It has been awarded since 1999: The Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence. Reason enough for the Foundation Esprix Excellence Suissewhich is responsible for selecting and judging the award winners, to celebrate the 20th anniversary in a dignified manner. Both the organizers and the guests were aware that it is not easy to continue seamlessly with the "great" events that took place in the KKL Luzern until a few years ago. The Foundation has experienced too many upheavals and changes in the recent past. At times, one even had to ask oneself the question: Will it ever again be possible to present an Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence?

"Party Hard" and "Sibesieche"

The answer was given on 21 June 2019. The Esprix Excellence Suisse Foundation succeeded in sending a strong sign of life. At the Bürgenstock, guests were not only offered an interesting supporting programme, but there was also a deserving winner of the Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence 2019. The Campus Sursee edged ahead of Tamedia Publishing Services Printing & Logistics (winner in the category "Actively managing change") and the die rodtegg foundation (finalist). Regardless of their ranking, all three nominees were delighted to receive their awards from ski racer Marc Gisin. Luitgardis Sonderegger-Müller from the foundation the rodtegg saw winning the diploma as a well-deserved reward for her institution's continuously demanding work with disabled people. After accepting the award, Andreas Schaffner, Head of Publishing Services at Tamedia, announced the motto for the rest of the evening: "Party hard". And Daniel Suter, Director of Campus Sursee, dedicated the award with thanks to his employees: "You are 'Sibesieche'".

Changes successfully tackled

Indeed, it is ultimately the employees who make the main contribution to successful continuous improvement processes. Even if the EFQM model is prescribed "from above", implementation must nevertheless take place "from the bottom up". The management bodies of the three nominated companies have succeeded in translating the theme of "Business Excellence" in a way that is appropriate for the various levels. This is the only way that Tamedia AG's Publishing Services Printing & Logistics division can successfully face up to the changes in an industry that is shrinking overall, as jury member Heinz Fischlin acknowledged in his laudatory speech. And Campus Sursee, probably Switzerland's leading training and seminar centre for the construction industry, has also managed to open itself up to new target groups through a turnaround. A new sports arena and the award of the "2000-Watt-Areal" status are beacons of corporate development. This courage to invest in a quasi-anti-cyclical manner was given particular prominence by the jury. The joy of working in such a company, which is optimistic about the future, was evident to the Sursee Campus crew present.

Click here for detailed portraits of the award winners and finalists in the current issue MQ 6/2019. 

Thinking errors, spectacle and punchlines

The presentation of the "Oscar of the Swiss Economy" was framed by interesting, spectacular and also humorous speeches. For example, book author Rolf Dobelli pointed out common mistakes in everyday thinking. His recommendations: Do more "mental accounting" (e.g. only get upset after waiting 10 minutes...) or learn not to overestimate one's own abilities (for example as a driver or as a lover...). The two Frenchmen Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet alias "Soul Flyers" showed with spectacular pictures how they managed to jump from the Jungfrau in wingsuits and after a short flight catapulted themselves into an airplane. This breathtaking stunt was only possible thanks to years of preparation, blind trust in a team, maximum concentration at the decisive moments and also viable risk management. The cabaret finale was provided by comedienne Helga Schneider, who was announced as an expert on "Esprix 5.0". Successful gags about aging in the age of digitalization provided numerous hearty laughs in the audience.

The next 20 years?

The atmospheric gala ended with an anniversary party. It remains to be seen whether there will be another Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence next year. Esprix managing director Priska Wyser, who together with the current president of the foundation board Reinhard Ahlborn and her predecessor Heinz Liedtke looked back on the 20-year past, left it open in any case. That there will be a future was indicated by video clips of former and current award winners and other members of the Foundation Board. Perhaps a representative statement was made by Foundation Board member Florian Wieser: Future challenges can only be mastered through cooperation...

The venue in the transformer hall in Baden was not chosen by chance. In 1919, transformers were manufactured there by the then BBC (now ABB). And it was BBC that, on 2 July 1919, together with other venerable Swiss industrial companies such as Sulzer and Escher-Wyss, launched the "Swiss Standards Commission" founded. The purpose: to create standards that apply everywhere in the industry. Hard to imagine if today every Swiss canton had its own standards, for example for the dimensioning of sockets...

For many, standards may be a dry, bureaucratic topic. But: "Standardization connects the world", said SNV President Jürg Werner in his opening address. And Stefan Ramseier, head of the ABB Research Center in Baden-Dättwil, emphasized in his welcoming address the need for communication when it comes to implementing necessary standards, all of which ultimately aim to make our lives easier. Around 26,000 standards are in force today, 1000 of which are purely Swiss standards.

5G standard for further networking

The fact that standards are not rigid systems, but are subject to constant change, was demonstrated at the SNV anniversary event in four "Inspiration Sessions" - each of which was held in a different room. So the audience had to move - just as industrial development does. One driver of technological development - and also a result of it - is the 5G mobile communications standard, for example, which Matthias Jungen from Swisscom explained. 5G not only forms the technological prerequisite for the Internet of Things, i.e. machine-to-machine communication including predictive maintenance or augmented reality, but also opens up new and more flexible possibilities for data transmission, for example through so-called "network slicing", whereby certain network areas can be reserved for specific purposes.

No "innovation theatre

There is also a lot of talk about innovation in connection with digitalization. Jean-Philippe Hagmann exposed much of this as pure, albeit often unintentional, "innovation theatre". Many of these "innovation labs" or "digital hubs" are "merely a backdrop", according to Hagmann, who has also written a book on the subject. He sees a need for many companies to catch up when it comes to innovation. Instead of "ideas", it would be better to focus on "discoveries". A better understanding of the innovation process is needed: "Doing 'it' right before you do 'it' right," says the speaker. It is also important to clarify who should play which role in this "innovation theater," he said. Hagmann sees the "bridge builder" as crucial here, i.e. the role that ensures that avant-gardists and enablers in an organization can also understand each other properly.

From drones and robots

In the large hall, the focus was then on an innovation that has long since become established in some cases: Drones. These are already being used in a variety of ways today: As a means of transport, as an instrument for surveillance - wherever needs have to be covered from the air with little effort. However: Drones have also created new risks, as Dominique C. Brack impressively explained in his presentation. Espionage, even the paralysis of entire airports, as recently happened at London Gatwick, are scenarios of undesired drone operations. Defence measures against this are not yet fully developed, as Dominique C. Brack demonstrated by means of a "shooting exercise": two participants failed to shoot down a toy drone with toy guns - despite appealing accuracy...

Robotics and electromobility were the topics of the last "Inspiration Session". Andreas Hufschmid and Adrian Wachholz showed how ABB, for example, already provides technologies in both areas that are used in industry and transport. Always guided by the goal: to conserve resources - be they human or natural.

After so much "inspiration", SNV's anniversary event came to a close with an impressive light painting show by light artist Alex Dowis from Prague and a "Food Festival". 100 years of SNV are a reason to celebrate - as a "gift to itself", so to speak, SNV is now appearing with a more modern brand identity and with new office premises in Winterthur.

Further information: www.snv.ch

The Federal Office of Topography (Swisstopo), the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climate (MeteoSwiss) and the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) have developed the following application sunroof.ch a solar potential cadastre for the whole of Switzerland. On the basis of this cadastre, the SFOE has made an accurate estimate of the potential on roofs and façades. Switzerland is probably one of the first countries in which an analysis of potential based on a solar cadastre is possible. The potential on roofs with an annual production of around 50 billion kilowatt hours (50 terawatt hours, TWh) was already determined last September.

Facades with a lot of potential

On 15 April, the SFOE published the Potential on facades presented. It is 17 TWh per year. In both cases, this is the "exploitable" potential, which is significantly lower than the technical potential. Only larger contiguous areas with reasonably usable irradiation are taken into account. The newly determined façade potential is of particular interest, as comparatively high winter yields can be expected on these surfaces due to their vertical orientation. Their use is also attracting increasing interest among architects, as the variety of available photovoltaic modules is rapidly increasing in terms of colours, textures and sizes.

Swissolar has also calculated the additional potential on car park roofs, road surfaces and in the Alpine region. For the latter, only areas that are not protected in any way and already have infrastructure facilities were considered. These include ski resorts, for example. Result: Even with a very cautious calculation, an additional 15 terawatt hours of annual production are added.

The expansion of photovoltaics must be increased fivefold

In total, at least 82 terawatt hours of solar power can be produced in Switzerland each year. In combination with existing hydropower (35 terawatt hours per year) and other renewable energies (especially wind), it is therefore possible to ensure a 100% energy supply for Switzerland by 2050, including the replacement of nuclear power and fossil energies (mobility, heating).

In order to achieve this transition in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement by 2050, a fivefold increase in the annual addition of photovoltaics from 300 megawatts today to 1500 megawatts is required. The calculations are in good agreement with a study published on 11.4.19. Study by Energy Watch Group and the Finnish LUT University. According to this, a full global supply of renewable energy can be achieved by 2050, and this is more cost-effective than the current energy system. In the scenario, 70% of the energy comes from the sun.

Source: Swissolar

The social partnership is regarded as an important pillar for the Swiss economy and is often proudly described as a model of success. A significant pioneer for the Swiss social partnership is the so-called "Social Partnership Act". Peace agreement in the Swiss metal and machinery industry.

The peace agreement in the Swiss metal and engineering industry

In 1937, the peace agreement is signed in the Swiss metal and engineering industry. It is intended to secure industrial peace in Switzerland and will make a decisive contribution to the country's sustained and gratifying economic growth in the following decades.

How does the peace agreement come about?

As in other countries, strikes were a frequent phenomenon at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Between 1880 and 1914 there were over 2400 strikes, and the class struggle hardened. The clashes reached their climax in 1918: 250,000 workers and trade unionists took part in the general strike, and three people were killed by law and order troops.

The rigid fronts between the social partners are softening to

The fascist threat from the near abroad increases, in Europe dictators are on the rise. Hitler dissolves the trade unions, the Swiss franc loses massively in value. Against a background of social and economic insecurity, unemployment and a loss of real wages, the Federal Council wants to introduce compulsory arbitration, although this instrument is rejected by the majority of employers and trade unions alike. Now the social partners are seeking to expand contractual relations.

National Council Konrad Ilg (1877-1954, President of the Swiss Metalworkers' and Watchmakers' Federation, SMUV) takes the initiative and meets with Ernst Dübi (1884-1947, President of the Employers' Association of Swiss Machinery and Metal Industrialists, ASM). On 19 July 1937 they sign a five-page agreement for the watch and metal industry. This document, which is binding on both parties, stipulates an absolute peace obligation and a multi-stage arbitration procedure for the next two years. It also sets out new rights and obligations such as the procedure for resolving disputes, wage determination, insurance, holiday pay and employee participation. To ensure compliance with these provisions, the contracting parties each deposit a security of CHF 250,000 with the Swiss National Bank. The peace agreement is the basis for the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), which has been in force since 1974. The signed peace agreement of 1937 (ASM copy) is now on display in the National Museum in Zurich.

Machinery sector: Cooperation between SNV and SWISSMEM

Standards create uniform standards for objects and services. Thanks to this standardisation, products are used more appropriately, safely and efficiently, and cooperation becomes easier. Particularly in an international context, standards ensure the exchangeability and thus the tradability of products and services. Within the SNV, the mechanical engineering industry is represented by a so-called specialist division. On behalf of SWISSMEM, the SNV has been responsible for the industry's standards for many years and represents the standardization interests of the machinery industry in the European standardization bodies, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), as well as at the international level within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Sources: Social Archive, Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Wikipedia, SWISSMEM

"Industrial peace is an important locational advantage"

In an interview with Ivo Zimmermann, Head of Communications and Member of the Executive Board of SWISSMEM, it becomes clear that a link can still be drawn between the historical events of 1937 and the current situation of the Swiss social partnership.

The 1937 Peace Agreement covers nine articles or topics in five pages - how comprehensive is the CLA today?
Ivo Zimmermann: The treaty currently comprises 58 articles and two annexes on 73 pages. Under this Link you will find the current CLA.

What are the advantages of a CLA?
The CLA of the Mechanical, Electrical and Metal Industries (MEM Industries) guarantees progressive working conditions for the employees of the subordinate companies. In return, they are obliged to respect the absolute obligation to maintain peace. This means that the work process may not be disrupted by industrial action. Industrial peace is an important advantage of Switzerland as a workplace.

At what intervals is the CLA renegotiated?
As a rule, every five years. The current MEM industry CLA (MEM CLA) came into force on 1 July 2018 and is valid until 30 June 2023.

How hard is the negotiating?
The contracting parties to the MEM CLA are the ASM (SWISSMEM), the employee associations Angestellte Schweiz, Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz and Schweizer Kader Organisation, and the trade unions Unia and Syna. Each of these organisations is contributing its demands to the negotiation process. The negotiations are correspondingly long and tough.

Is the CLA of SWISSMEM also binding for non-members?
The MEM industry CLA is not generally binding. Currently, around half of the more than 1100 SWISSMEM member companies apply the MEM CLA.

How many strikes do you record each year?
The CLA stipulates an absolute obligation to maintain peace. This means that any form of industrial action is prohibited in the companies covered by the CLA. In the past ten years, there have only been two serious industrial disputes in the MEM industries.

To what extent is the peace agreement of that time still known today? For example, do the employees of SWISSMEM the history of the peace agreement?
SWISSMEM employees know the value and history of the peace agreement very well. The same applies to employees in the MEM companies. The social partners also conduct joint training sessions for employee representatives on this topic.

How important is the agreement in Switzerland to renounce the use of strike weapons and lockouts?
That is absolutely central. Absolute industrial peace is an important locational advantage of the Swiss workplace. It can be the deciding factor for investment decisions in favour of the Swiss location.

How often do employers and employees sit down at the negotiating table?
The social partnership functions well in the companies. Discussions between employee representatives (ANV) and management take place regularly. If differences of opinion arise, the employee representatives and management try to resolve them at company level. If this is not successful, the CLA sets out clear processes for resolving the matter in association negotiations or even before a court of arbitration.

Further information on the anniversary of the Swiss Association for Standardization

A generation of young men is wiped out or traumatized. Perhaps it is the collective dejection and the feeling that there is nothing left to lose that creates a phenomenal mood of optimism and change. The 1920s are not only synonymous with fast beats and beguiling trumpet sounds, they are also a decade full of remarkable inventions. The following focus themes are considered here:

Medicine: The discovery of penicillin

In September 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming accidentally notices in the laboratory that a mold has a growth-inhibiting effect on his forgotten staphylococcus cultures. Further research later leads to the antibiotic penicillin, which will significantly increase human life expectancy. For his discovery, Fleming is awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945, together with Howard Walter Florey and Ernst Boris Chain, who continue his investigations, "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative action in various infectious diseases".

Standardization does valuable work for laboratory equipment and devices, which makes it possible for instruments and materials to fit together and thus for the process to be efficient. For example, the introduction of standardised colours and connections for gases has ensured that anaesthetists do not confuse nitrous oxide, oxygen and nitrogen.

Physics: Albert Einstein receives the Nobel Prize

Because the young German Albert Einstein wanted to study at today's ETH Zurich, he moved to Aarau at the age of 17, where he completed his Matura and then graduated as a specialist teacher of mathematics and physics. Did he suspect at the time that he would later become the world's most famous scientist of modern times? After various research projects and publications, his path leads him to the patent office in Bern and on to teaching at various universities. In December 1922 Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize "for his services to theoretical physics, especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".

What do innovations have to do with standards?

Standards can act as a catalyst for innovation and help to bring solutions to market more quickly. Bringing aspects of an innovation into standardisation to prepare the market for it can be crucial to market success. In particular, innovations that cut across industries and value chains are becoming increasingly significant. Standards bring further advantages:

• Standards as a catalyst for innovation: Standards can act as a catalyst for innovation and help to bring solutions to market more quickly. Bringing aspects of an innovation into standardisation to prepare the market for it can be crucial to market success. In particular, innovations that reach across industries and value chains are becoming increasingly significant.
• Standards define interfaces and compatibility requirements: In today's networked world, clearly defined interfaces and compatibility between individual components and systems are more important than ever. In particular, suppliers operating across borders must ensure that they continue to fit the operational requirements of the companies they supply in the age of Industry 4.0. Those who disregard standards can quickly be excluded from the market.
• Standards facilitate market access: Standards as the global language of technology reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate the free movement of goods. Standards serve as door openers and promote exports: European standards (EN) open access to the EU internal market, international standards (ISO) to the world market. In Europe today, the principle applies to goods: one standard - one test - accepted everywhere.
• Standards serve to save costs: Standards enable efficiency increases and cost savings across all areas of the company, such as R&D (research and development), design, purchasing, manufacturing and quality and systems engineering. In addition, standards enable more rational and cost-effective production and thus meet the consumer's desire for low-cost services with good quality at the same time.
• Standards improve product safety: Standards define quality and minimum requirements and provide recognised solutions for the protection of consumers, health, safety and the environment. Compliance with quality and safety standards can demonstrably reduce the risk of accidents, thus making a major contribution to protecting the health of consumers and workers.
• Standards reduce the risk of product liability: Standards provide clarity about the properties of a product and are regarded as clear and recognised rules of technology. In contracts, reference to standards provides increased legal certainty. In addition, laws, ordinances and regulations increasingly refer to national, European or international standards in order to adapt them to the state of technical development.

Sources: Wikipedia, Stern.de, The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum (Penicillin), ABB

SNV turns 100: Anniversary competition

As part of its 100th anniversary, SNV is organising a competition every month. Answer the competition question and win attractive prizes.

https://www.snv.ch/de/100-jahre-snv/monatswettbewerb.html

Twenty years before the establishment of a standards organisation in Switzerland, the first efforts were already being made to define generally applicable rules. In Zurich in 1898, for example, representatives of several countries negotiate the standardization of a metric screw thread.

Cross-industry need for standards

In July 1919, the Swiss Standards Association was founded in Baden. A few years later, its name was changed to Swiss Standards Association (SNV) is amended. The first meeting is held on the initiative of the Swiss Association of Machinery Manufacturers (VSM) with the aim of exchanging views on the need for joint standardization work.

Important role in the international arena

Swiss standardization activity was also of great importance at an early stage at the international level. As early as 1926, standards experts from Switzerland were involved in the founding of the International Federation of National Standardizing Associations (ISA). Curt Hoenig was Switzerland's first president of the ISA from 1928 to 1931, from which today's International Organization for Standardization (ISO) emerged some 20 years later.

After the Second World War, Switzerland is a founding member of ISO, which has its headquarters in Geneva. In 1947, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that "... these decisions testify to the esteem in which our country, and Swiss standardization in particular, is held in international circles." When the European Committee for Standardization was founded in 1961 under the name Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN), the foundation stone was also laid in Zurich.

Organization according to subject-specific standards

In 1962, the SNV was constituted as an association, and around ten years later its structure and working methods corresponded to today's organisation according to specialist areas. Today, the SNV is divided into the following seven specialist areas

• Interdisciplinary standards area (INB)
• Mechanical, electrical and metal industry (SWISSMEM)
• Civil engineering (SIA)
• Road and traffic engineering (VSS)
• Watch industry (FH)
• Electrical engineering (Electrosuisse)
• Telecommunications (asut)

SNV: Old lady with young concerns

Anyone who thinks that the 100-year-old SNV is getting on in years is unaware of its latest tasks. Over the past ten decades, it has always kept pace with the requirements of the various industries and still sees its main task as standardisation. Swiss, European and international standards are drawn up in direct collaboration with users. This ensures that the guidelines generate lasting benefits for the economy and society, for producers and consumers, and provide security. This standardisation process, which is accessible to all, is suitable for all areas of life. And because our world is constantly evolving, the SNV also remains absolutely young in spirit and is currently dealing with topics such as Industry 4.0, smart technologies, blockchain, climate protection and sustainability.

As an information hub and independent competence centre, the SNV ensures efficient access to national and international standards. It enables and promotes the development and harmonisation of new standards through the active influence of its members as experts in national and international standards committees.

DIN A4 - The standard of all standards

Today, every schoolchild knows the A4 paper format, which fits into every printer, every envelope and every folder. The fact that there is a longer history of development behind this is little known.

One hundred years ago, the question of the format of stationery was unresolved worldwide. The call for a uniform paper format is growing louder, but the multitude of existing formats makes standardization difficult. In the founding minutes of the Swiss Standards Association of 1919, it is stated that "... the letter format 220 mm × 280 mm, which is the most common and fits the registrars everywhere, is chosen."

The decisive step comes in 1922 in Germany, when the engineer Walter Porstmann spreads the idea of a constant aspect ratio and finally enforces it as a DIN standard. The starting point for paper formats is DIN A0 with an area of one square meter. All other formats are derived from this by halving or doubling the area, so that a constant aspect ratio of 1 : √2 results. Finally, this also results in the DIN A4 format 210 mm × 297 mm.

The VSM follows the German example and adopts the A4 format for business papers under the name "VSM letter format". Swiss Post also standardizes its paper formats, and in 1924 the Federal Council decides to introduce the new formats as standard in the federal administration. The transition period, until the existing supplies and forms are used up, lasts twelve years. When, at the beginning of 1941, raw materials become scarce because of the war, the Confederation's War Industry and Labour Office issues an order for the exclusive production of finished paper from the A series. With this decision, the DIN format finally establishes itself as the standard format in Switzerland. (Source: Philipp Messner, The standardisation of paper formats in Switzerland)

«Do it once, do it right, do it internationally!»

Dr Hans Zürrer was Director of the SNV from 1987 to 1999. In a brief conversation we had with him as part of our anniversary year, he recalls some highlights and episodes from his time in office.

Mr Zürrer, what was the most special standard for you that the SNV worked on during your time as director?

The ISO 9000 standards for quality assurance and subsequent testing and certification were developed during this time. This new important series of standards, which had a great influence on quality management in all industries, is now indispensable. All those who worked on it at that time were very committed and challenged. Not least because numerous new terms had to be translated into the three ISO languages and additionally into German for adoption in the EC at that time.

Was it always easy for you to explain the SNV's tasks to outsiders?

No, this was and still is not easy. It is particularly challenging when these "outsiders" are the superiors of the standard creators. For standardization work also requires, above all, an understanding of the time off and financing of the experts working on a voluntary basis. In addition, financial resources are also required for the infrastructure, i.e. for the SNV, CEN and ISO organizations. It is particularly difficult when the dismantling of technical barriers to trade is not obvious for certain products and sectors. The Director was often called in for mediation talks.

It also took a great deal of effort before the Swiss government, through the then BAWI (now SECO), recognized the reduction of technical barriers to trade as important for the Swiss export industry and supported the SNV with a mandate. Until then, Switzerland was the only ISO member that was not co-financed by the state.

What was the attitude of the standards experts to the Swiss no to the EEA?

A few years before that, I was a member of the President's Group of CEN, CENELEC and ETSI and had lively contact with EU executives and government representatives. The EEA no came unexpectedly and was generally understood as Switzerland's rejection of Europe. However, it had little influence on standardization work in European bodies. The dismantling of technical barriers to trade remained a high priority for Switzerland as a member of EFTA. For the export-oriented economy and various political bodies, however, much would have become easier.

What did you appreciate most about international cooperation?

The directors of the national standards organizations were mainly assigned to steering committees. International conferences enabled the heads of standards to meet not only with each other, but also with government delegates and representatives of industry and business. Personal acquaintances formed many useful relationships and also friendships that have lasted beyond retirement. Of course, this also involved travel, with the familiar advantages and disadvantages.

The joint commitment of technology, business and politics and the development of consensus have always impressed me. The principle applied was that, at the given time, not everyone could always be in favour, but no one could be against.

Did all countries have the same understanding of the needs of international standardization?

Large countries usually have an extensive body of standards and corresponding resources. They also set the tone in standardization work and attempt to assert their national interests at regional and international level. However, the striving for the greatest possible common denominator also strengthens international standardization work in accordance with the motto "Do it once, do it right, do it internationally!

Another special feature at European level was the "New Approach" created by the EU Commission. Its aim is to coordinate technical harmonization in both standardization and official regulations. Official regulations now only contain basic requirements relating to health, the environment and safety, and instead refer to standards, in which the technical details are defined by tried and tested private-sector standardization. Once adopted by qualified majority vote, EU and EFTA member countries are obliged to withdraw conflicting national regulations or standards. The reference to international standards again reinforced the motto: "Do it once, do it right, do it internationally!".

Other ISO members took an interest in the idea of the "New Approach", and experts were delegated by mandates of the EC Commission. In totalitarian states, the new approach meant a complete departure from the status quo, in that standardization there was also not organized on a private-sector basis. I remember corresponding ISO missions to Russia, China, Colombia and the Eastern European candidates for EU membership. The visit to the Soviet ISO member in Moscow was particularly impressive. My Russian colleague was head of a ministry and had responsibility for several thousand employees. Apart from the huge country with numerous branches, all the relevant official bodies, all the specialist areas of standardization, certification, testing, metrology, telecommunications, etc. were there under one hat.

Is there an episode or anecdote from your time as director that you particularly enjoy recounting?

Immediately after the EEA no vote there was a CEN meeting in Brussels. As my flight was delayed, I arrived a little late at the meeting and the chairman teased: "We thought you weren't coming at all now!" Of course there was a lively discussion about it during the break and especially the majority of the states had to be explained again and again. The then EC Commission President Bangemann was also very interested, especially because I had previously expressed my conviction to him that the EEA would certainly be adopted.

In order to provide its customers with independent proof of its trustworthiness in terms of information security, Infoniqa has had the entire company certified in accordance with ISO 27001 across all processes, products and services as part of its quality management. The certificate was issued in mid-December 2018 and is valid for three years. With this, the certification body of Swiss Safety Center AG certifies to the IT system integrator that its Information Security Management System (ISMS) has been audited and certified in accordance with ISO 27001 for all company divisions, thus meeting the necessary requirements to offer customers the highest quality and security. The certification confirms that the necessary precautions for information security, confidentiality and integrity have been taken at Infoniqa.

The ISMS considers all process flows, starting with the introduction and implementation as well as the operation, up to the monitoring, review, maintenance and improvement of the information security of an organization. It is based on a risk assessment and the risk acceptance level of the company and serves to effectively handle and manage any risks and to achieve the business objectives. Roger Hegglin, CEO Infoniqa: "For us, information security is a top priority. We are convinced that maximum organisational and technological security, the highest level of availability and absolute integrity form the cornerstone for successful cooperation with our customers. ISO 27001 certification is another logical step on the way to becoming the ideal, trustworthy partner for our customers."

Further information

It's an exciting time for tech enthusiasts to be exploring the new business opportunities presented by today's technologies and how companies can best prepare to take advantage of them. Dell Technologies, the US-based manufacturer of computers and storage systems, explains six key trends for 2019.

1. due to the strong data growth more and more clouds are created

In 2018, Dell Technologies had predicted the emergence of a mega-cloud - the combination of a variety of public and private clouds in a high-performance operating model. So far, this has been confirmed in the form of multi-cloud models. Against this backdrop, the public versus private cloud debate will continue to lose steam as enterprises realize they need to efficiently process and manage all types of data. Multi-cloud environments continue to drive automation, as well as data processing using artificial intelligence and machine learning, as they give organizations the ability to manage, move, and manipulate data anytime, anywhere. As a result, more clouds will emerge as data storage becomes increasingly distributed - at the edge in autonomous driving environments or smart factories, in cloud-native apps, in the company's own specially protected data center, and, of course, in the public cloud for a variety of apps and services that consumers use every day.

2. the data deluge demands a multi-tier cloud model and changes the face of the modern data center.

With increasing data volumes at the edge and the need for powerful, scalable, real-time analytics to support AI and machine learning applications, distributed data centers are required. Multi- and hybrid-cloud models continue to evolve, providing cloud computing capabilities at different stages of data processing to best meet each specific need. This move closer to the edge will also support analytics and data management outside of the core infrastructure - as an extension of a private cloud hosted in your own data center. A combination of public, private and hybrid clouds will therefore become the norm. Such multi-tier clouds can be distributed from large public cloud data centers to dedicated and optimized data centers in companies as well as real time edge clouds to intelligent end devices.

3. AI and machine learning increase the productivity of humans and machines.

AI and ML applications will enhance and improve the user experience and reduce the complexity of using technology. The line between activities performed by humans or machines is shifting, and AI is supporting more and more business decisions. PCs will be able to predict their energy consumption based on usage patterns, while apps will learn from user preferences and behaviors to provide a personalized environment. Even established enterprise apps are using AI and ML to drive greater automation and help employees prepare for strategic decisions.

4. 5G accelerates data transfer, web applications and the shift to software-defined IT.

5G is mentioned as a top IT trend in many predictions for 2019 - but what is often overlooked is that this new mobile standard should be the reason for companies to develop a software-defined IT strategy. 5G requires a software-defined network and new distributed computing models. These will ultimately need to be supported by fully software-defined data centers to ensure that data can be transported at the required speed and scalability. Enterprises must be able to easily manage 5G infrastructures to quickly introduce new software code and APIs as needed. Automation and intelligence play a critical role, and this is where software-defined comes in with scalable NVMe fabrics and SD-WAN.

5. AR and VR promote learning and creativity in the workplace

Augmented and virtual reality have made great strides throughout 2018 to create an immersive, enhanced visual experience - and as a result, 2019 will also see an increase in the adoption of these technologies in the workplace. On-site training and the ability to access real-time data, even at the Edge, will not only close a skills gap in certain professions and industries, but also give employees new freedom to achieve optimal results regardless of the physical workplace. AR/VR will make the breakthrough not because of user interface improvements, but because of advances in data center and cloud infrastructures. This is because these provide the data, processing capacity and power required to make AR/VR a fully immersive experience. As a result, AR/VR is no longer seen as a standalone user experience, but rather as a presentation interface for the advanced capabilities of modern data centers in delivering AI-driven business insights and big data.

6. the value of data triggers the next big push in technology investment

90 percent of all global data has only been created in the last few years. Market researchers predict that the volume of data will grow to 44 zettabytes by 2020. As companies evaluate this data more intensively and use it to gain new insights that drive innovation and more efficient business processes, more investments are being made in the technology sector. New startups are emerging to tackle the biggest challenges and make AI a reality: Data management and distributed analytics that extract insights from any source, and data compliance solutions that provide a secure, intelligent path to achieve amazing results.

"Whether in the smart home, connected car, workplace, retail or logistics, virtual assistants are becoming more widespread, driven by AI and machine learning. Thus, machine intelligence is merging with augmented and virtual reality in many application scenarios in companies and customer communication," explains Frank Thonüs, General Manager Enterprise at Dell EMC Switzerland. "The speed of innovation of companies can be increased by automation and robotics, and the advances in speech processing and speech technologies enable a more productive dialogue with machines." And Achim Freyer, General Manager Commercial at Dell EMC Switzerland, adds: "Dell EMC predicted trends about a year ago, many of which have continued and strengthened. Multi-cloud models are increasingly networking the IT landscapes of local data centers. This is opening up opportunities for companies across all industries to enter new markets, increase competitiveness and drive digital transformation."

Source and further information: Dell EMC 

Cyber risks and the impact of new technologies will increasingly influence the claims situation for companies in the coming years. However, traditional causes still dominate: The largest losses for insurers and their corporate clients worldwide continue to be caused by fire and explosions. This is the result of a recent analysis by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Although hurricanes and other natural catastrophes have also caused devastating losses in the last two years, by far the largest number of insurance claims are reported by companies due to technical and human failures. In Switzerland, too, the largest losses continue to be caused by fire and explosions.

Few causes - much damage

In its current study "Global Claims Review", AGCS discloses the most important causes of claims in industrial insurance. The data basis was 470,000 cases from the last five years (July 2013 to July 2018) from more than 200 countries and with a total value of approximately EUR 58 billion. According to the report, the largest financial losses - more than 50 per cent of the total value of cases analysed - are attributable to fire/explosions, aviation loss events, faulty workmanship/lack of maintenance and windstorms worldwide. More than 75 percent of losses worldwide can be attributed to ten major causes of loss.

The biggest loss drivers in Switzerland

In Switzerland, too, the largest losses continue to be caused by fire and explosions. They accounted for 25% of the total value of all losses in the period under review. They are followed by aircraft collisions (19%) and light weather events such as fog or rain (11%). In terms of numbers, claims due to damaged goods occur most frequently (16%).

"The analysis shows that ever higher values are at stake for companies and their insurers," says Christoph Müller, CEO of AGCS Switzerland. "In the interconnected and globalized economic environment we find ourselves in today, asset losses are on the rise." On the one hand, he says, this is due to the geographical concentration of values - not infrequently in regions with high risk exposure - but also to domino effects along supply chains and in networks that span the entire world. Philipp Cremer, Global Head of Claims at AGCS: "Looking ahead, new technologies will bring business benefits but also new risks and insurance losses. However, they also give us the opportunity to prevent or at least reduce losses and optimise claims settlement for our clients."

Events become more expensive

The values destroyed by fire and explosions in the last five years amount to more than EUR 14 billion (around CHF 15.8 billion). Excluding natural catastrophes, more than half (11) of the 20 largest insurance events analysed were due to these causes. On average, almost EUR 1.5 million (around CHF 1.7 million) was involved per fire claim. "In general, in property insurance, both inflation and higher value concentration are driving up loss amounts - this has to do with globalization and the increasing level of integration in supply chains," explains Raymond Hogendoorn, Property and Engineering Claims Specialist at AGCS. "Efficiency in industry is increasing and as a result the value per square metre has increased exponentially. Accordingly, fire and flood damage per square metre is also significantly more expensive today than it was ten years ago.

Business interruptions as cause for cost explosion

The costs of business interruption (BI) contribute significantly to the total amount of damage caused by fire/explosion or other triggers. BUs now play a significant role in almost all significant property insurance claims: on average, BU losses under a property insurance policy amount to more than EUR 3 million. This is around 39 percent more than the average direct property loss (EUR 2.2 million).

Although natural catastrophes have recently destroyed unprecedented assets in the US and many other countries around the world, they are not the largest loss driver. Analysis has shown that industrial insurance losses are typically due to technical or human error - or other factors unrelated to natural catastrophes. Their share of the total value of all claims is 87%.

Fires and repairs in aviation are becoming more expensive

While the global aviation industry recently celebrated its safest year on record, there is no indication that the industry is reporting fewer claims as a result. Aircraft crashes and collisions in aviation are the second most important cause of damage. Composite materials are driving up repair costs and the use of more technically complex engines is also having an impact.

Analysis has also shown that insurers have settled claims averaging EUR 32 million per day over the past five years - AGCS alone paid its policyholders EUR 4.8 billion in 2017 as a whole. The industry is increasingly turning to innovative technologies to streamline claims handling processes. Smaller and more frequent claims can be settled faster thanks to machine learning and robotics. AGCS also uses satellite imagery and drones to more quickly assess and measure damage caused by storms or floods after natural disasters. This makes it possible to better manage the deployment of scarce resources (e.g. damage assessors or craftsmen) and speed up the payment of insurance benefits.

Source: Allianz Suisse

IT is changing rapidly: digitization, robotics, Artifical Intelligence, and the need for greater flexibility and speed are impacting the role of IT in enterprises. IT is being asked to evolve from a clearly structured service provider focused on cost efficiency to an integral driver of digital transformation. Thus, 96 percent of the decision-makers surveyed agree that the importance of IT within the overall organization will increase sharply over the next three years. However, in 77 percent of companies, IT is currently perceived as a purely technical function. To change this, IT departments must continue to grow with specialists in order to respond flexibly to the requirements of the business departments. Currently, only 10 percent of respondents believe that IT is capable of doing this. And only 6 percent state that IT proactively develops innovations for the business departments. This is also the picture painted by the Horváth Resource Barometer for Switzerland. Instead of filling innovative developer positions, more support functions are currently being advertised. The financial, manufacturing and chemical/pharmaceutical industries analyzed in depth in the study are examples of this trend:

"The results show that, in the perception of many decision-makers, the IT department does not react quickly enough to new requirements or fails to provide innovative solutions. IT is therefore often not seen as adaptive, i.e. differentiated and adaptable to the situation, and thus not perceived as a customer-oriented service organization," says Ingo Rasch, an expert in IT consulting at Horváth & Partners in Switzerland. An adaptive view of the organizational and technological influencing variables is necessary to create a future-oriented IT. IT organizations should know the interrelationships and processes of their company and develop innovative IT solutions for them, drive the automation of business processes and fundamentally position themselves in a more agile way. If an IT meets these requirements, it can meet the growing demands on its role in the company in the future and, on the other hand, ensure cost-efficient stability.

For the cross-industry study "Adaptive IT - The IT Organization in Transition", Horváth & Partners surveyed around 190 corporate decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland online between April and May 2018. The aim of the study was to examine the current perception and future role of the IT organization in companies.

Source: www.horvath-partners.com

The Swiss Federal Constitution clearly states that "men and women are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value" (Art. 8, para. 3). However, this is unfortunately not yet everyday practice in all companies. According to the Federal Office for Equality (EBG), women in Switzerland receive on average 18 percent less pay than men. 40 per cent of this cannot be explained; in these cases there is probably wage discrimination.

Prerequisites created and equal pay fulfilled

The office supplies manufacturer Biella, one of the largest employers in the Biel-Seeland region, did not want to take a back seat in this regard, but rather assume its responsibility. The company has been working on measuring and fulfilling equal pay for the past two years. Biella chose the specialists at Landolt & Mächler Consultants AG as independent experts for the equal pay review. In order for an equal pay analysis and also a salary comparison to be possible at all, Biella created various prerequisites within the company. for example, over the last 24 months, all functions were systematically re-described and classified according to the experts' system. The analysis carried out in autumn 2018 confirmed and substantiated Biella's equal pay for men and women.

Attractive employer in the Biel-Seeland region

Recently, Thomas Landolt, Managing Director and owner of Landolt & Mächler Consultants AG, personally presented the official certificate - which is valid for four years. Martin Dietrich, Head of HR, Finance and Controlling, and Yvette Muff, Head of Human Resources, were delighted to accept the award. "I am very happy for our employees, who hereby have confirmation that our wages are fair," said Martin Dietrich. And Yvette Muff added: "As an industrial company, we offer the most varied professions as well as apprenticeships and build on competent, satisfied and motivated employees." With the certification received, the company sees its position as an attractive employer strengthened.

www.biella.ch

Most project managers know or at least suspect that there are many activities in the daily project routine that are necessary but do not generate any added value. We call this "project ballast". Some studies say that 90 percent of all office work remains without added value. Increasing efficiency in these areas usually leads to positive effects and has an enormous impact on overall performance.

Step 1: Realize the importance of the work without added value

Project ballast is not the exception, it is the rule. Tasks without added value consume many more resources in the project than the work with added value: a ratio of 90 to 10 is quite realistic. So if project management wants to improve overall productivity in the project, project ballast is the ideal target. A simple calculation example: if you double the efficiency of the value-added project work, you have reduced the workload in the entire project by 5 percent. If, however, you succeed in doubling the efficiency of the non-value-added work, you reduce the workload in the project by a whopping 45 percent. The simple insight: Reducing project ballast saves the most resources.

Step 2: Create a central database

In some organizations, there is no formal, centralized repository for project-related information. As a result, project managers and team members spend up to 40 percent of their time searching for information, only to enter it manually and condense it into reports. By contrast, when project templates, metrics, and financial data are centralized, direct access is a matter of a few clicks. A centralized repository acts as a "single source of truth," whether it's project planning, project data and documents, or best practices, templates, and reports. Such centralization makes life easier for everyone.

Step 3: Standardize reports and processes

Once the data is centralized, it is relatively easy to generate and share standard reports and dashboards with the appropriate stakeholders. Of course, access should be controlled via a suitable rights concept. The reports access the data from the central repository in real time and have a standardized format so that they can be easily processed further and serve as a meaningful basis for decision-making.

Step 4: Automate workflows and tasks

Many project management tools include at least basic project tracking tools. This makes it relatively easy to automate tedious tasks with no added value, thus reducing project ballast. Efficiency increases very significantly when formerly manual tasks are eliminated: such as administering timesheets, handling task assignment communications, tracking progress and approvals, and triggering associated alerts and notifications. With the right software, you can easily automate all of this.

Step 5: Increase data quality for better decision making

As long as you and your staff have to manually gather information from disparate applications, it's not only time-consuming - it also increases the likelihood that you'll be dealing with redundant, unavailable, or outdated data. This deprives you of the basis for robust decision making and management. For many companies, this is why data visibility and data integrity are critical challenges in their projects. Many companies that eventually purchase project management software do so to avoid having to re-enter lost data over and over again. Either way, it's worth tackling the issue of increasing the efficiency of project work - especially when it comes to the multitude of tasks that don't add any value. Discarding project ballast always makes sense.

Author:
Uwe Eilers is Director Sales at Sciforma GmbH in Taunusstein, Germany. www.sciforma.de. Even more information on increasing efficiency in project management is provided in an e-book by Sciforma entitled "Free yourself from project ballast - avoid tasks without added value". It can be downloaded here free of charge: https://www.sciforma.com/de/info-center/aktuelles