The assessment by EcoVadis - one of the leading independent platforms for sustainability ratings - is based on 21 criteria in the areas of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

Further improvement

In the areas of environment (+4 points), ethics (+2) and sustainable procurement (+3), ISS Switzerland was able to improve further compared to the previous year. The separate assessment in "Carbon Management" to the highest level "Leader" is particularly emphasized - a rating that companies with comprehensive CO₂ management and strategic target anchoring receive for the climate categories Scope 1, 2 and 3.

"After the last year's platinum award this result is proof of the consistent further development of our sustainability management - and of our aspiration to implement effective solutions together with our employees and for our customers," says Marc Amstutz, Head of Sustainability & Environment at ISS Switzerland. Because EcoVadis is continuously tightening the criteria and threshold values, this year's gold award also underlines ISS Switzerland's continued high level of commitment to sustainability, as stated in a corresponding press release.

ISS Switzerland: "Strong sustainability partner"

According to ISS Switzerland, its goal is to achieve net-zero CO₂-emissions in direct business activities - and along the entire value chain by 2040. This commitment is also reflected in our customers' day-to-day operations. "Our sustainability strategy is effective when it also becomes tangible for our customers - in the form of measurable CO₂ reduction activities, smart services and efficient use of resources on the path to climate neutrality," emphasizes Amstutz.

ISS Switzerland thus remains a strong sustainability partner - both internally and externally - and underlines its role as a driver for sustainable and responsible facility services and real estate solutions in Switzerland.

Source: ISS Switzerland

The importance of cyber security in procurement is growing, but many corporate procurement departments are facing considerable challenges. This is shown by a recent survey conducted by IT security service provider Sophos among 201 purchasing managers from various industries and company sizes in Germany.

Cost optimization as the biggest obstacle

According to the survey, the four biggest challenges among all respondents are:

• Focus on cost reduction instead of long-term security (45 percent)
• Lack of or hardly any standardized security criteria in the supplier evaluation (41.6 percent)
• Too little awareness of cyber security in purchasing departments (40.1 percent)
• Lack of coordination with own IT/security department (39.6 percent)

At 45%, the focus on cost reduction is the most frequently cited challenge. This tension between efficiency and protective measures shows that cyber security is possibly still often treated as a secondary priority in procurement.

Company size determines challenges

Around 42% of respondents criticize the lack of or hardly any standardized security criteria in supplier evaluation. In addition, almost 40 percent complain about a lack of coordination with their own IT or security department; this factor is mentioned particularly in larger companies (over 52 percent in companies with more than 1000 employees).

The survey also reveals differences depending on the size of the company. Smaller companies (100-249 employees) struggle in particular with a lack of technical expertise (35.8%) and non-standardized security criteria (54.7%). Large companies with 1,000 employees or more mainly see coordination problems with the IT or security department (52.6%).

While smaller companies obviously lack the necessary skills, complex structures often make effective security integration difficult in larger companies.

Administrations lack know-how, utilities urge cyber security awareness

There are also clear differences between the sectors. Public administration reports a lack of expertise and a lack of standards particularly frequently (60.0% in each case). In the financial sector, the lack of training is particularly significant at 53.8%.

In retail, on the other hand, the figures are consistently low: only 13% see a lack of expertise as a problem, while only 17.4% complain about a lack of supplier transparency. Almost 100 percent of utility companies complain about a lack of awareness of cyber security in purchasing departments.

"The fact that utility companies are complaining about the lack of cyber security awareness in purchasing is very serious," comments Michael Veit, security expert at Sophos. "Especially in sensitive sectors, security aspects should not be sacrificed to cost optimization."

The appeal: Even more priority for cyber security in purchasing departments too

The results of the survey show: Cyber security is also increasingly being recognized as a critical factor in corporate procurement. However, there is still a lack of knowledge, internal coordination and structural guidelines in many places. Companies are therefore called upon to give the topic more priority - both through training and clear guidelines in supplier evaluation.

"Many purchasing departments are currently facing the challenge of integrating cyber security aspects into their processes in a structured way," says Michael Veit. "However, there is often a lack of expertise, clear criteria or close cooperation with IT. Yet the supply chain in particular is a decisive lever for a company's security situation. That's why procurement needs clear security guidelines, trained employees and close coordination with IT managers. The resilience of entire supply networks, for example, no longer depends solely on firewalls, but also on the decisions made in procurement."

Source: Sophos

Artificial intelligence has been transforming the healthcare sector for years. The emergence of generative AI is now giving this development an additional boost. It promises healthcare facilities further optimization of their processes and even more personalized patient care, for example through the automated analysis of patient records, the creation of medical documentation or virtual assistants.

Generative AI in healthcare: Five key aspects

Healthcare facilities have long recognized the enormous potential of generative AI and many of them have already experimented with initial applications. Now they want to use this technology on a large scale, but are often still considering how best to approach this project. Technology provider Dell Technologies explains five key aspects for developing a GenAI strategy.

1. Clear goals. Of course, the introduction of generative AI (GenAI) should not be an end in itself. It should solve problems that are closely related to strategic healthcare priorities such as improving patient care, streamlining processes or increasing operational efficiency. Healthcare organizations find these use cases by identifying weaknesses where traditional methods do not work and determining whether and how GenAI can close these gaps.
2. Robust data infrastructure. High data quality is a basic prerequisite for the successful use of generative AI. However, health data is often fragmented and scattered across many systems. A robust data processing infrastructure is therefore required to support GenAI applications. This includes data pipelines, secure storage systems and tools for integrating information from different sources such as patient records, imaging systems and clinical notes. Scalable solutions that can grow with the volume of data are best used.
3. Governance framework. Generative AI is subject to regulatory requirements such as the European Union's AI law and must meet ethical standards. To ensure that their GenAI applications meet these requirements, healthcare organizations can implement a governance framework. This should be developed jointly by IT, clinical managers and the legal department and provide employees with guidelines for the use of patient data, compliance with regulations and ethical decisions.
4. Culture of innovation. A culture of innovation and experimentation is required to make the most of the opportunities offered by generative AI. Overcoming the silos of IT and clinical teams is a crucial step in this direction. A simple but effective way to do this is to introduce a training program in which IT shows healthcare professionals how to use GenAI tools in their workflows. In addition, IT teams and clinical managers should be supported in developing practical solutions together.
5. Performance measurement. When implementing generative AI, it is best for healthcare organizations to start small, measure the impact and then expand the implementation based on demonstrable success. For example, if a GenAI solution reduces administrative errors in one department by a significant percentage, scaling this solution horizontally could have a positive impact across the organization. Important KPIs for measurement include efficiency gains, cost savings and patient satisfaction.

"Generative AI offers healthcare facilities the opportunity to sustainably optimize their processes and further improve patient care," explains Dr. Marten Neubauer, Field Director Healthcare at Dell Technologies in Germany. "They can best exploit this potential if they develop a strategy that creates a clear framework for anticipating and overcoming the challenges they will face when implementing this technology."

Source and further information: Dell Technologies

Companies are currently struggling with three major challenges: their digital transformation, strengthening their resilience and the shortage of skilled workers. As the study Voice of our Clients of the global IT service provider CGI Group shows, they often fail because of their internal silo boundaries, which prevent the development of cross-departmental end-to-end solutions. As a logical consequence of this dilemma, companies are increasingly working with managed service providers. This is no longer just about cost-effective IT services according to an SLA agreement, but about solving complex tasks that can be solved much better, faster and more flexibly by external specialists. The prerequisite for this is intensive cooperation that also takes into account the maturity level of the respective company. The following list shows which quality criteria a managed service provider (MSP) must meet in order to help companies with their digital transformation:

• Range of servicesManaged services come from the external provision of IT infrastructure, such as servers, clients or storage. Transferred to the cloud model, this is the lowest layer (Infrastructure-as-a-Service or IaaS for short) of the stack. But that alone is no longer enough. Instead, an MSP must be able to cover all layers - such as Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) - and integrate them with the latest automation and AI solutions, from the hardware to the application.
• Depth of integration and partnershipThe solution must be tailored to the maturity level of the company's IT, which is why a maturity level analysis is carried out at the start of every collaboration. The more intensive and long-term it is, the more effective it is. The aim is a lasting strategic partnership that relieves companies of IT tasks and allows them to concentrate on achieving their business goals.
• Flexibility and provider diagnosticsGiven the pace of digital innovation, an MSP must be able not only to deliver standard services, but also to constantly adapt new solutions, for example from the provider market in the AI sector, which is changing almost daily. They must be at the forefront of technological developments and use them to meet company-specific needs. An MSP must therefore not be tied to specific providers and their offerings. Provider diagnostics (analogous to cloud agnostic: running an application on different clouds at the same time, editor's note) is also a must in order to rule out dependencies.
• Automation and AIArtificial intelligence has become indispensable for more than just data analysis, forecasting, complex planning and process automation. Corresponding expertise is therefore an essential part of an MSP's service portfolio. They must be able to correctly analyze a company's AI maturity level and, based on this, implement AI projects that create real added value.
• Consolidation and complexity managementConsolidating the IT landscape is currently one of the most difficult but also most important tasks for companies in order to make it manageable, agile and affordable. The quality profile of an MSP therefore includes mastering complex IT infrastructures and application landscapes, restructuring and modernizing them and integrating them into business processes.
• Transformation and focus on resultsIT is not an end in itself, but a tool for achieving corporate goals. Analogously, this also applies to an MSP. The value of its services and performance is therefore no longer reflected in the fulfillment rate of SLAs. Rather, it is crucial to not only consider pure IT services, but to increasingly focus on business results.

"Companies are currently struggling with a multitude of challenges," explains Ralf Bauer, President CGI Germany. "The economic situation is difficult, the pressure to innovate is high, complexity is high, the shortage of skilled workers is a dangerous brake on growth and IT resources urgently need to be consolidated. In this situation, companies need a competent and long-term oriented partner who not only provides IT services, but also keeps an eye on the company's success."

Source and further information: www.cgi.com/de

There is a handover in the Certifications division at the Swiss Safety Center: Heinrich A. Bieler is retiring. His responsibilities will be taken over by Michael Grünenfelder, Dr. oec. HSG. As an experienced leader in the professional services industry, Michael Grünenfelder has headed national and international departments as a line manager and has extensive experience in managing large projects and project teams for infrastructure projects (thermal power plants and renewable energies). He also has extensive experience in working with authorities and in compliance, avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring impartiality. His practical experience in the field of certification includes numerous use cases for process optimization and the establishment of management systems according to various standards.

Dr. Elisabetta Carrea, CEO of Swiss Safety Center AG, sees the appointment of Michael Grünenfelder as the new head of the certification body as an opportunity to consolidate the company's position as a renowned and leading certification provider in Switzerland. At the same time, the Swiss Safety Center intends to continue its successful path for further growth in this area. Swiss Safety Center AG is a company of the SVTI Group and thus part of the competence center for technical safety and risk management. The company offers solutions for all industries with specific services, products and qualifications in the areas of safety and quality. 

Source and further information: Swiss Safety Center

Marketagent, which specializes in online research, has an online panel of more than 3 million people, which was the first access pool in the D-A-CH region to be ISO-certified in January 2010 and recertified in January 2024 in accordance with the current ISO 20252 standard. Within this panel, Marketagent carries out consumer research projects for well-known clients. Recently, 1000 Swiss people from German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland were asked about their experiences in restaurants as part of such a study. 

Served, but not spoiled

Around 7 in 10 Swiss people treat themselves to a meal out at least once a month (69 %) - more than in Germany (54 %) or Austria (65 %). However, culinary pleasure has its limits: Overall, the majority of Swiss people feel that the customer really is "king" in the restaurant trade (75 %). However, only just over one in five experience this frequently (22 %) and 52 % only occasionally. A further quarter only rarely or never feel that they are treated like royalty (25 %). Guests are most frequently annoyed by poor value for money (32 %), followed by long waiting times (28 %) and unfriendly or poor service (27 %).

Around one in four people have the impression that the quality of service has declined in recent years (27 %). The Swiss respondents gave a slightly better assessment than the Austrians. In the neighboring country, a good third perceive a decline in service quality (35 %). Despite the occasional annoyance, the tone in local restaurants is usually friendly - or not at all. On average, the Swiss only leave a critical comment around twice a year and a clear complaint only once.

Between tips and standard wages

When it comes to tipping, there is an area of conflict: almost 9 out of 10 Swiss people are prepared to give an "overtip" for good service. At the same time, 86 % are in favor of rewarding good service with fair wages - instead of voluntary tipping. 80 % are in favor of making tipping tax-free and almost 4 out of 10 would like to abolish it altogether.

Top 2 box values: "strongly agree" + "somewhat agree" || n = 1,039 people from German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland

Reservations with decency - but without a credit card

The majority of local restaurant guests stick to their agreements: Only 16 % have ever failed to show up despite making a reservation and without canceling. Just as few have already made reservations in several restaurants at the same time (16 %). On the other hand, new practices from the catering industry that aim to further increase reservation morale are not very popular with the Swiss. For example, 72 % clearly reject the idea of having to provide credit card details when making a reservation. Time slots, fixed service fees or penalties are also clear red lines for the majority of domestic diners that would deter them from (further) restaurant visits.

Free services yes - but not for an extra charge

Ordering tap water is widespread in Switzerland - around two thirds have already done so (63 %). However, very few people want to pay for it: on average, they would accept a maximum of CHF 1.50 for a glass of tap water. If this service becomes a chargeable service, many would rather do without it.

Overall, Roland Zeindler, Managing Director of Marketagent Switzerland, sees a mixed result in terms of service quality: "The Swiss appreciate good food and are prepared to dig deeper into their pockets for it - as long as the quality and service are right. But satisfaction is crumbling: One in four people perceive a deterioration in quality. New rules such as tap water for a fee, additional charges for plates or the obligation to use a credit card for reservations are annoying for many. The catering industry needs to act with tact and sensitivity so as not to gamble away the pleasure of eating out."

Source: www.marketagent-schweiz.ch

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have developed a new technology that enables robots to recognize transparent or black objects in less than two seconds. The system, called goROBOT3D, uses an improved 3D thermography technology that makes it possible to efficiently measure even hard-to-recognize surfaces such as glass, plastic and metal. The process used to take up to 15 seconds, but thanks to a new projection technique and the introduction of single-shot technology, it can now be completed in under 1.5 seconds.

3D recognition with a new method

The goROBOT3D system uses a newly developed method in which the surface of the measurement scene is heated with a structured thermal dot pattern. Two thermal cameras record this pattern and calculate the 3D data using spatial cross-correlation. Instead of the previous method, in which several image pairs had to be recorded, a single image pair is now sufficient to reconstruct the 3D data in milliseconds.

The 3D data obtained is analyzed by artificial intelligence to determine suitable gripping points and directions. This information is transmitted to a robot arm, which grasps the object using a vacuum gripper. This process, known as "bin-picking", enables robots to grasp objects from chaotic environments.

Flexible integration

The new technology offers significant advantages for automated production processes, as it drastically reduces cycle times and therefore enables seamless production without interruptions. The system can be flexibly integrated into various applications and will be presented for the first time at the Automatica trade fair in Munich from June 24 to 27, 2025.

Source: www.iof.fraunhofer.de

The biggest challenges when preparing for audits, adapting ESG frameworks or dealing with changing regulations are often cumbersome keyword searches that lack context. Siloed systems and scattered documentation as well as a large loss of time due to manual updates make the efficient provision of information and documents even more difficult.

AI-based policy management software provides a remedy

S-PRO, a company founded in Ukraine and now based in Switzerland that specializes in digital innovation and software engineering, has now developed policy management software to overcome this challenge. This offers employees and stakeholders simplified access to the information they are looking for in the form of an intelligent chatbot. Instead of searching through static PDFs or portals, they can ask questions in simple language using text input and receive precise answers based on their internal guidelines. Integration into existing communication platforms such as Sharepoints, Teams or the intranet means that it can be provided with minimal operational effort and works with the existing document structure.

Scalable, self-learning and compliant

The intelligent chatbot adapts to a company's individual requirements and grows with them. It can manage thousands of policies across teams and regions and continuously learns from user interactions to improve accuracy and close knowledge gaps. It provides users with analytics on which policies are being asked, misunderstood or underutilized. This supports compliance, reduces risk and helps to make better decisions.

Major efficiency gains at the IUCN

The NGO International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, based in Gland (VD), has gained practical experience with this software. The mouthpiece of nature at the United Nations was faced with a major documentation challenge. With over 2,000 active and archived resolutions, the policy team needed to understand complex contexts, track updates and access important content - all within a reasonable timeframe. To simplify this process, S-PRO developed the ChatR&R solution - a custom AI policy explorer adapted to IUCN's specific structure. This allows users to retrieve, explore and interpret decisions in seconds using simple prompts, without any technical training. "For some applications, document preparation can take up to two weeks. Today, we have initial results in ten seconds, which is really a big improvement. The quality of the result is also impressive and I have already received many requests for further projects in the same way," says François Jolles, CIO & Director of Global Information Systems at IUCN, about the solution.

Source and further information: S-PRO

The Swiss Governance Forum 2025 reflects on the most pressing issues and the latest advances in healthcare. "The balance between necessary regulation and freedom of innovation is the key to a sustainable healthcare system," says Rudolf Blankart, Professor of Regulatory Affairs at the Competence Center for Public Management at the University of Bern and Director of Regulation at sitem-insel. "We need evidence-based framework conditions that ensure quality and at the same time enable new approaches to solutions." Rudolf Blankart will open the forum together with Virginia Richter, Rector of the University of Bern. The half-day event is aimed at decision-makers in public administration and politics, stakeholders in the healthcare system and scientists working at the interface of management, economics, law and medicine.

Local and global perspective

The forum will show how scientific findings support political decisions and how the efficiency, quality and access to healthcare systems could be improved. A central focus will be on international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). "Healthcare systems around the world are facing similar challenges: rising costs and the simultaneous demand for the highest quality and accessibility," emphasizes Blankart. "The international comparison and the continuous exchange of experience between service providers, industry and science help us to identify effective solutions."

High-caliber speakers

The Swiss Governance Forum 2025 will also focus on system innovations and how players in a highly regulated healthcare system can improve innovative approaches, efficiency, quality and access. In order to discuss these challenges, the forum brings together various stakeholders and offers lectures and panel discussions with leading experts from science, politics, administration and industry, for example:

• Matthias Glück, CEO of Post Sanela Health AG
• Anne Lévy, Director of the Federal Office of Public Health, FOPH
• Dr. Ricarda Milstein, Health Policy Analyst in the Health Division of the OECD
• Annamaria Müller, health economist and expert in the Swiss healthcare system, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Fribourg Hospital (HFR) and President of the Swiss Forum for Integrated Care (fmc)
• Dr. Niowi Näf, Chief Strategy Officer of the Hirslanden Group
• Prof. Dr. Virginia Richter, Rector of the University of Bern
• PD Dr. Caroline Schlaufer, lecturer at the Competence Center for Public Management (KPM) and Head of the Ethics and Policy Lab of the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases MCID at the University of Bern.
• Dr. Michaela Tschuor, member of the Lucerne cantonal government and head of the Department of Health and Social Affairs
• Benjamin Wyss, PhD student at the Chair of Regulatory Affairs at the Competence Center for Public Management (KPM), University of Bern and research assistant at sitem-insel
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Zeltner, internationally recognized expert on health issues and health systems, medical doctor, lawyer, professor of public health at the University of Bern and honorary doctor of the University of Neuchâtel
• Prof. Dr. Rudolf Blankart, Professor of Regulatory Affairs at the Competence Center for Public Management (KPM), University of Bern and Director of Regulation at sitem-insel

The Swiss Governance Forum is organized every two years by the Competence Center for Public Management (KPM) at the University of Bern and is dedicated to current and relevant topics in public management. It offers a platform that promotes the exchange between science, public administration, politics and industry. The aim of the forum is to incorporate scientific findings into political and entrepreneurial decision-making and at the same time to create a deeper understanding of the practical challenges in science.

Source and further information: www.kpm.unibe.ch/sgf

The balancing act between economic performance requirements and numerous mandatory training courses presents many companies with major challenges. Which methods and formats actually lead to sustainable learning success? The conference offers insights into the latest scientific findings on human performance in safety-relevant contexts, effective learning processes and the legally secure design of instructions. Important topics include didactics, methodology, psychological influencing factors and innovative training formats that are increasingly proving their worth.

Companies such as BKW, Swisscom and Graubündner Kantonalbank will share their comprehensive safety training concepts and discuss their experiences in a clear and practice-oriented manner. This symposium is aimed at specialists and managers from the fields of safety, personnel development, training, operations and organization as well as those responsible for prevention and risk management. Supervisory bodies and representatives of employee and employer organizations as well as consultants in the field of safety will also find valuable impulses for their work.

The conference is organized by SAVE AG. This company specializes in the practical transfer of knowledge between security experts on the subject of risk management,
Corporate security, building security, safety and health protection (AS&GS), fire protection, information and infrastructure security, civil protection as well as machine and process safety, incident prevention, natural and environmental hazards, guarding and integral security concepts. The SAVE AG team can draw on a large network.

Further information and the complete conference program