This year, the SAQ Swiss Association for Quality was invited to Xelyo Quality Day 2024. This event always offers a top-class program characterized by keynote speeches and workshops.

Our lives should become better and better, and more and more diseases should lose their terror. A lot of research is needed to achieve this. Numerous start-ups are currently developing solutions that optimize the diagnosis and treatment of diseases - often using the smallest components.

Which is why it is important to analyze mistakes carefully instead of just seeing them as a reason to "shit on".

Strict regulations govern quality management in medical technology. Comprehensive standards, such as DIN EN ISO 13485 or the EU's Medical Device Regulation (MDR), require seamless documentation of quality processes, which, in the event of an emergency, determine the safety and health of patients.

"Good governance is the foundation for sustainable corporate management - but many organizations in Switzerland often lack transparency and control. Where not yet in place, smart whistleblowing systems can provide a remedy, but felt, favoritism and unclear regulations reveal a serious need to catch up. (1)

Those who have used sustainability more as an "add-on" or a marketing tool will find it more difficult in the near future. The density of regulation is increasing and affecting more and more companies. And they will have to account for how sustainable they actually are.

Sustainability has been an important topic at the Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPC) for several years, which is reflected in projects such as the use of lake water heat and photovoltaics, the promotion of biodiversity, dealing with diversity and the Friendly Workspace certification. But how do you create a sustainability management system?

Climate change affects everyone, including investors. They are faced with the challenge of how adaptation to climate change affects portfolios. There are also limited investment opportunities with regard to dealing with severe weather. And another dilemma: there is no standardized benchmark for biodiversity.

Heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, PFAS: the list of substances from industrial production that accumulate as residues in the environment is long. It is becoming increasingly clear that some substances pose a considerable health risk, but it is not easy to do without them. The fluorochemicals PFAS are currently in the spotlight as a class of substances.

Swiss companies are increasingly concerned with issues relating to due diligence. After all, the extent to which they are affected is clearly regulated in the Swiss Code of Obligations. In addition to the effort required for analysis and reporting, this can be an opportunity to position yourself as a responsible and sustainable market player.

The success of any company stands or falls with effective quality management. At the same time, there is a great deal of pressure on those responsible, particularly in industry: changing customer requirements, legal regulations and the shift towards greater sustainability demand efficient and transparent processes above all. Traditional methods are increasingly reaching their limits and the need for flexible, digital solutions is growing.

Three experts, three perspectives: Roland Vonarburg, owner of Wauwiler Champignons AG, his deputy Markus Stutz and Hans-Peter Kost from the Zofingen quality optimizer IQS AG, met to look back on three decades of teamwork in the service of the best quality.