For Swiss companies that sell abroad and pay their costs at home, the franc is never far from the conversation. Over the past year and a half it has moved back to the top of the list. That changes how a sensible SME should think about automation: not as a strategic bet, but as one of the few cost levers fully within its own control.
The pressure in numbers
According to reporting by the Financial Times republished by Swissinfo, the franc gained 14% in 2025 and kept rising in early 2026, reaching 0.77 to the US dollar for the first time since 2015. Exports of goods and services amount to more than 70% of Swiss GDP. UBS estimates that each 1% gain in the franc reduces the profits of listed Swiss companies by an average of 0.9%. Trade associations told the FT that the strain is sharpest for SMEs earning abroad while incurring costs in Switzerland.
Bloomberg, also via Swissinfo, reported in March 2026 that the franc had briefly broken through 0.90 against the euro and that a January survey by Switzerland Global Enterprise found the currency had replaced US tariffs as exporters' main concern, cited by 58% of respondents. Manufacturers cut 6,600 jobs in 2025, according to the industry body Swissmem.
For smaller manufacturers, the picture is similar. Swissmechanic's survey of SMEs in the machinery, electrical and metals industries, reported by Swissinfo in May 2026, found that around four in ten saw their EBIT margin fall in the first quarter of 2026. Exchange-rate pressure was cited by 41%, second only to a lack of orders. Around 24% said they could not invest because of financial constraints.
Why the franc makes efficiency a priority
Swiss firms have faced this situation before. The standard responses are to raise prices where possible, accept lower margins, move some costs abroad or become more efficient. For most small firms, the first is difficult in competitive export markets and the third is impractical. That leaves margin and efficiency.
Swissmechanic's president, Nicola Tettamanti, told the FT that productivity gains can absorb currency moves in the short term, but warned that "this challenge cannot be offset indefinitely". That is a fair caution. Automation is not a cure for an overvalued currency. It is one way to buy time and protect margin while the business adapts.
The Bloomberg article described one precision-components manufacturer that has spent years streamlining, automating production and reducing staff in response to the franc. Most SMEs will not go that far. But the same reasoning applies at a smaller scale to office work: quoting, order processing, invoicing, supplier correspondence and customer enquiries. These overhead tasks are paid for in Swiss francs and do not earn anything abroad.
Why small projects fit a tight budget
When a quarter of firms in a sector say they cannot invest, a large platform project is not realistic. That is a reason to think smaller, not to do nothing.
Workflow automation using tools a firm already owns tends to have three useful properties under margin pressure:
- Low upfront cost. Configuration and integration, rather than new infrastructure.
- Fast feedback. A single workflow can show results within weeks.
- Reversibility. If it does not deliver, it can be switched off without writing off a large investment.
There is also a small currency point in the firm's favour. Many software subscriptions are priced in euros or dollars, so a stronger franc makes them somewhat cheaper in franc terms, all else being equal. That does not change the economics of a project on its own, but it does not hurt.
How to judge whether a project pays
Before committing, put the numbers on one page:
- Hours today. How many hours per month does the workflow consume, across everyone involved?
- Cost of those hours. Multiply by a realistic fully loaded hourly cost in CHF.
- Expected reduction. Be conservative. Assume a partial saving, not elimination, because a person still reviews the output.
- One-off cost. Setup, integration and staff time spent on the project.
- Running cost. Licences, usage fees and the time needed to maintain it.
- Payback period. One-off cost divided by monthly net saving. For a firm under margin pressure, a project that takes years to pay back is usually the wrong one.
- What the freed time is for. Decide whether hours go to sales, quality, client service or reduced overtime. Unallocated time rarely shows up in the accounts.
If the payback period is long, choose a smaller workflow or a simpler tool rather than stretching the case.
The bottom line
A strong franc narrows the options open to Swiss SMEs. Prices are hard to raise and budgets are tight, which puts more weight on the costs a firm can control. Targeted automation of repetitive office work will not offset the currency on its own, but it is one of the more practical ways to protect margin without a large investment. The test is simple: small scope, conservative assumptions and a payback period you would be comfortable explaining to your bank.
Want to see which workflows would pay back fastest? The free AI Readiness Audit ranks your recurring tasks by value and feasibility.