Date: 24.10.2025 (2025-10-24)
Samir Jola (24.10.2025) • https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirjola/ • Chief of Staff at Thales
Notes: • Notes: • 700 ppl in CH • ZUR: • Secure comm systems -> Funkgeräte • Power mgmt systeme • Satellitenbusiness • Simulationsbiz • Bank, IDs etc. • Speedgate at the airport • Chief of Staff of the whole CH office • Projects: • They harmonised a lot in HR • They bought some companies • These companies have their own stack, tools and processes -> processes were angenähert -> nicht angepasst • A lot of bigger companies have buying specialist • Compliance is super complicated (check for PEPs) • Depending on the category of the invoice there are specific processes -> there the workflow process is nice • Mitgliedschaft -> when all approve you get a certificate send to Portugal, then ask Supplier -> very scattered • Mitgliedschaft: e.g. Ausgleichskasse -> yearly 10k CHF -> it's a membership or Lobbyingverbänden • There is no end to end owner of the overall process • Small supplier have a purchasing agent -> company that buys stuff below 50k EUR / year • E.g. catering for a team event • Purchasing agents does reconciliation, payment etc. • At the end of the month they forward the invoice • Could be customers because they do stuff manually • Process in the invoice area: • Ask for an offer - has to be addressed to them and another one for the purchasing agent - he gets a number that he can give to purchasing agent • Starts OCM -> upload offer • Fill out biz purpose, project, Kostenstelle • Tools are very old (Windows 98) • Approval flow depending on amount • Invoice is normally sent directly to purchasing agent • If sth does not work -> supplier goes to him and complains • He has to confirm Wareneingang • There is also the potential to do it with procurement department -> mainly for bigger things • Finance is outsourced -> accounting is in Portugal • There are two women in accounting in CH -> just scan invoices and forward • A nice module: expenses • Tool is ok from user perspective • Finance has to do a lot of running behind people (also in Portugal) • Check with Spesenreglement (rule based) • Language barrier for Portugal • Klebeband -> business purpose not clear • Automation • Only very few automation in CH - in Paris a bit more • Data privacy is a big topic -> very careful & slow (very bad because so focussed on safety) • They have a lot of support functions because everything is inefficient and slow • Legacy systems • He thinks all tools have APIs -> but it is often too expensive to actually integrate • All legal entities have own CRM and ERP systems -> a lot of redundancy • Other: • They have to classify every document they save in a categorisation document -> if a tool is good it does not allow sth that is C3 (because data has to stay in CH) - often code etc. - also often an export topic - problem for military • They have an internal ChatGPT -> runs in Paris -> only C2 can be uploaded • He is not allowed to call via Google Meets; he would not be allowed to discuss with finance • Talk to large banks -> they probably also have to classify documents • Large companies is the integration -> Thales would use it directly but integration is a problem -> he thinks integration is a big challenge • Purchasing agent → PSG Procurement Services → text them cold • https://www.psg-procurement.com/de/ • Intro / Network • Thales: • Project Controller • Has the headache with invoices and finance • He will think about further intros