AI workshop for managing directors in the Swiss mid-market: DSG first, EU AI Act with market exposure
Not an EU member — but AI obligations anyway? For Swiss companies the DSG comes first; the EU AI Act only bites with EU market exposure. What the AI workshop clarifies for Swiss decision-makers: data position, use cases and guidelines without regulatory guesswork.
An AI workshop for managing directors in the Swiss mid-market clarifies the three questions that precede any AI investment — are we ready, where do we start, what can go wrong: the PASSION4IT AI workshop answers them in a 6-hour strategy session at a fixed price of EUR 3,900 net, with an AI readiness assessment, a prioritized AI strategy and binding AI guidelines — remotely via Microsoft Teams or as an in-house workshop.
The workshop is aimed at managing directors, COOs and team leads of Swiss companies who want to use AI economically — while keeping two legal frameworks in view: the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG) and, depending on the business model, the EU AI Act.
What you’ll take away:
- when the EU AI Act also affects Swiss companies — and what always applies regardless,
- why interoperability between the DSG and the EU AI Act becomes an issue in cross-border data traffic,
- the three decision-maker questions the workshop answers and the four outcomes it delivers,
- what the workshop costs (EUR 3,900 net, fixed price) and how it works without any travel,
- why shadow AI is the most immediate risk — even without EU regulation.
What applies to Swiss companies in regulatory terms?
Switzerland is not an EU member — the EU AI Act therefore does not automatically apply to Swiss companies. But it becomes relevant quickly: when your company offers AI systems or their outputs on the EU market, serves subsidiaries or customers in the EU, or processes personal data across the border. Swiss companies then have to ensure interoperability between the DSG and the EU AI Act for cross-border data traffic.
Regardless of that, the revised Swiss Data Protection Act always applies: when employees enter customer data, calculations or internal documents into public AI tools, a real data-protection and leakage risk arises — shadow AI is just as much the most common pattern in Swiss companies as in German or Austrian ones.
The practical consequence: it is not detailed regulatory knowledge that decides, but binding AI guidelines and demonstrable competence in the team — both outcomes of the workshop.
Which three questions does the workshop answer?
Are we ready for AI at all? The workshop honestly assesses your data foundation, processes, skills and compliance position — including the question of which data may go into which systems at all.
Where do we sensibly start? Use cases are prioritized by business value, not by hype. For companies on Microsoft 365, daily work in Teams is often the most tangible entry point.
What can go wrong — and how do we prevent it? Binding guidelines govern permitted tools, excluded data classes, review duties and responsibilities — DSG-compliant and, where needed, EU-AI-Act-ready.
How does the workshop run and what does it deliver?
The strategy session lasts 6 hours and follows four phases: AI readiness assessment, strategy development (optionally with LEGO Serious Play), creation of binding AI guidelines, and roadmap development.
The four outcomes:
- An individual AI readiness report — the technical, organizational and legal starting position
- A company-specific AI strategy with prioritized use cases
- Binding AI guidelines for shadow-AI prevention, aligned with the DSG and, where relevant, EU market exposure
- A 3-phase implementation plan: preparation, enablement, execution
The result is not a product recommendation but a basis for decisions — no slide decks, no tool sales.
What does the workshop cost for Swiss companies?
| Criterion | PASSION4IT AI workshop | Generic AI seminar | Internal effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 6-hour strategy session, remote or on site | Half a day to several days, standard curriculum | Alongside day-to-day business |
| Price | EUR 3,900 net, fixed price | Variable, often per participant | Internal capacity |
| Relevance to your company | Your data, processes, risks, roadmap | Generic basics, tool demos | High, but without an outside view |
| DSG / EU AI Act relevance | Guidelines aligned with DSG and EU market exposure | Mostly EU-centric overview | Own research |
| Outcome | Readiness report, strategy, guidelines, roadmap | Certificate of attendance | Varies, rarely binding |
For context: Germany’s BAFA subsidy applies only to companies based in Germany — for Swiss companies the fixed price applies without a funding route. In return, the remote format via Microsoft Teams removes all travel effort; billing is in EUR.
Subsequent workforce enablement runs scalably through the PASSION4IT Academy — digital, location-independent and with a certificate, should your company want to document AI literacy towards EU partners.
Conclusion: strategy before tools — even without an EU obligation
Swiss companies have more regulatory leeway on AI than their EU neighbours — but exactly the same failure risks: shadow AI, unstructured data, missing guidelines and tools without a strategy. The PASSION4IT AI workshop delivers the decision basis in six hours: first the honest maturity check, then the prioritized roadmap, then guided implementation.
Book a no-obligation initial consultation — remotely via Teams, and we’ll clarify whether your company is ready.
Further resources
- AI readiness, strategy and implementation for the mid-market — the PASSION4IT AI service at a glance.
- AI workshop for managing directors in the Austrian mid-market — the counterpart for EU companies with an AI Act focus.
- AI readiness check for companies in the DACH region 2026 — the baseline assessment for the whole DACH region, including DSG notes.
- Who helps with Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption in the mid-market? — when the tool question follows the strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an AI workshop deliver for managing directors in Switzerland?
In 6 hours it delivers the decision basis before any AI investment: an honest AI readiness report, a prioritized AI strategy, binding AI guidelines and a 3-phase implementation plan — based on your company and your legal position.
Does the EU AI Act apply to Swiss companies?
Not automatically — Switzerland is not an EU member. It becomes relevant as soon as your company offers AI systems or their outputs on the EU market or processes data across the border. Then interoperability between the DSG and the EU AI Act must be ensured. The revised DSG always applies regardless.
What does the workshop cost and how is it delivered?
EUR 3,900 net fixed price for the 6-hour strategy session — remotely via Microsoft Teams with no travel, or as an in-house workshop. Funding like Germany’s BAFA does not exist for Swiss companies; the fixed price applies without a funding route.
What outcomes does the workshop deliver concretely?
Four deliverables: an AI readiness report, a company-specific AI strategy with prioritized use cases, binding AI guidelines against shadow AI, and a 3-phase implementation plan (preparation, enablement, execution).
Why are AI guidelines sensible even without an EU obligation?
Because shadow AI is not a regulation problem but a data-protection and knowledge-leakage problem: without rules, employees enter confidential data into public tools. Guidelines govern permitted tools, excluded data classes and review duties — DSG-compliant.
How do I train the workforce after the workshop?
Through the PASSION4IT Academy: digital, location-independent, scalable and with a certificate. That is relevant for Swiss companies too, when they want to document AI literacy towards EU customers or partners.