Whether you have 30 employees or 500, whether you are a service provider, retailer or manufacturer - with the cloud-based app "Setago", companies of all sizes and from all sectors can digitize all their processes in no time at all. The app was developed by Phoenix Mecano Komponenten AG, based in Stein am Rhein (SH). 

Immediately productive with the app

With the help of the SaaS tool, not only can the processes in the company be recorded, documented paperlessly and managed. The app can also be used to retrieve or share secured know-how at any time. It ensures the traceability of goods and allows the implementation of a quality management system. At the same time, creating assembly instructions or work instructions is child's play. For illustration purposes, the instructions can be supplemented with photos via a QR code upload. "Anyone who can operate a smartphone is able to use or program the Setago app. This means that new employees are productive almost immediately," explains Gennaro Frontino, Marketing Manager at Phoenix Mecano Komponenten AG.

In addition, the digital assistance system enables production to be networked with cobots, autonomous driverless transport systems, product-specific LEAN workstations with digital worker guidance, and higher-level software and controls of all kinds. The solution thus lays the foundation for affordable smart factory solutions that are quickly implemented, bring real benefits to users and pay for themselves within a short time.

The right solution for every company size

Even the free version of the app offers 5 GB of free storage space and gives two users the ability to create and manage work instructions, assign users and roles, and upload videos and images. With the app's starter, team and company packages, which offer correspondingly expanded user licenses, storage capacities and a greater number of shareable documents as well as functionalities, Phoenix Mecano offers every company a suitable solution for optimizing their production processes and increasing their productivity.

Phoenix Mecano Komponenten AG is part of the globally active Phoenix Mecano Group. With a broad product range, it claims to be the leading Swiss specialist in the development and manufacture of components and innovative system solutions and, as a solution provider for enclosure, linear and profile technology and for digitalized, automated Production 4.0, is at home in (almost) every market.

Source and further information: www.phoenix-mecano.ch

The artificial intelligence-based chatbot ChatGPT is making headlines around the world - and in addition to the news in the stock market and copyright environment, IT security is also the focus of discussions. Because the recently realized, wider availability of the tool, despite all security efforts of the manufacturer, brings new challenges when it comes to phishing lures or dialog-oriented scams like romance scams via social networks or business-oriented compromise attacks via email.

Chatbots as helpers of cyber criminals

"One of the biggest risks is that attackers are using these platforms to significantly improve the quality of their phishing lures. This makes phishing attacks increasingly difficult to identify, even for alert users," said Chet Wisniewski, cybersecurity expert at Sophos. "Ultimately, the ever-improving AI chatbots provide a free upgrade for all kinds of social engineering attacks. Programs like ChatGPT can be used to create criminally oriented, highly realistic, interactive conversations via email or to launch chat attacks via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or other chat apps. Today, the greatest threat is to English-speaking audiences. However, it is probably only a matter of time before new versions are available to create credible texts in all the world's commonly spoken languages. We've reached a stage where humans are increasingly unable to distinguish machine-generated prose from that written by humans - especially if we don't know the other person well."

Scams - "optimized" by chatbots

The days when companies could rely on employees to play an active role in defending against cyberattacks by checking for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or odd phrasing are over. One of the last effective elements of training programs is being undermined by chatbots like ChatGPT - and very effectively, as the following two examples illustrate.

The original bait text of a BEC (Business Email Compromise) scammer, which attempts to redirect another person's paycheck to the attacker's account, is relatively easy to recognize as "not genuine". In comparison, below is a variant written by entering the appropriate thematic cornerstones of ChatGPT.

Standard scam email:

Hi ....,

I changed my banks because of my old account is no longer good to accept dd payment and I'll like to change my paycheck direct deposit details, can the change be effective for the current pay date?

Thanks, ....

Text written by ChatGPT:

Dear HR,

 I am writing to request that you update my direct deposit information in the company's payroll system. My current bank account information is no longer valid and I will be switching to a new bank.

 Could you please let me know what information you need in order to update my direct deposit information? I am happy to provide any necessary details.

 I would also like to request that this update be made in time for the next payroll period. Is there anything else I need to do to ensure a smooth transition?

 Thank you for your attention in this matter. I appreciate your help in ensuring that my paychecks are deposited into the correct account.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

And the following example of gift card fraud also quickly illustrates just how good AI chatbots have become.

Standard scam email:

Please, I need you to purchase gift cards. We have a few clients I want to send gifts to. How quickly can you arrange these? Because I need to send them out in less than 1 hour. So can I tell you which product we will need and the amount?

Thanks.

Text written by ChatGPT:

Hey [Employee]

I hope you're doing well. I'm reaching out because I need your help with something really important.

I have a client who needs a gift card ASAP, and I don't have time to get it myself. Would you be able to pick up a gift card from [store or e-gift card website] for [amount] and send it to me via email as soon as possible?

I know this might be a bit of inconvenience, but I really appreciate your help in getting this taken care of quickly. If you have any questions or need more info, just let me know.

Thanks a ton for your help.

Take care,

[Your name]

Wisniewski on his "creative work" with the chatbot: "Both examples sound like a real person's email, have good punctuation, spelling and grammar. Are they perfect? No. Are they good enough? Absolutely! With scammers already making millions from their poorly crafted lures, it's easy to imagine the new dimension of this AI-pushed communication. Imagine chatting with this bot on WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams. Would they have recognized the machine?"

"Putting the nail in the coffin of end-user security awareness"

The fact is that almost all types of applications in the field of AI have already reached a point where they can fool a human in almost 100% of cases. The quality of the "conversation" that can be had with ChatGPT is remarkable, and the ability to create fake human faces that are almost indistinguishable (to humans) from real photos is also already a reality, for example. The criminal potential of such technologies is immense, as one example makes clear: criminals who want to run a scam through a fake company simply generate 25 faces and use ChatGPT to write their biographies. Add to that a few fake LinkedIn accounts and you're good to go.

Conversely, the "good side" must also turn to technology to stand up to it. "We all need to put on our Iron Man suits if we are going to brave the increasingly dangerous waters of the Internet," Wisniewski said. "It increasingly looks like we will need machines to detect when other machines are trying to fool us. An interesting proof of concept has been developed by Hugging Face, which can recognize text generated by GPT-2 - suggesting that similar techniques could be used to recognize GPT-3 output."

"Sad but true, AI has put the final nail in the coffin of end-user security awareness. Am I saying we should stop using it altogether? No, but we do need to scale back our expectations. It certainly doesn't hurt to follow IT security best practices that have been, and often still are, in place. We need to encourage users to be even more suspicious than they have been in the past, and especially to scrupulously review even error-free messages that include access to personal information or monetary elements. It's about asking questions, asking for help, and taking the few moments of extra time necessary to confirm that things are really as they seem. It's not paranoia, it's a willingness to not let the crooks get the better of you."

Source: Sophos

Quality must not only be visible, but also tangible and audible. This is especially true for controls and switches, their operating feel, sound or tactile feedback. The high-precision silicone keypads and silicone sensors from the Sateco Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers, make the decisive quality difference here in many products from a wide range of sectors, from the automotive industry to building automation, industry including heavy transport, and the consumer goods industry. They are the functional core element that connects mechanics with electronics.

Start of production planned for 2023

The Swiss family-owned company employs around 800 people at sites in Europe, the USA and Asia. The production site in China is now being joined by another in Angeles City in the Philippines. The factory management will be taken over by an experienced Japanese manager. This is intended to support the development of new sales markets in East Asia. Alastair Martin, COO Sateco Group, describes the plans: "The groundbreaking ceremony took place in December 2022. We then plan to be producing in the new factory by the end of 2023. With a second production site, we increase stability and delivery reliability for our customers." The initial plan is to produce in three shifts with around 300 to 400 employees.

There are several arguments in favor of the Philippines. One of them is that it is possible to communicate directly in English across all hierarchical levels. This facilitates daily collaboration and also enables innovations, which the company also wants to drive forward with the new location. Dr. Daniel Häfliger, CEO Sateco Group, gives further reasons: "The support we receive locally at all levels is overwhelming, be it from the government, partners or the Swiss Chamber of Commerce to the Philippines. We have felt very welcome in the Philippines from the very beginning."

Quality, continuity, innovation and cooperation in partnership

The production site in the Philippines embeds well into the overall corporate strategy. With a consistent quality rate of < 0.2 ppm on more than 200 million parts annually, Sateco is one of the most reliable manufacturers of precision silicone molded parts in the world. Founded in 1999, the company is still family-run. This ensures financial independence and stability and brings the necessary flexibility. Most products are created as customer-specific solutions. "Here we work closely with our customers in partnership, usually over many years," explains Häfliger. "The Sateco Engineering Center (SEC) with over 60 specialists is unparalleled. With tools that are 100 % designed, developed and qualified in-house and a fully equipped, state-of-the-art measurement laboratory, the SEC takes new technologies from concept sketch to series production in the shortest possible time." With the new production site in the Philippines, the company will be able to respond even more flexibly to its customers' requests in the future, develop innovative solutions and create even better conditions for long-term cooperative partnerships.

Source and further information

Swiss universities and research institutions are world leaders in many fields. Switzerland is also among the leading nations in terms of research results and the resulting patents. However, new manufacturing technologies often do not find their way out of the research laboratories here and into industrial application. Their path then ends in the "valley of death" for innovations.

Maintaining Switzerland as a high-quality production location

This is where the initiative to establish a network of Swiss technology transfer centers, the "Advanced Manufacturing Technology Transfer Centers" (AM-TTC for short), comes in. The initiative is part of the federal government's "Digitization" action plan and aims to maintain Switzerland as a modern and high-quality production location in the long term. The AM-TTC initiative aims to establish and make accessible infrastructures that enable Swiss industry - especially local SMEs - to learn about, try out and transfer new manufacturing technologies into their production.

The individual technology centers are founded and financed in a partnership between the public sector and industry ("public-private partnership"). The sponsors and consortia of the centers are made up of Swiss research institutions and industrial companies. Thus, these centers are also places where the partners from science and industry can jointly develop new manufacturing technologies and make them suitable for industrial use.

The greatest possible quality of a final injection molded product requires perfectly made molds, and the parts made from them must be delivered on time and without production delays. What sounds simple is often very difficult: first and foremost, all sources of underlying part variation must be truly understood. Managing deviations saves time and money in the process, and strengthens customer confidence. At the company F. & G. Hachtel GmbH & Co. KG, Aalen (Germany), computed tomography (CT) analysis is used to predict, measure and control deviations, deformations and metallurgical defects. The software is used for in-process and final part inspection as well as for production automation.

Hachtel operates a wide variety of processes and services under one roof: injection molding, mold making, CT and additive manufacturing. The injection molding area specializes in complicated processes and multi-component parts and materials. Here, automation of mold making is important, as the assembly tools assemble the part directly as it leaves the mold. Customers are primarily from the appliance, electronics and automotive industries. Accurate part qualification is required - and achieved with the help of CT software analysis.

Incoming inspection of the tool springs

We recently received a large batch of defective tool springs. Our inspection system, based on Volume Graphics' software, immediately detected the problem. Since the software is capable of automating the inspection, it was decided that it would be better to reject the entire shipment rather than use the software's Adaptive Gauge feature to identify and save any good parts that might remain in the production lot.

Adaptive measurement templates track the shape of distorted parts against a nominal CAD model, mesh, or ideal part profile derived from a CT scan. Adaptive measurement templates can be used to create a measurement plan for even highly distorted parts by using these data sets or data imported via a product manufacturing information (PMI) file. The measurement points are placed at the optimal positions on the actual part and perfectly follow the deformed shape, allowing analysis and subsequent acceptance or rejection.

The springs are inlays for an injection molding process and receive a plastic tip at one end. Since Hachtel receives hundreds of thousands of these springs, the mold manufacturing process is necessarily highly automated. A positioning system places each spring individually on a transfer plate, from which a lever arm picks up a set of springs and places them in the injection mold. These steps are critical moments in the process: if a spring falls out of the handling or transfer plate, the machine is stopped and production stops. In the best case, this event requires only a little human interaction to replace the spring. But in the worst case, the mold must be cleaned because the plastic has been pushed out of its intended shape.

To reduce the number of potentially costly, regular downtimes, the company decided to inspect all springs on arrival and use the inspection to help decide whether to reject the springs or whether they would work and could be processed. Receiving a shipment of predominantly deformed springs presented the CT inspection software and associated handling functions with a "stress test" that the company felt it could benefit from investigating further.

The taming of the spring by CT quality inspection

Normal CT testing usually uses a classic 3D design with defined dimensions as a basis for comparison. However, even routine springs rarely match the original CAD model perfectly, and spring shapes can vary between batches. This made the initial transfer of measurement templates from CAD and even existing springs difficult and time-consuming to manage. However, the necessary pre-setup was easy to automate, and all samples were pre-arranged via macro. Transfer of the measurement template initially required individual inspection of each sample and readjustment of several geometry elements. Early on, we tried using localized coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to aid in proper fitting - but this added complexity to the template process and helped little with deformed parts. Some springs were too deformed to allow easy fitting.

However, with the fully automated Adaptive Measurement Template, we were able to ignore a pre-alignment step and did not have to re-align the geometry elements. In fact, after applying the measurement template, we were able to take the target features and geometries and create a "registration" of the exact part shapes. The registration, based on a stored reference system that included part deformation, was now done as part of the transfer. This allowed for leaner and less complex measurement templates.

Time and resource savings

The entire non-automated CT testing process per spring previously took two minutes. Calculating the pre-adjustment took another three minutes. Copying the measurement template took only 15 seconds and manually fitting the elements took another five minutes. The classic approach meant 10 minutes per part, of which the second half was manual labor with unnecessary labor costs.

With the automated adaptive measuring template, the process still consists of a two-minute preparation. Transferring the template takes about five minutes per part. In absolute terms, this saves about three minutes per sample. However, the benefit goes beyond these three minutes of time savings because the process is automatic and requires no further attention or adjustments. So for tool and production builders, this methodology enables complete automation of measurement tasks that previously had to be done manually in some cases.

In the case of the large quantity of warped springs delivered to us, some springs were saved and met the requirements for production. The system not only proved itself for routine production inspection, but in this situation it was also very efficient for unexpected moments of crisis. Automated CT quality inspection saves time and resources and maintains customer satisfaction. It also provides unparalleled insight into the causes of deviations and metallurgical quality.

Author:
Kamil David Szepanski is Head of Technological Development and Product Development CT&AM at F. & G. Hachtel GmbH & Co. in Aalen, Germany.

While companies want to avoid penalties for data protection violations and breaches of compliance requirements as much as possible, the pressure on departments is growing. Modern software solutions are needed to meet the obligations to identify data efficiently and make it available for further processing. Especially the automation of complex processes plays a crucial role. Exterro, a provider of legal GRC software solutions, identifies three developments for 2023 that will become central for companies in terms of legal and compliance issues.

1. Legal processes are increasingly being handled in-house. Complying with data protection regulations and fulfilling the legally required duty to provide information can quickly run into money - especially when companies are dependent on external lawyers and experts. To reduce expenses, more and more companies are turning to performing legal and compliance processes themselves with automated GRC (governance, risk and compliance) software. With user-friendly solutions and visual dashboards, this enables even non-legal employees, such as those in the HR department, to handle these legal issues. For GRC software vendors, this trend means that they need to focus more on checks and balances to ensure that the system detects and reports potential violations.
2. Automated software helps with compliance with the EU GDPR. Many of the solutions that have been in use since the introduction of the GDPR 2018 are in need of a general overhaul, if not replacement. Even if they served well in the early days, the majority of them rely on tedious manual processes. Now, nearly five years after launch, companies will increasingly turn to new, automated solutions that manage accumulated data assets more efficiently. Companies need not fear any changes to the basic framework of the GDPR in this regard; there is no foreseeable political will to make changes to the basic regulation.
3. High number of information requests overloads companies. The massive increase in data disclosure requests has caught many companies off guard. Consumers' right to access their personal data can become a major challenge for HR departments without automated DSAR (Data Subject Access Request) solutions. The remedy is eDiscovery software that identifies all personal data and makes it available in a report.

"We expect to see an increase in solutions built on the concept of privacy-by-design in the coming quarters. The development of these tools takes into account technical data protection and relevant regulations from the very beginning," explains Istvan Puskas, Director Sales DACH Corporate at Exterro. "Straightforward software to automate processes is needed because proactive data protection must be a high priority with the multiple touchpoints between companies and their solution users."

Source and further information: Exterro

In many industries, companies are having a hard time filling their vacant positions in a timely manner. However, healthcare professions are particularly affected. But IT developers, analysts and engineers are also urgently needed. Companies from these industries in particular should work out measures to attract and retain employees. But in other areas, too, it can make sense to react now to the tight situation on the market and transform oneself into an attractive employer. The keyword is "employer branding". This term covers all marketing activities that serve to build up a good employer brand.

Retain employees in the long term

When skilled workers feel comfortable in a company, they often stay for many decades, so there is no need to constantly look for new employees. At the same time, they are well integrated into the existing team, enabling fast and fluid processes. Companies therefore benefit from retaining skilled workers for as long as possible. To achieve this, there is no one ultimate solution. Rather, it's about a combination of different measures.

1. personalized employee gifts

Appreciation can be shown through a range of special benefits. In addition to the Christmas bonus and the company car, there are many other options. Regular gifts on specific occasions or the presentation of an award for employees who have made a particular contribution are also an option. It is important to choose gifts that actually have a benefit for the employees. A high-quality tablet or iPhone is usually appreciated. Combined with matching iPhone 14 Pro Accessories in high quality succeeds a high-quality and at the same time functional gift. Personalized gifts are even better. With a smartphone, for example, this can work via the accessories. An iPhone case is much easier to personalize than the device itself. In this way, companies show that they have put some thought into it and are not simply giving away the obligatory bottle of wine to everyone.

2. other attractive employee benefits

Other benefits also increase employee satisfaction. For example, employees enjoy the following offers:

• Meal vouchers
• Childcare
• Training opportunities
• Extended insurance cover
• Company parties
• Good work-life balance

Attract new employees

To avoid an acute Skills shortage in one's own company, it is usually not enough to retain one's own employees. In addition, companies should also make timely efforts to recruit young talent and ensure a good image through targeted employer branding.

1. place advertising on the right channels

If the skilled workers stay away, companies have to advertise specifically for themselves. Different channels are available for this, depending on the industry and the vacant positions. Job boards, social media or job postings can all be useful. However, it always depends on the target group. Companies that are looking more locally or regionally for new employees and want to appeal primarily to older and experienced professionals can still try the classic job ad. If a younger audience is to be attracted, on the other hand, social media is indispensable. Here, it is important to analyze one's own target group precisely and, if necessary, to combine different channels with each other.

2. uncomplicated and up-to-date application processes

In the meantime, it is easily possible to have a large part of the application process take place online. The less complicated the process, the more likely it is that numerous people will apply. Pre-made forms to fill out or the ability to simply upload cover letters and documents via a document upload are one option, for example. Companies that still expect applicants to send entire portfolios by mail may be missing out on many suitable professionals. They then prefer to apply elsewhere, where they have less effort.

3. improve ecological, economic and social sustainability

Sustainable employers are well received by many applicants. This is not just about the well-known ecological sustainability, which is based on a considerate approach to nature. Economic sustainability also plays an important role for many employees. This means that a company must produce sustainably in order to remain in business for as long as possible. Companies whose business idea is based on a long-term plan are more likely to remain a reliable employer in the future. Probably the most important factor for many applicants is the social sustainabilitywhich can also help ensure that employees who are already employed feel comfortable and stay with the company. This includes, for example, humane working hours and fair pay. But flexible working models, part-time offers and home office can also be part of this. Companies should place great emphasis on the compatibility of family, leisure and work. Because in this way they can visibly stand out from the competition with conventional work models.

Conclusion: Combination of attracting and retaining employees

All signs point to the fact that the shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland even greater dimensions will assume. This makes it all the more important to develop a strategy now. Optimally, companies combine employee retention with employee recruitment. In this context, the conditions for employees in the company play a particularly important role. Special benefits, gifts and a pleasant working environment make it easier to retain employees and attract new ones. 

The latest data analyzed by IT security service provider Atlas VPN shows that EU companies have paid a total of €2.83 billion in 1401 cases for breaches of various data protection laws by December 2022. Of these, GDPR fines total €832 million in 2022. This is 36 % less than the 1.3 billion euros that had to be paid as a result of GDPR violations in 2021. The data for the analysis comes from Enforcementtracker, it should be noted that not all cases have been made public.

Meta must repeatedly pay hundreds of millions in fines

However, the past year stands out not for the total amount of fines, but for the severity of the penalties imposed on a single company - namely Meta. The highest amount levied for violations was recorded in the third quarter of 2021, but the third quarter of 2022 was also significant, as companies were fined 430 million euros.

Significantly, the bulk of the fines in 2022 were paid by a single tech giant - Meta. The Data Protection Commission (DPC), a GDPR enforcement agency in Ireland, fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Instagram) €405 million on September 5, 2022. In this case, two problems were found in the processing of personal data of children using Instagram. The children's email addresses and phone numbers were publicly available when they used Instagram's business account feature, and the children's Instagram profiles were public by default.

The same company was slapped with another hefty fine of €265 million on Nov. 25, 2022, when the data protection authority said Meta had violated two articles of EU data protection laws after data of Facebook users from around the world was grabbed from public profiles in 2018 and 2019. In addition, the DPA issued a "reprimand and an order" compelling Meta to "bring its processing into compliance by implementing a set of specified remedial measures within a certain period of time," according to the statement. Meta complied with that request and made the adjustments within the specified timeframe. To date, Meta has paid around €1 billion for GDPR violations.

Protecting against GDPR breaches a "daunting task"

The GDPR has been in force since May 25, 2018 and has an impact on many companies operating in the EU. As it is extraterritorial, the GDPR also applies to companies outside the EU, including those in Switzerland. In particular, the legislation aims to protect the rights of data subjects, not to regulate businesses. A "data subject" is any EU citizen.

The scope and complexity of the General Data Protection Regulation is keeping the compliance departments of many companies busy, making it a rather daunting task, as Atlas VPN states. Nevertheless, it is necessary, he says, because as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it also becomes more and more difficult to remain anonymous, which is one of the most basic rights that everyone should be able to enjoy, even if it means that companies have to change their approach to data collection and processing and pay fines.

The introduction of the new data protection law is also planned for this year in Switzerland.

Source: Atlas VPN

According to the DIN 31051 standard, maintenance of machines and other equipment is a basic maintenance measure. The primary goal is to ensure the target condition and functional reliability of technical work equipment, systems or buildings and to maintain them for as long as possible. In order to achieve this systematically and during ongoing operation, it is advisable to use a maintenance plan. This contains, among other things, the tasks to be performed and, in addition to the classic documentation, instructions for cleaning, replacement or lubrication of certain spare parts. It thus provides plant and building technicians with a good overview in their daily work. Since every machine, every conveyor belt and every control box has different requirements, all of them naturally need their own plan with individual tasks and inspection specifications. Although many companies are talking about Industry 4.0 and more digitization, most of those responsible still note down maintenance logs in the classic way with pen and paper. In order to take the step into the modern age, it is worthwhile to rely on a software solution and implement it in everyday operations.

Maintenance against risks and side effects

In the best case, regular maintenance checks avoid high follow-up costs in the event of a sudden malfunction or failure. In addition, however, they also offer other advantages that prove to be a great benefit during ongoing operation and always justify the effort that regular checks entail. With periodic maintenance, companies ensure that their in-house equipment and machinery will last as long as possible. This allows production to continue sustainably without any stumbling blocks, while at the same time enabling those responsible to reduce the costs that would otherwise be incurred. In addition to streamlining operations, this approach often mitigates the risk of employee injury. This extra safety and effectiveness results in fewer problems, bottlenecks or errors in the daily work process.

Maintenance Plan: Once with everything and to go, please

Maintenance plans enable efficient organization and provide production security for many companies. In this context, however, the question arises as to what information an effective maintenance plan actually needs to contain. First and foremost, it is important to provide general information, including key data on the machine or equipment in question - for example, the system designation, type, location, type of use or acquisition period. Only on the basis of this data can those responsible carry out a proper inspection. In addition, there are, of course, requirements for documenting the maintenance. There is also a place for special tasks that are to be performed during this process. A digitally stored schedule including specified intervals or priorities as well as the corresponding responsible persons naturally facilitates the work, but must always correspond to the current status in order to provide real assistance.

Digital symphony or just music of the future?

To bring operations into the 21st century in terms of maintenance as well, it is advisable to use digital support for this documentation. This allows appointments to be made or managed directly online, and those responsible can be automatically reminded by e-mail of maintenance work that is due. In addition, this type of software enables the inspections themselves to be carried out digitally and all the important fields, including the required photos, to be filled in. In this way, those responsible save themselves a lot of paperwork or confusing documents and can easily keep track of all equipment, from fire extinguishers to production equipment, at a glance. In addition, stored operating instructions allow external employees to quickly and easily solve any problems that may arise during the inspection. In the event of an emergency, such software also allows the creation of a task with priority levels so that managers can quickly rectify an impending emergency. With digital maintenance support, failures and malfunctions can thus be quickly remedied or even completely avoided.

Author:
Carsten Müller is Managing Director of Echt! Smart Work GmbH and an expert in intelligent testing and maintenance processes. You can find more information at www.echt-smartwork.de.

No other function in companies has been so ideologically overloaded in recent years as the leadership function. This is made clear by the numerous attributes attributed to managers today. They are supposed to be entrepreneurs, i.e., they have to think and act like entrepreneurs. They are supposed to be leaders, i.e., a beacon to which their employees can orient themselves. And they should be coaches for their employees, i.e., support them in their development and performance.

Core task of leadership: ensuring results

In some cases, the core task of every manager has been forgotten - namely, to ensure that his or her area makes a contribution to the success of the company. All other management tasks - including employee development - are subordinate to this task.

Despite this, the statement "Managers should be coaches for their employees" can now be found in more or less encapsulated form in the management guidelines of almost all companies. Accordingly, seminars are booming that are supposed to qualify managers for this task. However, this usually does not sufficiently reflect the fact that managers are always also the disciplinary superiors of their employees. They therefore decide to a large extent on their professional advancement and have not only the power but also the task of sanctioning undesirable behavior on their part.

It is also not sufficiently taken into account that the manager-employee relationship is primarily a relationship of purpose. In other words, if a manager promotes the development of an employee, then unlike in a father-son or mother-daughter relationship, the aim is not for the "offspring" to develop as a person and to be able to shape his or her life successfully. Rather, the goal is for the employee to identify with his or her tasks in the organization and to perform them adequately; in the short, medium and long term.

Guiding does not mean instructing

This framework places tight limits on the coaching function of managers. It is largely limited to providing the Guide employees in their work. Today, however, this is often frowned upon. Because instructing is often equated with giving instructions. But instructing does not mean giving other people orders to "do this" and "do that," but rather giving them the necessary assistance - be it of a technical or mental nature.

Another reason for the poor image of instructing is: It is largely associated with the field of training. Wrongly, because what does a good instructor do? He doesn't give his protégés the solution. Rather, he asks them, "How would you approach this task?" In other words, he motivates them to come up with their own proposed solutions. And if it becomes apparent that they need support, he gives them assistance before agreeing with them on a solution. But that's not the end of his job. Rather, while implementing, he keeps asking "Are there any problems?", "What have you achieved in the meantime?" in order to intervene in a corrective and supportive way if necessary. In this way, he ensures that his protégés go through learning processes and achieve the desired results.

Reflect on the essentials

Such "guidance" is also needed by experienced employees - above all,

• when they take on new tasks with which they have little or no experience, or
• when the framework conditions of their actions change massively, so that they - alone or in a team - have to break new ground in coping with their tasks.

Because otherwise, it is largely left to chance what work results the employees achieve. That's what it's all about when it's demanded: Managers should coach their employees. Then this translates as: Managers guide your employees and offer them the support they need on a day-to-day basis to fulfill their (current and future) tasks.

This is a classic management task. In the current situation, which is characterized by major changes and a decline in the ability to plan, those responsible in companies should focus more on this instead of constantly inventing new attributes for their managers. In doing so, they are not helping to raise their managers' awareness of their core tasks. Instead, they ensure that they increasingly lose sight of the essentials in their day-to-day management work, and this is often fatal, especially in stressful situations.

To the author:
Claudia Christ works as an organizational consultant and team developer as well as trainer and coach for profit and non-profit organizations (www.claudiachrist.de). In doing so, the qualified psychologist pays particular attention to the question: How can organizations as well as their teams and employees achieve their goals with the available resources?

The Siemens Smart Infrastructure plant in Zug, Switzerland, has been named "Factory of the Year 2022" in the "Excellence in Supply Chain Resilience" category. The award recognizes the Siemens plant's supply chain resilience and preventive risk management, which proved outstanding when compared with other plants in Europe. The industry competition for Factory of the Year is organized by the international management consultancy Kearney and is considered one of the most prestigious in Europe.

Continuously striving for improvement

The factory in Zug succeeds in ensuring the delivery of its products to its customers even under the current difficult market conditions. This is thanks to preventive measures such as a "risk radar" for the early identification of global risks in the supply chain, a high level of data transparency across the entire value chain, and seamless collaboration with purchasing, logistics, development and sales.

A particular focus of production is also on resource efficiency and the continuous reduction of CO2 emissions. Both underline the production's clear focus on sustainability. Another quality feature of the plant is its cost management, which is based on lean manufacturing, automation and digitalization. Last but not least, Siemens' culture of innovation, continuous optimization of processes and procedures, and ongoing employee training would contribute to the high quality and adaptability of production at the Zug factory, according to the statement.

Award for Factory of the Year 2022 to be presented in March 2023

The Siemens plant in Zug employs around 350 people who work in shifts to manufacture modern products for building technology. Primarily, fire detectors as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment for building automation are manufactured. The products are sold worldwide. They are elementary modules for building management and fire protection solutions in intelligent buildings.

The award ceremony will take place in March 2023 on the occasion of the "Factory of the Year" industry congress in Munich.

Source: Siemens Switzerland

Advent is not only the time for mulled wine. Forecasts, outlooks and predictions are also very popular in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Almost always, however, they only extrapolate what has already become apparent in the past year. The topic of dark data, however, is currently more about turning common beliefs inside out and critically examining them. The Zug-based company Aparavi, a solution provider for data intelligence and automation, has done just that:

1. The cloud will swallow anything if need be: This is not only an ignorant approach, but also an expensive, unsustainable and potentially dangerous one. Simply moving your overflowing unstructured data pools to the cloud doesn't solve a problem, it just moves it to somewhere - literally.
2. A lot helps a lot: The more data a company hoards, the better. After all, they're all data treasures, right? Wrong! It can be a burden in more ways than one. A company sitting on terabytes of unstructured data has no way of knowing what's hiding there. And much of it is redundant and potentially at risk from personal data and security-critical information.
3. Sustainability is when waste is not visible: Overflowing unstructured data pools require terabytes of storage space. But they lie invisible in their own basements or hidden at the provider's and cause no visible emissions. It's a shame that there are no CO2 measuring stations at particularly busy data intersections. If there were, it would quickly become clear that big data is also big waste - and action must finally be taken. 
4. Safety is when nothing has happened yet: Alarming reports about data breaches, even at listed companies, surprisingly often do not wake people up, but lull them to sleep. As if this would reduce the probability of being caught. Wrong! No one knows exactly what security and compliance risks lurk in unstructured data pools. If you want to sleep soundly again, you have to take care of it now.
5. The next trend will do the trick: Confidence in the latest data technology is certainly honorable. But does it really solve the challenges we face? After Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lake and Data Mesh, is it enough to focus on the next hype? Or isn't it high time to start at the root to finally get a grip on the flood of unstructured data?

"The combination of thoughtless waste and lack of awareness of the problem is a dangerous game of time." explains Gregor Bieler, Co-CEO at Aparavi. "The handling of data must finally become more economically sensible and ecologically responsible."

Source: Aparavi