments.

Quality assurance

Schmidt & Schmidt's impeccable service quality is a basic prerequisite for high customer satisfaction and sustainable growth.

Quality sets the standard for fulfilling the requirements of our customers in business activities of the company. The quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001 is the basis for all other integrated management systems of our company.

Maintaining industry best practices and a high level of service is an integral part of our business as market leaders. It allows us to provide high quality and secure services while remaining flexible and resilient.

Our quality policy is defined and strictly guided by the following principles and behaviors:

• We comply with relevant laws, regulations and internal requirements, as well as ISO 9001 as the international standard for quality management.
• We develop quality thinking through leadership commitment, engagement and effective communication.
• We maintain and improve our quality management system.
• We outline well-defined learning programs to continually develop our skills.
• We standardize and maximize process efficiency through internal awareness, work procedures and instructions, management reviews and customer satisfaction surveys.
• We actively assess, identify, manage and monitor risk as the impact of uncertainty on our goals, and rely on our internal sustainability policies and practices to ensure quality even in challenging environments.
• We work closely with our suppliers to make sure they understand our needs, know their stuff, and meet our quality standards.
• We monitor our performance and that of our suppliers, and set goals for further improvement.
• We work closely with our clients to ensure they achieve their goals and their needs are met with our services.
• We complete projects and deliver our services on time, on budget and as required, and to achieve high customer satisfaction.
• If and when necessary, we take corrective action.

Quality is a fundamental element of the business and every working day of our company. These principles influence every aspect of our business and ensure that we offer the highest level of service. They are essential to achieve our vision of being recognized as the world leader in business services. This requires everyone to be involved, understand their responsibilities and take accountability for their actions as well as to be empowered to act in order to ensure high customer satisfaction and contribute to the development of the company.

We believe that the appropriate training of each employee is a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining the required quality. To do this, we encourage continuing education, targeted learning, objective assessment and stimulation.

1. We believe that excellence is best achieved through:
   • preventing problems rather than fixing them after they occur;
   • recognition and analysis of errors in order to localize the causes of occurrence.
2. We encourage teamwork and use a common language and processes.
3. We make commitments that we fully understand and believe we can fulfill.
4. We ensure that our services meet the agreed requirements.
5. We track organization's progress through benchmarking and continually improve our business processes, services, organization and employee productivity.

Because our customers define our quality, our quality policy begins and ends with them. A genuine understanding of the customer's needs (listen, ask, validate and take action) ensures the quality of our actions at every stage and the fulfillment of our service obligations. Therefore:

1. Management requires timely provision of continuous feedback from customers. It leads to continuous improvement and innovation based on efficient business processes, well-defined measurements and best practices to ensure high level of customer satisfaction.
2. Everyone in our company is responsible for the high level of customer satisfaction by meeting and exceeding their obligations on time, providing best-in-class service.
3. It is important to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with our clients by securing their trust through understanding their needs.

The management and employees of the company are committed to continuously improve the quality management system, regularly review the established quality objectives and support the company in meeting and exceeding this quality policy.

Objectives

To ensure continuous improvement and sustainable development, Schmidt & Schmidt will focus on a series of quality objectives designed to address key priorities and challenges in the period 2024–2027. The company will pay particular attention to enhancing operational efficiency, fostering innovation, and meeting the evolving needs of clients and stakeholders. These objectives are aimed at maintaining the highest standards of quality while supporting long-term growth and resilience.

1. Enhance the quality management system: Ensure the system is user-friendly, comprehensible, and fully aligned with ISO 9001 standards, as well as the company's internal culture and processes.
2. Strengthen client and supplier relationships: Foster better collaboration by regularly gathering feedback, addressing concerns promptly, and improving overall satisfaction levels.
3. Optimize processes and efficiency: Streamline internal workflows to reduce operational inefficiencies and increase overall productivity.
4. Promote innovation and long-term growth: Integrate advanced tools and practices to enhance the delivery of services while maintaining a focus on sustainable development.
5. Monitor and manage risks: Implement effective mechanisms to identify, assess, and address risks within the organization and with external providers.
6. Develop employee competence and engagement: Invest in continuous learning and skill development to ensure employees are equipped to meet quality standards and embrace a culture of excellence.

These objectives serve as a foundation for achieving high customer satisfaction and operational excellence while ensuring that the company continues to grow responsibly and sustainably.

Occupational health and safety policy

Each team member has a responsibility to help create a healthy and safe work environment.

We are committed to providing a healthy and safe working environment for our employees, partners and customers. We are committed to complying with all applicable legal safety and health requirements. The practice of health and safety management standards is implemented and maintained in all branches of our company.

Each team member has a responsibility to help create a healthy and safe work environment. We expect employees to take responsibility for the safety of themselves and others. We encourage our team members to report any occurring issues.

Company management has the overall responsibility to ensure that the correct policies, procedures and security measures are in place as well as to guarantee that every employee of the company has access to appropriate information and training.

Fostering responsibility in health and safety

We are committed to the effective implementation and continuous improvement of our health and safety management system and ensure that:

• Our company fosters a culture where all our team members and stakeholders take responsibility for the health and safety of themselves and others.
• Adequate resources will be made available to meet health and safety obligations.
• All workplace health and safety risks will be actively assessed, managed, monitored and mitigated.
• Employees and contractors will be provided with relevant information, training and supervision.
• Employees can report workplace safety issues through their line manager or through the channels provided.
• Company objectives and health and safety policies will be assessed and updated annually to promote continuous improvement.
• The company will provide an effective health and safety management system that will encourage continuous review and improvement in accordance with ISO 45001.

Organized and prepared for emergencies

We recognize the importance of a systematic and well-organized approach to risk management. This process ensures that risks are identified, assessed, managed, and monitored effectively. Our risk management framework is based on a step-by-step methodology:

1. Create risk awareness and define the framework: Foster a culture of risk awareness by establishing clear guidelines and ensuring employees understand the importance of identifying and managing risks.
2. Identify risks (What could happen?): Systematically identify potential risks that may impact the health and safety of our employees, operations, or stakeholders.
3. Analyze risks (How could it happen?): Determine the causes and scenarios that could lead to the occurrence of identified risks.
4. Evaluate risks (What is the impact?): Assess the likelihood and consequences of identified risks, categorizing them as high, medium, or low impact.
5. Treat risks and implement measures: Develop and implement appropriate risk mitigation measures following the T-O-P principle (Technical, Organizational, Personal measures). This includes considering alternative actions such as risk transfer (e.g., insurance for fire or natural disasters) or reducing residual risks to an acceptable level.
6. Monitor and review risks: Continuously monitor identified risks and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented measures. Regularly review risks to ensure they remain relevant and under control.

By embedding this systematic approach into our occupational health and safety management system, we ensure that risks are proactively managed, minimizing their impact and promoting a safer, healthier, and more resilient workplace.

Occupational health and safety goals

To support our commitment to creating a healthy and safe work environment, Schmidt & Schmidt defines the following goals:

• Promote a proactive safety culture: Foster an environment where safety is a shared responsibility, and employees feel empowered to take action for their own safety and the safety of others.
• Ensure legal compliance: Comply with all applicable health and safety regulations and standards across all our branches and operations.
• Integrate health and safety into daily operations: Make safety an integral part of decision-making processes, ensuring it is embedded into all aspects of our activities.
• Reduce workplace incidents: Continuously assess, monitor, and mitigate risks to prevent accidents and injuries at work.
• Provide comprehensive training: Deliver relevant health and safety education and training to employees, contractors, and stakeholders to enhance their awareness and capabilities.
• Support well-being in all settings: Encourage ergonomic best practices, particularly in remote work environments, to ensure employees maintain their health and productivity.
• Engage employees in safety initiatives: Actively involve employees in shaping and improving health and safety measures through open communication and participation.
• Commit to continuous improvement: Regularly evaluate and update our health and safety policies and management systems in alignment with ISO 45001 standards and emerging best practices.

Creating a safe and healthy work environment

We recognize that a safe and healthy work environment is fundamental for the well-being and success of our employees and the sustainability of our operations. To achieve this, we focus on six interconnected action areas that guide our approach:

• Leadership: The management team serves as a key driving force in promoting safety, health, and continuous improvement. Their commitment sets the tone for a culture of prevention and innovation.
• Communication: Open and effective communication is the foundation of a thriving workplace. Encouraging dialogue ensures that everyone’s voice is heard, fostering collaboration and trust.
• Employee involvement: We leverage the knowledge and experience of our employees by actively involving them in decision-making processes related to safety, health, and operational improvements.
• Learning from mistakes: We promote a positive approach to mistakes by openly discussing them and turning them into valuable learning opportunities, driving growth and innovation.
• Workplace climate: A pleasant and supportive workplace atmosphere is integral to our success. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and motivated.
• Safety and health integration: Safety and health considerations are integrated into all aspects of our operations and decision-making processes, ensuring they are a natural part of our daily activities.

These action areas are interconnected and influence one another, forming the foundation for continuous improvement in our workplace culture. Rather than addressing all areas simultaneously, we focus on specific priorities step by step, guided by our strategic goals. Together, these action areas create a robust framework for implementing practical, sustainable improvements in our prevention culture.

We provide digital educational and informational resources, including a set of videos and tutorials. We provide health and safety training and awareness to our employees and contractors, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities.

We have developed recommendations for working from home, providing more information and best practices for good ergonomics and well-being.

Environmental policy

Sustainable development is impossible without the protection of the environment and natural resources, as well as their responsible and fair use.

We recognize that our planet urgently needs decisive and long-term action to protect the environment and society from the devastating effects caused by the trends of recent decades, such as: globalization, urbanization, industrialization, biodiversity loss and climate change. We strive to ensure that our services are part of a sustainable society.

We are committed to minimizing the impact of our business activities on the environment. By implementing an environmental management system, we intend to strengthen our contribution to protecting the environment and commit to continuously improve our environmental performance, avoid and reduce environmental pollution, and comply with all applicable environmental protection requirements.

Sustainability and conservation of resources are a constant component of our company planning. Thus, the company's management and all employees are committed to the objectives of the environmental policy.

By publishing our environmental goals and our environmental statement, we intend to create the necessary transparency and awareness to do so.

• We are committed to limiting our impact on the environment.
• We comply with all regulatory obligations to comply with environmental protection requirements.
• We take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• We take steps to reduce resource consumption, waste emissions and environmental pollution in our operations.
• We focus on acquiring sustainable products and services, as well as taking into account the environmental qualifications of suppliers.
• We dispose of all waste in accordance with waste sorting requirements.
• We provide information, guidance and training to staff as needed regarding the impact of the firm's activities on the environment, as well as measures and initiatives to mitigate these impacts.
• We work closely with our suppliers and customers to actively encourage them to implement environmental management where appropriate.
• We integrate environmental considerations into key business decisions.
• We regularly monitor and review our environmental management policy to ensure that it remains in line with legal requirements, our ambitions and other relevant requirements in accordance with ISO 14001

In addition to transforming our own processes, our goal is to convince our suppliers that sustainable business practices can also be profitable. Companies in international supply chains improve their business opportunities if they can comply with international environmental and social standards. We help raise environmental awareness among all our employees and suppliers, and everyone we come into contact with, by involving them in our activities.

We regularly check and review the effectiveness of our efforts to achieve our environmental goals through internal environmental audits.

Our environmental policy aims to continually improve and further develop our environmental performance and is an expression of our responsibility to protect the environment.

Our commitment to accessibility

At Schmidt & Schmidt, we are committed to creating inclusive digital experiences for everyone through accessible, user-friendly, and barrier-free digital platforms for individuals of all abilities. Accessibility is integral to our values of innovation, equality, and respect.

At Schmidt & Schmidt, we are deeply committed to ensuring that our digital platforms are accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly for all individuals, regardless of ability. Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of innovation, and we strive to create seamless digital experiences that empower everyone to interact with our services and content without barriers.

We align our accessibility initiatives with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to meet internationally recognized standards. These guidelines help us accommodate a wide range of users, including individuals with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, auditory challenges, mobility limitations, and other diverse needs.

Additionally, we actively comply with the requirements set forth by the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and other applicable regulations. The EAA mandates that digital services and products be accessible to all users within the European Union (EU), ensuring equal access to information, services, and technologies. Our adherence to these legal requirements reflects our commitment to fostering inclusivity and compliance with regional and global standards.

To support these initiatives, we have integrated an advanced accessibility interface into our website. This feature allows users to customize the website’s user interface (UI) and design based on their specific needs, including adjustable text sizes, contrast settings, navigation options, and other features that ensure a personalized browsing experience.

Ongoing accessibility efforts

Accessibility is not a one-time endeavor; it is a continuous process. We are actively engaged in maintaining, evaluating, and enhancing the accessibility of our digital properties. Key aspects of our ongoing efforts include:

• Compliance with legislative frameworks: Ensuring our platforms meet or exceed the requirements of the European Accessibility Act and other regional regulations.
• Regular audits and evaluations: Conducting comprehensive audits to identify potential accessibility gaps and address them proactively.
• User testing: Collaborating with individuals who have disabilities to test the usability of our platforms and gather valuable feedback.
• Technology upgrades: Leveraging the latest technological advancements to enhance our accessibility tools and features.
• Training and awareness: Educating our team members on accessibility best practices to ensure our efforts remain aligned with the needs of all users.

Our goal is to go beyond compliance, fostering an inclusive digital environment that embodies our values of equality, respect, and innovation.

Recognizing challenges

Despite our best efforts, we acknowledge that certain limitations may exist. For example, some third-party integrations, embedded content, or iframes might not fully conform to accessibility standards due to technological constraints or lack of direct control. We are committed to addressing these challenges through:

• Partnering with third-party providers to improve accessibility in shared platforms.
• Continuously updating and expanding the capabilities of our accessibility interface.
• Exploring innovative solutions to bridge existing gaps wherever feasible.

We value transparency in our accessibility journey and are dedicated to overcoming these challenges to the best of our abilities.

Empowering users

We understand the importance of user empowerment in accessibility. Our website offers features such as:

• Adjustable contrast and text Size: Enhancing readability for users with visual impairments.
• Keyboard navigation: Enabling seamless browsing for individuals who rely on keyboard inputs.
Screen reader compatibility: Ensuring smooth integration with assistive technologies.

We continually refine these features to provide an intuitive and effective experience for all users.

Feedback and collaboration

We recognize that the best solutions are achieved through collaboration. If you encounter any accessibility barriers on our platforms or have suggestions for improvement, we encourage you to reach out. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us enhance our services.

Our team is committed to responding promptly and working collaboratively to address any concerns.

Legislative compliance: European Accessibility Act and beyond

We are committed to adhering to global and regional accessibility standards, including:

• European Accessibility Act (EAA): The EAA establishes mandatory accessibility requirements for websites, digital content, and electronic communications across EU member states. By meeting these requirements, we ensure that our services are accessible to all EU citizens, promoting equality and inclusivity.
• International standards: Our accessibility framework aligns with international standards such as ISO/IEC 40500, ISO 30071-1 and EN 301 549, ensuring consistency and quality in our approach.

Looking ahead

As part of our dedication to accessibility, we are continually exploring opportunities for growth and improvement. Our future initiatives include:

• Developing advanced accessibility features powered by AI and machine learning.
• Expanding our accessibility framework to include emerging technologies.
• Partnering with accessibility experts and organizations to stay at the forefront of industry standards.

At Schmidt & Schmidt, accessibility is more than a legal obligation - it is a core principle that guides our commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming digital environment for all.