The mission of Purchasing within Ciba is to deliver a sustainable commercial advantage for our businesses by securing low-cost raw materials and services. Suppliers play a key role in this process.

Depending on specific needs, we develop different degrees of cooperation with our suppliers. The closest form of cooperation is partnership.

By partnership, we mean a long-term relationship in which we share the risks and benefits on the basis of mutual trust.

The aim of Ciba is to increase the competitiveness of both partners, by lowering process costs (resources and time). This is a prerequisite for meeting the challenges of an ever-changing environment. The partners contribute innovative ideas to one another and are prepared to take risks, creating added value for both parties.

The sharing of risks and benefits is negotiated with each partner on an individual basis, taking into account the effort and performance of the partner in areas such as the development of innovative approaches and solutions.

The purchasing function within Ciba is decentralised, with each business segment responsible for the purchasing of its own raw materials. All segments share a common approach and strategy. They select suppliers on the basis of specifications, price, delivery and supply conditions. In addition, they apply criteria such as production potential, competence, backward and forward integration, environment, health and safety (EHS) standards, market position, strategy of the supplier and overall supplier assessment. As an ISO 9001 registered company, Ciba purchases raw materials only from established suppliers. We do not purchase spot materials from unqualified suppliers.

For many years, Ciba has been a leading participant in the chemical industry's Responsible Care® program, in which a primary focus is Product Stewardship.

Product Stewardship means adopting a comprehensive “cradle-to-grave” process for identifying and managing the development, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, use and ultimate disposal of our products - in a way that is as safe, healthy, environmentally sound and sustainable as possible.

In 2002, Ciba adopted its "Guiding Principles for Product Stewardship". This action formalizes our efforts and makes them more a part of our management processes. This will more firmly establish Product Stewardship as a general attitude and habit amongst Ciba employees, whether they be in research and development, product safety and registration, purchasing, manufacturing, sales and marketing or supply chain - all driven by a commitment from the top leadership in Ciba.

We will purchase materials from manufacturers who meet applicable laws and regulations or have explicit plans approved by local authorities to comply with EHS-requirements. We monitor and evaluate the EHS performance of suppliers, toll manufacturers and distributors. Where there are insufficient local regulatory frameworks, Ciba makes sure, through visits and reviews, that our partners apply good industry practices.