Quality and change are inextricably linked. The world has moved on faster in the last two years than in the previous two decades. Manufacturing processes, working environments and supply chains are now under scrutiny and must adapt to a new reality in an agile manner. This is the only way companies will be able to secure their success in the future. As the engine of change, quality will positively drive these changes.

Quality representatives are appointed on the occasion of the 1st Quality Mining Day on 20 October 2022 in Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, valuable knowledge, inspiration and network contacts can mine. As speakers are loaded among other things Dr. Lars Vollmer, graduated engineer and honorary professor of the Leibniz University Hanover, entrepreneur, best-selling author and founder of intrinsify, a group of companies for effective work with a focus on business management and organizational development. His discipline is provocative inspiration. Extreme athlete Norman Bücher will also deliberately push boundaries and provide his audience with new perspectives. In addition, Dr. Ing. Benedikt Sommerhoff, head of quality and innovation at DGQ, will take the audience on an exciting journey of "Quality Management in Transition". Dr. Ing. Alexander Schloske works at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation in Stuttgart. He has many years of project experience in the fields of product and quality management in a wide range of industries. He will talk about the 7 golden rules of process FMEA. And Thomas Metten, Team Leader Quality Service, Oventrop GmbH & Co. KG, will devote his presentation to the cultural change in his company.

An exhibition and a panel discussion round off the conference program. The organizer is Quality Miners, a software manufacturer from Karlsruhe. The company focuses on creating individual customer solutions in the field of quality management software. Well known are the two product lines RQM and IDOS.

More information and last chance to register: https://quality-miners.de/events/quality-mining-day-2022/

The software manufacturer Quentic offers companies a system for implementing, maintaining and optimizing integrated management systems. This also enables organizations to effectively prepare and perform ISO certifications, for example, as well as to continuously track their management system.

Proven ISO certifications

ISO standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are considered proven tools when it comes to improving leadership, culture and overall performance of a company. "Our working world is significantly more complex and globalized than it was just a few years ago. That's why a digital tool to support an effective management system for ISO compliance is more necessary than ever," said Markus Becker, CEO of Quentic, adding, "We are pleased that our SaaS solution has not only successfully passed the repeat audit for ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 standards, but also the initial audit for ISO 27001 as well as ISO 9001."

Conformity confirmation

Companies that align their processes with the ISO 9001 standard are able to update existing quality management systems and thus make their operating processes sustainable, economical and user-friendly.

ISO 27001:2017 supports organizations in establishing, implementing, maintaining and continuously improving a documented management system. Serious security breaches can occur as a result of outdated technology or mishandling of confidential information. With the use of Quentic software, companies can control their internal information security management in an optimized way.

Source and further information: Quentic Software

Many medium-sized companies use automated process control systems for their food production. High licensing costs prevent the purchase of unsuitable systems and bad investments - many SMEs simply cannot afford solutions that are too extensive. The process control system is used to operate and monitor the production processes. It provides real-time data to the higher plant management level with systems such as an MES. The quality depends, among other things, on the design, the components, the system architecture and the libraries as the basis of the automation. It can be seen here that breweries, for example, often work with old automation systems, some of which are no longer manufactured. Bakeries often use stand-alone solutions - the dough machine and oven then do not communicate with each other. Dairies have a much more modern setup here - rebuilds are characteristic of this industry, whether of heaters or filling machines, production is changing and automation solutions are constantly being adapted.

Traceability at the touch of a button

An MES, on the other hand, often still represents uncharted territory in medium-sized companies. Its implementation is usually driven by legal regulations and specifications: Manufacturers must be able to guarantee the traceability of the food they produce. For a dairy, this means that the finished yogurt cup must in principle be traceable back to the cow, i.e. the raw material milk and its origin. However, smaller or medium-sized companies in particular cannot always guarantee this digitally across the board. Batch numbers are still documented manually on slips of paper, filed in folders, and mistakes happen quickly. When the inspector arrives, nervousness sets in. This is where companies can benefit massively from an MES: At the push of a button, it can show which batch a yogurt came from, for example, and make the production route to the milk collection truck transparent.

In addition, an MES is the key to making production more efficient: If, for example, a filling machine comes to an unexpected standstill at short intervals, the maintenance department has to spread its diagnostics over a wide area and look at the filler nozzles as well as the carton infeed in order to track down the cause. An MES now records the malfunctions throughout the process. It creates a reporting hit list, and the categories of faults can be displayed graphically. For the maintenance department, this means that it can go on a targeted search for faults and thus eliminate them more quickly. The overview results in a great benefit, as the most serious faults can be identified immediately and thus eliminated.

However, this store floor data collection is only part of the functionality. The MES brings together all the data, including the orders from the ERP. It is therefore an interface between the ERP and the field level, via which evaluations are possible - an ERP alone could not process the flood of data from the field level. With MES, on the other hand, it quickly becomes apparent where exactly in the overall process errors occur - always with the strawberry yogurt? Then action is required.

Automated process control systems also pay off for smaller operations

An MES brings added value to larger operations. A small brewery with process automation, in which all processes are in a few hands, does not need an MES. It knows where the causes of problems lie when decision-makers and production employees are basically the same. From 20 or 30 employees, however, things become more complex. Then the overview is lost more quickly - and the employee is rung out in the night when something doesn't work as expected. With the fault detection of an MES, this can be countered with targeted maintenance, including preventive maintenance. A continuous improvement process also becomes possible with the data from an MES (CIP). 

Automated process control systems, on the other hand, pay off even for smaller companies: It allows production of consistent quality with less manpower, thus increasing efficiency and productivity while reducing the error rate. Especially in Europe, personnel costs are a decisive cost factor. The process control system is supervised by one operator - depending on the degree of automation, it can run autonomously. At the same time, it can help to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers, as it takes over tasks from employees.

Find the right partner for customization and implementation

The production process is subject to constant changes - new machines and processes make adjustments necessary and the process control system is adapted according to changes in the production process. It is important that the partner providing support can build on the existing systems, which differ greatly in parts. The focus of the automation specialist planemos from Erlangen in Germany, for example, is not on the pure sale of licenses or process control systems, but on an overarching, individual project solution. In doing so, the existing technology is analyzed and suitable extensions are pointed out - independent of the manufacturer. It is ideal if the focus is not on the sale of own software packages, but on the best possible solution with the existing systems.

In scenarios where what is required can no longer be mapped with the company's own systems, consulting is necessary to find the best possible process control system based on the needs. Part of the implementation can then mean replacing legacy systems and working through an investment backlog. Island systems need to be networked. There are also plants without technical equipment that need to be brought together in the process control system. Here, the communication capability must be established so that all the plants involved can be integrated into the overall structure. This is associated with investment costs. If the partner brings a broad knowledge of process control systems, this experience enables them to be implemented in a shorter time, which reduces costs for the customer.

The implementation of an MES, on the other hand, is often associated with organizational changes in the company, since the organizational and data structure must later fit together. Here, it can make sense to work with a consultant - ideally, there is already contact between him and the technical partner. These adjustments to processes are often the biggest hurdle for companies. It turns out that smaller companies have much greater flexibility here. Companies need a consultancy that starts with the setup and selection and then accompanies the project during implementation: planemos is a specialist for production processes with the corresponding technical know-how.

It is important that the partner not only brings software know-how, but also knows process and food technology. He must understand and internalize the manufacturing process if it is to be implemented in software. This shows that proximity to the manufacturing companies is a decisive advantage, as they speak the same language and can thus develop a solution that serves the operator.

Source and further information: Planemos

Founded in 2012, planemos produces automation solutions for breweries, dairies and food manufacturers. Since 2016 planemos is a certified Siemens partner in the area of Simatic Net and SCADA as well as WinCC Specialist, since 2020 also a certified partner for Siemens Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and Opcenter.

In companies, the topic of cyber security has now become strategically important. But what about the "normal" population? A new survey by the technology company Cisco now shows that 61 percent of the Swiss are worried about their networked devices being hacked. But they're not just worried, they're taking action: 67 percent of respondents already use multifactor authentication (MFA) to protect their devices. Of these, 33 percent use MFA for personal use, and 24 percent use it for both personal and professional use. This is an important step, because the use of private devices for professional tasks has long been the norm in Switzerland, at least since "Hybrid Work.

Boundaries between private and company devices disappear

Overall, 70 percent primarily use their own private devices for work; most (58%) use their private cell phones for company e-mails. In each case, 47 percent use it to edit documents, and 44 percent make work calls. Private devices are used somewhat less frequently for collaborative tasks, such as video conferences or virtual workspaces (36%). This already proves that securing private devices must be a priority on the part of IT or security teams. "Thanks to Hybrid Work, our daily lives - both personal and professional - are increasingly connected. This makes IT security more important than ever," says Roman Stefanov, Head of Cyber Security Sales at Cisco Switzerland. Stefanov adds that it is very gratifying that many Swiss people are aware of the issue of IT security. "However, the best knowledge is of no use if you don't consistently act on it."

Lack of cyber hygiene and lack of initiative

However, the knowledge about the critical importance of their own networked devices is offset by a certain inactivity when it comes to protecting their home WLAN, for example. Almost one-fifth of Swiss respondents (18%) have never changed their WLAN password, and another 21% have done so more than a year ago. It is striking that there are few generational differences here, with those over 45 being a bit more cautious.

The use of public WiFi networks is also critical. 40 percent log into public WiFi networks frequently or very frequently, for example, to retrieve e-mails. Even for more complex tasks, such as accessing via VPN or using confidential documents, 32 percent use public WiFi frequently or very frequently. This can be problematic because little is known about the level of security of these networks, and even unauthorized intrusion by hackers becomes possible. "With a public Wi-Fi network, no one knows who is listening and for what reasons, or how well the operator has secured it," says Martin Lee, EMEA lead at Talos, Cisco's threat intelligence and research organization. "Using your own phone's hotspot feature with a strong password is safer than using a public network. And using a VPN is always more secure than not using a VPN."

Majority of population follows cybersecurity advice from personal environment

When it comes to advice on securing devices and safe surfing, the majority of Swiss respondents rely on their personal environment. 37 percent follow the advice of friends and relatives. 32 percent rely on "common sense" and almost one in four tries to find IT security tips in traditional or social media. Advice from device manufacturers is taken up by around one-fifth of respondents (21%), and tips from government agencies by only around 16 percent.

The "EMEA Consumer Security" study was conducted in August 2022 by Censuswide on behalf of Cisco in Switzerland and other countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. The survey involved 1,000 respondents in Switzerland, 47 percent of whom were full-time employees.

Source: Cisco

The semiconductor crisis is having an impact on the IT industry. However, there are not only shortages, but also quality losses are on the rise. However: There have always been defects in semiconductors. But what if the extent is immense and almost half of the chip is basically non-functional? What if entire processing units (similar to: computational cores), which in the case of an HMP (Heterogeneous Multicore Processor) widely used in a certain application discipline, are unable to perform calculations or exchange data internally within the chip? So the chip only fulfills a fraction of the functions and performance that the manufacturer promises according to the data sheet? The German full-stack embedded AI solution provider AITAD is now sounding the alarm. Because it encountered this problem when using chips in hardware development for its AI solutions. "This then means not only a high expenditure of wasted development time, but also a high redevelopment effort with other chips. And even more far-reaching than a single, faulty semiconductor series, is the question of what problems and causes this raises for the semiconductor industry and thus the entire economy, according to AITAD CEO Viacheslav Gromov. 

Gray markets emerge and best sellers are prioritized

Increased consumption, especially of household appliances, IT and consumer electronics in the Corona years, and at the same time significantly reduced production capacity in Asia due to regulations and sick leave, created the current semiconductor crisis. Because process complexity means that production cannot be scaled up so easily and quickly, the crisis will reverberate for many years. As a result, not only have prices exploded, but gray markets have been created by so-called global brokers who often sell chips from unknown sources at up to 300 times the price - without the long delivery times of the original manufacturers or distributors.

Many semiconductor manufacturers have also already announced that they will concentrate on the production of well-known and easily producible bestsellers. This means that, depending on the semiconductor type, the more common, larger nanometer structures are used, for which there are higher-volume and more profitable production lines. So new, more complex, and structurally finer chips are prioritized less, if at all. "What's old news doesn't have to be old news. Stalling innovation in this field sets the whole industry and all industries behind it back several years in the medium term," Gromov comments.

How the semiconductor crisis affects

Specifically, the developments mentioned have already led to the following examples of decisions faced by companies that manufacture electronics for their products:

1. On gray markets, the necessary semiconductors are purchased from brokers from unknown sources at overpriced prices. However, standard QC (quality control) with functional tests or even X-ray images cannot completely rule out the associated quality hazards. 
2. The second option is to use copycat or noname manufacturers flooding the market, who imitate well-known products cheaply and almost identically or even bring out their own - also with unknown quality and reliability. 
3. The most costly but probably most resilient alternative is to redesign the software for the semiconductors available at the time. But this is again a challenge in view of the shortage of skilled workers and means that the manufacturer also usually has to involve all development partners.

Why do serious chip errors occur in the first place? 

The reasons for the occurrence of serious chip defects could stem from stock market pressure to bring out innovations and new portfolio expansions through new products for the megatrends such as IoT, artificial intelligence and wireless. However, due to Corona, this can hardly be fulfilled in purely technical terms and in terms of time while maintaining quality standards. Normally, microsystem development alone takes up to ten years from concept to approved production in special cases. 

This is forcing semiconductor manufacturers to launch chip innovations that have not been developed or tested to the end, or even to shorten the entire process (even out of the drawer). The extent of these trends probably won't be felt for several years. "There are obvious mistakes that are already noticed during development and are worked around before the product is launched on the market. But it's also conceivable that there will be errors that don't show up with consumers until much later, after delivery in the field. These can develop at least the same or even greater consequences," Gromov clarifies the situation. "The current situation is a foretaste of what can happen in the event of major crises in the future, such as the conflict with the world's largest semiconductor contract manufacturer TSMC, which is currently coming to a head in Taiwan," Gromov points out. One can therefore be curious about the further course of the semiconductor crisis, the effects on the Western quality suppliers and their image in the event of possible product returns or accidents.

Source: AITAD

In many SMEs in Switzerland, one person is predominantly responsible for various safety issues, in addition to many other tasks. In most companies above a certain size, the safety officer fulfills this task in addition to his or her professional duties. In addition, the topic of safety covers a scope that ranges from occupational safety to fire protection to chemical safety and more. Maintaining an overview is a challenge for those responsible for safety. There is often a lack of time and other resources. 

The goal must be for companies to achieve and maintain legal compliance, protect employees, property/building assets, processes and reputation. Practice often shows that not all SMEs are aware of this responsibility or that measures are not sufficiently implemented. However, only risks that are known can be managed. To achieve this, the Swiss Safety Center provides knowledge, practical tips and tools on many safety issues with the new SME platform.

Link to the platform: https://www.safetycenter.ch/arbeitssicherheit-irm/kmu-plattform

Cybercriminals often take the path of least resistance and exploit vulnerabilities within IT systems. Hackers look for the weakest link through which they can gain access to corporate data. The often neglected scanning and printing systems are therefore an easy target and offer criminals a gateway to the corporate network.

A constant danger

The Quocirca report "Print Security Landscape, 2022" paints an alarming picture: more than two-thirds of the IT decision-makers surveyed have suffered a data loss in the past year due to an inadequately protected print infrastructure.

Help from specialist:inside

Today, a large part of the work of an IT department consists of ensuring the security of the systems. To do this as efficiently as possible, close cooperation with manufacturers and service providers is necessary. In this way, vulnerabilities can be identified at an early stage and a technological ecosystem can be built up that protects against security risks. Canon offers comprehensive options to help companies ensure greater security within their print infrastructure:

• Security by Design: Canon focuses on security not only after delivery, but also during the design and development phase. The hardware is tested by independent security consultants at various stages of the development process to eliminate potential vulnerabilities before production.
• Security Services: Canon Security Services helps customers maintain a secure working environment and protect data throughout its lifecycle - from securely configuring new and existing systems, to monitoring established settings and policies - to permanently removing digital and physical data from legacy devices.
• McAfee - Embedded Control: Through its alliance with security vendor McAfee, Canon can provide customers with far-reaching protection by preserving the integrity of printer firmware, blocking unauthorized applications in the system through intelligent whitelisting.
• In-house software: Thanks to in-house software solutions, the security aspects of software and hardware can be optimally coordinated with each other.
  be. User authentication at the devices and IRM (Information Rights Management) security protocols are ways to secure the infrastructure.

Canon's hardware products combined with its software solutions make businesses much less attractive to data thieves. That's because the security aspect is always in focus - from the built-in protection against cyber risks in our hardware and software to the way we design, implement and deliver solutions. That's part of the reason Quocirca has recognized Canon as an industry leader in print and document security.

Author:

Samuel Brehmer, Strategic Business Developer, Canon (Switzerland) AG.

Contact details:

Canon (Switzerland) AG
Directional road 9
8304 Wallisellen
T 0848 833 835
info@canon.ch
www.canon.ch

"The beginning of autumn is ECEC time! Every year we are surprised anew how quickly the conference grows and has established itself as a communication platform for compliance, ethics and also ESG professionals. This can also be seen in the once again large number of high-caliber speakers and experts who have made their commitment to Europe's largest industry gathering," says Marcus Sultzer, Member of the Management Board of EQS Group, a provider of regulatory technology software and services. ECEC 2022 will take place on October 11 and 12.

ECEC 2022 with exciting presentations

This year, it was not difficult to put together a varied program with 70 speakers for the two days of the conference, according to the organizers. The story of Xavier André Justo, who uncovered one of the world's biggest financial scandals, is as exciting as a thriller. Thanks to the information that the Swiss gave to a newspaper, it came out that the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB was downright plundered. A billion-dollar scandal with dramatic consequences for the whistleblower, who faced brutal retaliation and even spent 18 months in a Thai prison.

On the second day of the conference, investigative journalist Frederik Obermaier will provide answers to the question of why many well-known whistleblowers turn to the media rather than using internal channels to draw attention to abuses. Together with his colleagues, the Pulitzer Prize winner initiated the Panama Papers and Suisse Secrets revelations. In each case, he received important information and data from anonymous sources.

Award for outstanding compliance projects

The finalists competing with their compliance projects for the "ECEC Award 2022" have also been determined. The international jury selected Novartis AG and TÜV Austria from the numerous applications. The winner of the award will again be determined by the conference participants in a live vote at the end of the second day of ECEC.

Even though ECEC 2022 will already open in five days: Late deciders still have the opportunity to secure a ticket and thus gain free access to the keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and expert talks.

Information on the "ECEC Award 2022" as well as all keynotes, presentations and workshops of the two-day compliance conference and registration can be found at: https://www.ecec-community.com

A car is no longer just a standalone machine for personal transportation. It is connected to a broader digital ecosystem and should serve as an extension for mobility, just as the smartphone does for communication. Connected cars are on the rise and are already making 50 % of the world of new cars sold. By 2030, the share is expected to reach 95 %. A car today is built on software - not the other way around - and manufacturers can take advantage of all the opportunities offered by these data-rich vehicles.

Connected cars are the future - but there are still gaps

The automotive industry is changing at an unprecedented pace. According to one Report of the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., the market for vehicle software is expected to grow by 9 % annually until 2030. This affects all areas, from research and development to vehicle functions and other areas subject to digital transformation, such as sales, customer service and production.

This also impacts the driving experience. If automakers can improve vehicle connectivity and leverage data, they can create intuitive, personalized services that deliver the "smart" experiences they expect. Data can power everything from AI assistants to smart navigation solutions. Furthermore, brands like Hyundai and Ferrari are already seizing the opportunity to use data to better understand customer behavior, which in turn leads to further business opportunities. But how can automakers close the connectivity gap to deliver these new opportunities and experiences?

A data-first approach

As vehicles become smarter, the amount of data they generate grows exponentially. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) realize that both structured and unstructured data can be analyzed to provide valuable insights and constant product feedback. With a data-driven infrastructure, they can become more agile, adapt to consumer demand, and reduce time to market for new digital products and mobility services.

Automakers that have already moved from legacy systems to the cloud are now modernizing their business applications and processes while leveraging the unparalleled security, scalability and agility of cloud platforms. Cloud infrastructure and applications are helping to optimize data-driven vehicles, connect supply chain management and smart factories, and automate various aspects of customer service.

The data-first approach has proven its worth. Mazda Motor Europe for example, saves time and increases efficiency with a cloud-based customer data platform. With a comprehensive suite of data management solutions, the company can collaborate seamlessly across all markets, ensure continuity of customer journeys, and increase revenue through automation.

The in-house question

Car manufacturers have a decision to make: Do they develop their own connectivity services or source solutions from other vendors? Another McKinsey study on the mobility investment landscape found that connectivity is the least popular investment category, with $61 billion invested, compared to the $206 billion invested in autonomous vehicles and smart mobility technologies. While this suggests that many companies prefer in-house development for connectivity, it has both advantages and disadvantages.

Internally developed technology can set OEMs apart from the competition. Customers and drivers will choose them because they offer added value - for example, technology developed exclusively by them that others don't offer. However, if you develop everything in-house, you run the risk of over-customization, which will strain your resources and keep your digital services from full smartphone-like connectivity.

This kind of over-customization has slowed the ability of vehicle manufacturers to introduce new digital models and services. For many, it would be better to break free from the constraints of existing system architecture and adopt a more standardized, modular approach. That way, they can integrate more third-party services, scale faster, and put the customer experience at the center of their business.

Scaling with out-of-the-box solutions

In the new age of automotive connectivity, OEMs are rethinking the way they develop software. They are considering using off-the-shelf components from established vendors to reduce complexity and shorten time to market. There are now many digital-native vendors with software that can be used in automotive technology that mirrors the smooth smartphone features customers are used to. The trick is to find a way to use digital services that customers are already using and deliver them out-of-the-box. This would lead to a more flexible system that allows monetization in both B2B and B2C contexts by opening up new revenue streams through the cars' digital features, selling captured data, etc. The bottom line is more revenue and a premium customer experience.

One area that lends itself to this ready-made solution approach is revenue management for digital services. At many OEMs, this area is fragmented, with payment functions spread across multiple departments. Some manage subscription-based models for connected car features, while others cover API monitoring and monetization for third-party data aggregators or vendors, online sales and more. These departments and customer front-ends may be run by different systems, but they have the same goal - to enable data flows or services for third parties, customers or fleet managers, and to provide state-of-the-art payment methods. So why not integrate payment services, for example, into an out-of-the-box stack that the entire enterprise can use? In fact, e-commerce capabilities already exist for cars to pay tolls and parking fees.

In addition to payment, there are a number of car-specific software solutions that drivers and companies can benefit from. ODO DRIVE, for example, uses car data to provide an intelligent vehicle and driver management platform with Oracle Cloud. The dashboard provides a complete view of all vehicles and comprehensive analytics based on real-time data. In this way, costs can be reduced - from fuel to maintenance to insurance.

Future-oriented mobility

With connected cars set to become commonplace in the next decade according to various forecasts, it is essential that OEMs prepare accordingly. Most have announced plans for highly autonomous vehicles, and even full automation could be achieved sooner than we think. However, getting there will require bridging the connectivity gap, which could be further widened by internal service development.

Connected, autonomous, sharing and electric vehicles are creating lucrative opportunities for the automotive industry. Given the technology-driven trends around vehicle sharing and electric cars, now is the time for auto brands to embrace data and all its benefits. If they deploy their resources efficiently and use out-of-the-box software where it makes sense, they can more effectively realize their goal of making vehicles as connected as smartphones. This gives them the adaptability they need to succeed, while drivers benefit from intuitive experiences.

Authors:
Aniello Pepe is Global Director for Automotive at Oracle in Milan. Marco Lanzetta is Director of Digital Transformation and Connectivity for Automotive at Oracle in Zurich.

Out of a total of 156 institutions and 13 projects submitted, the basic insurer CSS awarded six innovative players in the healthcare sector with the Quality Crystals. The winners have proven that they are quality-conscious in their daily work with patients. Or they have implemented projects that will further advance the healthcare system with innovative approaches.

Quality is measured and awarded

Since 2014, CSS has been asking its policyholders after a stay in hospital or rehab: How satisfied are they with the professionals who treated them or do they recommend the hospital to others? The findings are used to create a patient satisfaction measurement. Over the past two years, CSS policyholders rated 138 hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. The winners were the Pyramide am See Clinic in Zurich (hospital category) and the Klinik im Hof in Weissbad (rehabilitation clinic category). The Medix doctors' network in Winterthur was the winner in the doctors' networks category, in which there were 69 contenders. In this award category, a standardized quality questionnaire was used, which asked about the number of treatments, quality standards and assurance, treatment duration, etc.. In addition, a self-declaration provided important parameters.

Three Quality Crystals as special prizes for innovative projects

In addition to the award in terms of quality, the initiation and implementation of innovative projects is also honored. In 2022, 13 players submitted their projects. A jury of nine people from different areas of CSS evaluated them according to the criteria of added value for patients, innovative character, effectiveness, etc. The following projects will be awarded:

• Swiss Sarcoma Network (SSN) Project - Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS):  At the complex treatment of a rare disease (sarcomas), the hospital tested a quality-based data measurement. For this purpose, they measured the so-called "Patient Reported Outcome Measures" (PROMS). These record how a patient assesses his or her own state of health. At the same time, they record the effect of treatment using standardized questionnaires.
• Project Visit - Spital Zollikerberg At Home®: The Zollikerberg Hospital and its sponsor, the Neumünster Deaconry Foundation, is the first somatic acute hospital in Switzerland to offer equivalent hospital treatment directly in the private environment of its patients. These are treated in their familiar surroundings by an interdisciplinary treatment team from the hospital. In addition to round-the-clock telemedical monitoring, regular visits are made by doctors and nurses.
• Digital Patient Information Project - Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen: More and more patients are not even able to immediately process and understand what has been discussed with the doctor before operations. For this case, the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen offers personalized videos of the operation on the digital patient platform, which can be viewed before and after the procedure.

The Quality Crystals were awarded by CSS for the third time on September 22, 2022. The CSS Group, headquartered in Lucerne, was founded in 1899 and insures around 1.68 million people. With a premium volume of around CHF 6.55 billion, it is one of the leading Swiss health and property insurers.

Source: CSS

Given the pace of technological development and the rapid adoption of various digital technologies on a large scale, the discourse on digital responsibility and tracking has been slow to catch up. This is also reflected in a prevailing innovation paradigm that promotes rapid development cycles. However, the negative sides of this paradigm are becoming increasingly clear: Fueled by various scandals, customer and regulatory awareness is growing and trust in digital services is increasingly lost. Corporate digital responsibility could thus evolve from a niche to a competitive advantage.

Digital responsibility of companies: from challenge to opportunity

"The Starter Kit was created as a guide to lower the barriers for organizations to address important digital responsibility issues. In terms of putting principles into practice, the platform serves as a simple entry point for implementing concrete solutions," says Niniane Paeffgen, Managing Director of the Swiss Digital Initiative.

With the Corporate Digital Responsibility Starter Kit, the Swiss Digital Initiative and the Institute for Management Development give organizations the knowledge and tools they need to start a dialogue about responsible digital practices and create policies that work in the context of their specific
organizational structures make sense. The free resource is designed to fit all organizational structures and sizes, requiring minimal financial and human resources. Our condensed research and detailed report enable organizations to recognize the value of responsible digital practices, find solutions to common challenges, and ultimately start where they are, with the resources they already have. "When managed effectively, digital responsibility can protect organizations from threats and allow them to differentiate themselves in the consumer's mind. The key is to just get started," says Professor Michael Wade of the Institute for Management Development.

Starter Kit lowers entry threshold

The Starter Kit shows that while the topic of corporate digital responsibility may initially appear to be very elaborate, any organization can get started. Common challenges can be addressed by learning from the experiences of other organizations, and initial steps can be taken at any time, with a growing number of additional resources available for organizations to leverage. Given the importance of taking digital responsibility for sustainable innovation, the Starter Kit lowers the barriers for organizations to take digital responsibility.

Click here for the Starter Kit: https://cdr-starterkit.ch/