Skills shortages everywhere, employees are demanding their needs, employers are focusing on employer branding, "new work" is taking hold: the world of work has changed rapidly and dramatically in recent years. But not all management levels are keeping pace with the new developments in the same way.
Digitalization is a blessing for quality management processes - actually. Nevertheless, many companies still have a lot of "isolated solutions". This is not at all what Bernhard Bühlmann has in mind. His motto: simplicity is paramount.
Do you know the difference between IT and OT? While information technology (IT) is responsible for the data, operational technology (OT) is about the machines and production equipment. In the age of Internet of Things (IoT), these areas are moving closer together - with implications for cybersecurity.
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the next Swiss Quality Day will take place in the Kursaal in Bern. For once, it will not be about "technical" topics around quality, management systems and continuous improvement processes, but about people.
It is well known: The digital and ecological transformation as well as demographic change pose major challenges for companies. Organizations must adapt and develop new structures in order to remain competitive in this constantly changing environment. For the area of quality, this means that companies must also adapt their processes, products and services to the new requirements. But how can this be done? Which organizational forms, methods and strategies help? Can human capital be kept in focus, or should companies adapt to new leadership approaches and management concepts? And how can companies position themselves as responsible players in order to remain attractive as employers in the competitive market for skilled workers? These are the questions addressed by various speakers at the Swiss Quality Day 2023.
Prof. Dr. Lukas Scherer, Professor for Organization and Leadership at the Institute for Organization and Leadership (IOL) of the University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland, will start the discussion. He focuses on strategic corporate and organizational development. His presentation will focus on change within organizations. Agile and thinking employees are in demand. But this also brings with it a new expectation of leadership. "New leadership" is in demand, and the speaker will provide various impulses in this regard.
The presentation by Ana Campos, Managing Director of the consulting firm Accenture, is entitled "New Work Needs New Learning. It will address the question of what skills are needed for the new forms of work and how ready companies are in this regard.
Kathrin Lehmann, SRF's soccer expert, then takes up the proverbial ball from the sporting side: "Resilience in business and sport, or: The dance around the corner flag," is the title of her presentation. What elements can business learn from top-level sport? And where do both sectors reach their limits? The speaker will pit business and sport against each other in a playful comparison.
The second part of the conference will start with a panel discussion on "Switzerland's Best Employers: What Do They Do Differently?" This will be followed by three parallel workshops in Open Sessions. In one of these workshops, event partner Shift Switzerland will present examples from the business world of how diversity can be shaped in sustainable project cooperation. The focus will be on both opportunities and risks, as well as on what leadership qualities are required. A second workshop - conducted by Size Consens AG - is dedicated to dealing with mistakes and developing a culture of mistakes in companies. And the third parallel workshop under the aegis of Health Promotion Switzerland will focus on opportunities and challenges in occupational health management in the context of the new world of work.
The authors Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler, known for their bestsellers "Small Books for Big Questions" and their columns in "Das Magazin", will close the event. They will humorously present some thought patterns and action patterns around the topic of "Work Life Skills".
Another item on the program will be the presentation of the Seghezzi Award. This prize will again be awarded to a person whose thesis deals in an innovative and practice-relevant way with questions and approaches that address the topic of "Integrated Quality Management and Sustainability" in a discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary manner. n
Registrations and further info: www.saq.ch
Control 2023, the international trade fair for quality assurance, is now entering the home stretch. From May 9 to 12, 2023, the focus in Stuttgart will be on vision technology, image processing, sensor technology, and measuring and testing technology across all industries. The business platform with the character of a leading global trade fair will showcase new technologies and expanded fields of application.
The first Swiss CyberHub planned for October 2023 in Fribourg will be cancelled. This was announced by the Digivolution Foundation in a media release. The reason lies in a completely new development of risks that were not yet sufficiently on the radar during the preparations. The foundation is therefore planning a complete reorientation.
A thorough assessment of the needs of Swiss stakeholders facing the challenges of digital transformation, the growing trend towards a polycrisis, and the inflationary staging of cyber events in the fall have led the digiVolution Foundation Board and the Swiss CyberHub (CHub) project management to rethink the format of the event. The revised project is designed to get closer to businesses and people across Switzerland and to reinforce the ongoing efforts already underway with dedicated events throughout the year. In this way, the CHub will better meet the goals of the Foundation and the spirit of the Federal Council's new cyber strategy.
The digiVolution Foundation sees itself primarily as an observatory. In other words, it is concerned with anticipating and managing the risks of digital change. "We holistically measure and analyze global and national developments and advise decision-makers in business, politics, administration, education and research," emphasizes digiVolution President Gérald Vernez. "Just three weeks ago, we enthusiastically announced the program and guiding themes of Swiss CyberHub 23. The general development of the last few weeks has now prompted us to conduct a thorough review and align ourselves closer to the objectives of the Foundation, instead of focusing on large, one-off events."
It was noted that tensions in geopolitics, finance, energy, society and the economy are constantly multiplying. One is now faced with a polycrisis in which forecasts beyond six months are not very meaningful and even risky, Vernez said. Analysis of recent events to which digiVolution has contributed in Switzerland and abroad also shows a significant change in the needs of public and private decision-makers, he said. The model of isolated large-scale events attended primarily by an expert audience - especially when clustered over two months in the fall - does not meet the goal of broad awareness among these stakeholders of the risks of digital mutation, it adds.
Since its inception, digiVolution has steered towards working for the common good of the Swiss people throughout the year. Accordingly, the Foundation has decided to redefine its presence strategy and steer it in a direction more in line with its own goals. The workshops scheduled for October 11, 2023 will be reorganized. On the other hand, the October 12 and 13 event in Fribourg will be cancelled, redesigned and implemented in a new format. "It is our goal to announce the new concept by the summer vacations," the foundation promises.
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies is not only challenging, but also has a major impact on our real estate. Fire protection - especially in smart buildings - is also subject to these changes. This will be the subject of a symposium on June 14, 2023.
Smart buildings and sustainable buildings that can generate and store alternative energies themselves or that are cooled naturally by greening their facades significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Modern heat pump technology and photovoltaic (PV) systems contribute significantly to this reduction. And what does fire protection do in this environment?
Many innovative solutions are already available. However, there is a lack of recognized state-of-the-art technology for building sustainable construction projects in a fire-safe manner. The experts in fire protection, whether planners or authorities, are currently strongly challenged and are looking together for solutions with current know-how in order to design building projects with sustainably used energy sources safely also from the point of view of fire protection. In the context of "energy transition and fire protection", a specialist conference of the Building Insurance of the Canton of Zurich (GVZ) will provide insights and clarification and show new approaches to solutions. The conference will take place on June 14, 2023 at the Zurich Marriott Hotel (Neumühlequai 42, 8006 Zurich) and can also be followed online via Zoom. The event is titled "The energy transition challenges fire protection to rethink" and will also be held bilingually. The conference is recognized as continuing education by important professional organizations such as SGAS or VKF.
Briefly and concisely the individual presentation topics:
Smartphones and tablets are popular work devices in the home office and on the road - practical for employees and tempting for cybercriminals. Hackers often use mobile devices for their attacks. Communications provider Materna Virtual Solution shows what security risks lurk in decentralized work.
Answering e-mails, editing documents, taking photos: For many users, mobile devices are also in constant use at work. It is not uncommon for companies to allow their employees to use their private smartphones for business purposes (Bring Your Own Device - BYOD) or to use company-owned cell phones for private purposes (Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled - COPE). But whether BYOD or COPE, both models are vulnerable to hacker attacks. To ensure the security of mobile devices and the integrity of data transfer when working from the home office and on the road, companies must be aware of the impending risks and protect themselves against them in a targeted manner.
Many cybercriminals are on the popular app stores, circulating applications that look confusingly similar to the original, but actually contain malware. When the apps are downloaded, malware infiltrates the devices and can collect personal and professional information for hackers, lock the phone and cause further damage. Furthermore, employees should make sure that privately used messengers such as WhatsApp are not used as business messengers. WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption of data in transit, but does not encrypt it on the device itself (data at rest). It is also possible for the messenger provider to read the users' meta data.
If private and business data are mixed on a cell phone, this fact alone is a violation of the GDPR, which provides for the integrity and confidentiality of data. Either companies consistently decide to use business phones with an exclusively business use or they equip the BYOD and COPE devices with a container technology. This guarantees that private and business data are strictly separated from each other and that all essential office functions such as mail, calendar, contacts or documents run within a protected area. Communication between mobile devices and corporate IT is also seamlessly encrypted end-to-end in a container environment. Hackers who gain access to the device have no chance of penetrating the container and tapping data.
Despite all the technological precautions, employees must also be sensitized as an important link in the safety chain. They are often not aware of the risks they are exposed to when working on the move. In addition, cybercriminals are becoming more and more adept, so attacks are usually not recognizable at first glance. For phishing attacks, for example, fraudsters send serious-looking e-mails or short messages that are intended to trick users into disclosing personal data or opening contaminated e-mail attachments. Companies should therefore hold regular IT security training sessions and sensitize their employees to the issue.
"Cyber attacks and the associated data loss are a constantly lurking danger that does not stop at mobile devices," explains Christian Pohlenz, security expert at Materna Virtual Solution. "The task for companies is to do everything they can technologically to make mobile communication secure, for example with a container solution. But employees as a gateway for cyberattacks should also be constantly sensitized."
Source and more information under www.materna-virtual-solution.com
The International SOS Foundation has published a guide for international companies on assessing psychological stress among employees in an international environment.
In Germany and Austria, the consideration of mental stress in the risk assessment or evaluation has been explicitly required since the end of 2013 in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (§ 5.6 ArbSchG) and the Employee Protection Act (§ 2 para. 7 ASchG). In Switzerland, too, employers are becoming increasingly aware of mental stress in the work environment, even without explicit legal requirements.
However, many companies are not limited to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, but work internationally. A new guide from the International SOS Foundation therefore provides a detailed basis for assessing mental stress in an international environment, to which employees are exposed at the company location, on business trips and during postings. It was developed in collaboration with various partners from the DACH countries.
The guide "Assessing mental stress in an international environment - A guide to safety, health and well-being for companies with a global workforce" shows how mental stress can be measured and how companies can address the issue worldwide as well as promote preventive measures. The latest publications from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are also addressed: For the first time, ISO 45003 and 45001 provide companies with two internationally uniform standards that can be used to assess and evaluate mental stress and the risks associated with foreign travel and stays. Checklists provide companies with concrete assistance in identifying hazards and introducing suitable countermeasures, but also help to address the issue in principle.
Three practical examples from the companies OMV AG (Austria), SAP SE (Germany) and Sulzer AG (Switzerland) illustrate common practice in internationally operating organizations. The companies describe how the programs to protect and promote mental health can look in concrete terms. International SOS offers a web meeting and an information page for interested companies to introduce the guide. The guide can be downloaded free of charge here.
According to WHO, prevalent conditions such as depression and anxiety increased by more than 25 % in the first year of the pandemic, in addition to the nearly one billion people already living with a mental health disorder. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in employee expectations over the past three years. Employees place a higher priority on mental health and expect their employers to be more supportive of their well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also produced two major reports on mental health in general and in the workplace in 2022 due to the high relevance of the topic.
Source: International SOS
The earthquake in February, which claimed 30,000 lives and destroyed 10,000 buildings in Turkey alone, highlighted the need for and benefits of monitoring structures. Based on years of research at ETH Zurich, irmos technologies has developed what it claims is a unique platform that revolutionizes the maintenance and preservation of buildings and bridges by maximizing their safety and durability. It combines low-cost sensors with intelligent algorithms that convert vibrations from sources such as traffic, wind, construction and seismic events into structural health data, enabling real-time tracking of global structural integrity regardless of building materials.
The startup has acquired and processed valuable datasets of healthy and damaged structures to develop its algorithms, and has validated the algorithmic backend in more than a dozen buildings and two highway bridges. The platform provides not only structural damage assessments, but also degradation analysis to support predictive maintenance. It also serves as an early warning system and rapid condition assessment in the event of disasters and accidents. By extending the life of a structure, the platform can dramatically increase the efficiency of building assessment and extend the payback of real estate.
In Switzerland alone, where 50% of 1.1 million buildings have exceeded their planned lifespan, the market for its use is estimated at CHF 100 million annually. Globally, the market for structural monitoring is estimated at around USD 4 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 14.6%.
The startup's platform has already been used in several pilot projects, including at the Bellevue Palace in Bern and the Glarus Cantonal Hospital, and is involved in a long-term monitoring project with ASTRA, the Federal Roads Office. It has also initiated a special collaboration project for the monitoring of the Acropolis in Athens.
The startup plans to invest the CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick in expanding its market presence in Switzerland and developing the business plan for its international growth in 2024.
The team consists of Panagiotis Martakis, who holds a PhD in AI for structural monitoring from ETH and has three years of experience as a professional engineer in companies; Yves Reuland, a monitoring infrastructure expert who holds a PhD in structural performance monitoring from EPFL and has led over 30 monitoring campaigns; and Christos Lataniotis, a senior software engineer who holds a PhD in data science from ETH and has fifteen years of experience in companies and startups. Their team of advisors includes Prof. Eleni Chatzi, an expert in structural monitoring at ETH; Bruno Spicher, an expert in infrastructure insurance on the executive board of SBB; and Dr. Clotaire Michel, an expert in infrastructure risk at Risk & Safety AG.
"If our startup is a sailboat, Venture Kick has literally been the wind and the compass for our entrepreneurial journey. Besides the massive financial support, the coaching kicks and the network of investors and industry experts turned our research idea into a valuable commercial proposition," says Panagiotis Martakis.
Source and further information: https://www.venturekick.ch/irmos-technologies
The ICV Controlling Excellence Award 2023 will be presented on May 15 during the 47th Congress of Controllers in Munich. The nominated projects once again cover a wide range of existing challenges in controlling. With its application, the controlling team of Henkel AG, Düsseldorf, is presenting the digital roadmap it developed for Group Financial Controlling. The employees of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, show the implementation of their project "Enabling High-Impact Culture in Financial Steering". TX Group AG, Zurich, has set its sights on predictive forecasting. With their award application, their controlling team shows how this was implemented in the company - from the concept to the strategic impact.
The winner of the 2023 Controlling Excellence Award of the International Controller Association (ICV) will present its project to the audience at the ICV Congress of Controllers on May 15 and thus present them with an excellent best practice solution. This practical approach runs through the renowned congress, which is taking place for the 47th time this year under the direction of the International Controller Association. For two days, at the most important specialist meeting of the European controlling community, the organizer will be relying on the tried-and-tested mix of lectures, theme centers and free space for discussions with the speakers, colleagues and experts from the field of corporate controlling.
In terms of content, the 47th Congress of Controllers focuses on three urgent areas: dealing with cost and price increases, corporate planning in uncertain and volatile markets, and coping with climate change, "in which we must not lose any more time," emphasizes ICV Chairman Prof. Dr. Heimo Losbichler. Under the motto "Changing times in management and controlling - opportunities and approaches to solutions", those responsible at the ICV make it clear: "Crises and upheavals always also offer great opportunities - and you only recognize the good helmsman or the good helmswoman in the storm".
The presence meeting in the Munich Congresshotel The Westin Grand is the unique opportunity in the course of the year to bring oneself comprehensively and deeply up to date in controlling and corporate management in two days. Top-class topics and speakers as well as interested participants from practice and teaching contribute their part. However, it is just as important for the ICV as organizer, with its approximately 6,000 members and more than 200 corporate members, that all those interested in controlling can meet and exchange ideas in person on this occasion beyond the virtual network.
Source and further information: www.icv-controlling.com/cea
Switzerland is affected by the consequences of climate change in several ways. The warming of the climate by 2°C already - according to the FOEN - causes glaciers to melt. As a result, slopes are becoming increasingly unstable, with the threat of debris flows, rockfalls, etc. At the same time, drought threatens to become a problem due to declining precipitation - also or especially in winter. Against the backdrop of such scenarios, it is clear that sustainability is also a key issue for the Swiss E-Commerce-companies is moving further up the agenda. Also because consumers are increasingly making decisions based on ecological aspects. What can Swiss companies do?
Online retailers have had to solve a whole range of very different problems in recent months. Rising prices - especially in the international environment - and difficulties in the supply chains are just two very important points. It is clear that aspects such as:
play a major role. Where does sustainability have its place? A survey by the Lucerne University concludes that precisely the three points just mentioned are particularly important for companies in e-commerce - and in descending order.
Sustainability lies somewhere in the middle. What is surprising at this point is that the impact of Corona does not seem to have such a big influence. At least this topic is still behind sustainability. In other words, the topic is not quite so unimportant after all. It is interesting to see from which perspective companies from the Swiss e-commerce scene view the topic.
In addition to the fact that sustainability is seen by the vast majority as a corporate responsibility, more than half of the companies also see it as an important competitive factor. The surprise is the view of the impact of legislative requirements. This point is only an important factor influencing sustainability for just under a quarter of the companies surveyed. The fact is: Sustainability is not an absolute priority for many companies in the mail order business, but it is not simply swept under the rug either.
In principle, there are various levers that every company can turn. Among other things, sustainability takes effect in the areas of:
But: Administration also leaves enough room for sustainability to be taken into account. Simple examples include the use of efficient IT hardware or office equipment made from recycled wood or certified wood sources.
Every consumer knows this moment: The parcel carrier rings and presses the eagerly awaited box into the hand. Its dimensions are often a surprise. The product is the size of a shoebox, but is delivered in a package that is twice to three times as big. To prevent the contents from shifting, the whole thing is stuffed with cardboard or plastic film.
And the packaging madness continues. Today, products are still packed in a shiny cardboard box with a sturdy transparent box. Looks really great on the shelf - but nobody cares when it comes to shipping. Here However, there are many other possibilities. Many electrical products are also packaged in vast quantities of Styrofoam. There is certainly still potential to be tapped here in terms of packaging materials.
When it comes to packaging, e-commerce in Switzerland simply has a lot of catching up to do. Precisely fitting cardboard packaging avoids additional packaging waste. In many cases, the "outer packaging" could even be dispensed with completely. A shipping label is all that is needed for shock-proof packaging ex works. Many consumers certainly have no problem with this. And where they do, a low packaging/shipping fee can certainly create incentives. In the end, less waste simply means more sustainability, which thus also arrives at home.
Shipping and packaging are interrelated to a certain extent. In the broadest sense, shipping packaging can be attributed to shipping. It doesn't always have to be petroleum-based plastic. Biochemistry has meanwhile come up with alternatives with similar properties.
At this point, however, sustainability also means rethinking filling materials and, above all, communication. Customers always notice that goods are suddenly shipped in different packaging. Companies in e-commerce would do well to strive for clear and unambiguous communication.
Treated paper for labels is a major problem in the mail order business. If they cannot be disposed of in paper waste, sustainability quickly looks bad. But: Grass paper and wood foil are alternatives that are always available.
But sustainability can also play a role in the actual transport process. Electromobility or emissions offsetting are very popular with a growing number of consumers - and are ultimately rewarded with a high level of customer loyalty.
One extremely important point is the subject of returns. Huge numbers of shipments are still being returned. According to media reports, Switzerland is the Returns European champion.
What does it all cost? Not a trivial question for companies. On the contrary, every euro on the expenditure side is a burden. So do you want to turn the clock back to cheap? In any case, this is the wrong way to go. Also because in recent years, more and more customers are making sustainability the basis for their decisions.
People prefer to buy where sustainability is actively practiced. A realization that puts the individual measures in a completely different light. No e-commerce company can afford to simply sweep the issue under the carpet.
Twenty years ago, hardly anyone was interested in sustainability and it was perceived more as a marginal phenomenon that has evolved over the years. Especially against the backdrop of climate change, more customers are paying attention to sustainable aspects. The thoughtless use of resources is over - even in e-commerce. The mail order business in particular simply has to rethink here. It can't just be about smaller packaging. In some places, processes need to be completely rethought.
