Privacy policy

1. Who we are and scope

ADVEN Consulting (ADVEN Conseil in French) is an information technology consulting firm based in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

This policy explains how we handle personal information collected through our website adven.consulting, by email, by phone and in the course of our business relationships. It serves as both our privacy policy and our personal information governance policy.

We comply with Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, as amended by Law 25, and, where it applies, Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

2. Person in charge of the protection of personal information

The person with the highest authority at ADVEN Consulting acts as the person in charge of the protection of personal information. This person ensures compliance with this policy and handles requests and complaints. To reach them:

3. Information we collect

We only collect the information needed for the purposes listed in section 4:

• Contact form: topic, name, organization (optional), email, phone (optional) and message. We also receive the date of submission and the IP address, used only to prevent abuse.
• Emails, calls and meetings: the information you choose to share with us.
• Job applications: the professional information you send us (for example your LinkedIn profile or résumé).
• Business relationships: business contact details of our clients, partners and suppliers.

Our website uses no cookies, no audience measurement, no advertising and no tracking tools. Like any website, our hosting provider may keep technical logs (for example IP address and page visited) for security and to keep the service running.

The Law 25 assessment offered on the site runs entirely in your browser: your answers are not sent to us.

Please do not send us sensitive information (health, financial, identification numbers) through the form or by email unless we ask for it as part of an engagement and through a secure channel.

4. Why we use it

• To answer your requests and send you the information or service proposal you asked for.
• To carry out the engagements entrusted to us and manage our business relationships.
• To assess job applications.
• To keep our website secure and prevent abusive submissions.
• To meet our legal, accounting and tax obligations.

We do not sell your information. We do not use it for profiling, targeted advertising or decisions based exclusively on automated processing. We do not use it for any other purpose without your consent, unless the law allows it.

5. Your consent

By writing to us through the form and ticking the box provided, you consent to our use of your information to respond to your request. When we write to you or call you, we use the information you provided for that purpose.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by writing to the person in charge (section 2). We may then be unable to follow up on your request.

6. Who has access to your information

Only the people at ADVEN Consulting who need it for their work have access to your information. We also use technology service providers (website hosting, message delivery, email and work tools), who act on our behalf, only access the information needed for their service and are bound by contractual confidentiality and security commitments.

We do not disclose your information to any other third party, except with your consent or where the law requires or allows it (for example at the request of a competent authority).

7. Information processed outside Quebec

Our service providers may process or store information elsewhere in Canada or in the United States. Before entrusting them with personal information, we carry out a privacy impact assessment and make sure the information receives adequate protection, including through contractual commitments.

Information stored outside Quebec may be subject to the laws of the place where it is located, including access requests from local authorities.

8. Retention and destruction

• Requests received through the form or by email that do not lead to an engagement: up to 2 years after the last exchange.
• Unsuccessful job applications: up to 12 months after receipt.
• Clients and engagements: for the duration of the business relationship, then for the period required by applicable laws (including tax laws).

At the end of these periods, the information is securely destroyed or anonymized for serious and legitimate purposes, as permitted by law.

9. Security

We take reasonable security measures based on the sensitivity of the information: encrypted connections to our website (HTTPS), access limited to authorized people, protected accounts and the use of recognized providers that apply high security standards. No measure, however, offers absolute security.

10. Confidentiality incidents

If a confidentiality incident occurs (for example unauthorized access to personal information), we promptly take measures to reduce its consequences and prevent it from happening again. We keep a register of incidents. If the incident presents a risk of serious injury, we notify the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec, the people concerned and, where federal law applies, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

11. Your rights

You may at any time:

• find out whether we hold information about you and access it;
• have it corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete or ambiguous;
• withdraw your consent or ask us to stop using or disseminating it;
• ask that it be sent to you, or to a person you designate, in a structured, commonly used technological format;
• ask that information we are no longer required to keep be destroyed.

Write to the person in charge (section 2). We may ask you to confirm your identity. We reply within 30 days of receiving your request. This service is free, except for reasonable transcription or reproduction fees where the law allows, which we would tell you about in advance.

12. Complaints

For any question or complaint about your personal information, please first write to the person in charge (section 2). We acknowledge your complaint, review it and reply in writing within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our answer, you may contact the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (cai.gouv.qc.ca) or, where federal law applies, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca).

13. Commercial electronic messages

In accordance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, we do not send you commercial electronic messages (newsletters, promotions) without your consent. Writing to us through the form does not add you to any mailing list. Any such message would include a simple way to unsubscribe.

14. Governance and responsibilities

• The person in charge approves this policy, oversees its application and reviews it at least once a year.
• Anyone at ADVEN Consulting who has access to personal information must be informed of and comply with this policy.
• Before any new information system or electronic service delivery project involving personal information, and before any disclosure of information outside Quebec, we carry out a privacy impact assessment.
• Access and correction requests and complaints are handled as described in sections 11 and 12.

15. Changes

We may update this policy. The current version is always published on this page with its update date. If a significant change affects the use of information already collected, we will inform the people concerned.