Control 2023, arguably the trade show highlight for all involved in the quality assurance (QA) sector, builds on the success of the past fair in May 2022; after a three-year break due to the pandemic, more than 600 exhibitors experienced top-level QA innovations live and up close. Current and future-oriented advancements include artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as well as inline inspection processes. In detail, innovations from the fields of vision technology, image processing, sensor technology, and measuring and testing technology will be presented.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/qs-branche-bereitet-sich-auf-die-control-2023-vor/

"Customer experience (CX) champions make the most of marketing technology. The key to their significantly better results is that they see CX as a company-wide task and clearly define cross-departmental workflows for it. They also make extensive use of analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). This is shown by a global survey, conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review Connections with support from AI and analytics expert SAS.

Findings: Only 15 percent of the survey participants qualified as "CX champions. The IT/telecommunications sector leads the way with 36 percent. These pioneers are characterized by the fact that they combine expertise in governance, strategy and technology. And in their own estimation, they are far superior to their competitors in terms of customer experience and return on investment (RoI).

In a further evaluation, SAS has now compiled how companies in the EMEA region in particular see themselves positioned in terms of CX.

The results of this were presented on September 22 as part of a Panel discussion presented live.

Author: Andreas Heiz, Director of Customer Intelligence Solutions, EMEA, at SAS.

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.

Corporate digital responsibility: 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 be suitable for all organizational structures and sizes, requiring minimal financial and human resources. Our condensed research and in-depth report enables organizations to see 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 enable them to differentiate themselves in the eyes of consumers. The key is to just get started," explains 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 use. 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/

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/starter-kit-fuer-digitale-verantwortung-lanciert/

It's not really a goodbye. The bank says it will remain at Roger Federer's side. Credit Suisse is convinced that his qualities will make a big difference, and not just in professional tennis. Because people retire - personality does not.

The campaign surrounding the retirement announcement and the Laver Cup was also created with this in mind: "Attitude never retires." As a kick-off, an animated social media post went live one day after Federer's announcement, which is one of the most attention-grabbing posts ever made by Credit Suisse Switzerland. All moving image assets were produced by TBWA\Vido.

This was followed by further measures, both international and national, with digital and print advertisements.

Responsible at Credit Suisse: Roman Reichelt (CMO); Dang Nguyen, Stephanie Trachsel, Reimund Immoos, Tanja Klotz (Strategy, Brand & Advertising); Sandra Caviezel, Mira Song Mäder, Marcel Steiner (Sponsoring); Anette Hiscott, Simon Bachofner, Valon Saiti, Bettina Wolf (Digital & Data Marketing). Responsible agency: TBWA\Zurich (concept), TBWA\Vido (implementation).

The evaluation of the current vote last weekend shows that the Yes camp of the AHV initiative entered the election campaign earliest. The first advertising campaigns were launched as early as May 2022. However, the advertising activities for the livestock initiative, at 3.9 million Swiss francs, clearly show the greatest gross advertising pressure of the three initiatives. This is followed by the change in the withholding tax with 2.1 million francs and the AHV 21 reform with 2.0 million francs.

There are also striking differences between the three initiatives in the ratio of gross advertising pressure of the Yes and No camps. For example, the ratio of gross advertising pressure for the No camp of the livestock initiative was 58 percent. In comparison, the gross advertising pressure of the Yes camp was 42 percent. In the case of the AHV21 reform initiative, the ratio was just the opposite. Here, the No camp was at 41 percent and the Yes camp at 59 percent. A considerable difference between the "Yes" and "No" camps arose in the case of the initiative to change the withholding tax. Here, the ratio was 7 percent to 93 percent.

It should be emphasized that the gross advertising pressure of the livestock initiative was significantly above the 5-year benchmark (2.3 million Swiss francs) and above the all-time benchmark (2.1 million Swiss francs).

400 million advertising francs for ballot initiatives in the last 22 years

If we look at the gross advertising volume of the total of 180 federal voting initiatives from the last 22 years, these initiatives together were advertised with around CHF 400 million. Across all initiatives, the ratio of the gross advertising volume of the "yes" and "no" camps was balanced (50 percent/50 percent). In 2009, the largest gross advertising volume was around CHF 12.5 million for the initiative on the free movement of persons. The highest gross advertising volume of a "yes" camp was generated by the proposal on the bilateral agreement in 2005, at CHF 7.2 million.

Within three and a half days, the roles are reversed at the HWZ, and the young company Zeam implements the first seminar by young people for decision-makers in business with exciting guest lecturers. Participants are to make their companies fit for the future with the knowledge they have acquired about Generation Z. The seminar will be held in two specializations: "HR & Organization" and "Marketing & Product".

 Over the next ten years, 30 percent more workers will retire than enter the market. At the same time, Generation Z will become one of the most affluent target groups. But as the story goes, few companies have a strategy for winning over this important target group.

The GenZ consulting firm Zeam, founded in 2020, has set itself the goal of changing this. After carrying out over 40 customer projects with companies such as Mercedes Benz and Ikea Switzerland, numerous appearances and quite a few guest lectures, it now wants to make its knowledge accessible. In cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, HWZ for short, Zeam wants to provide an in-depth insight into the lifeworld of Generation Z within the framework of a seminar, build bridges and create understanding so that nothing stands in the way of successful cooperation and reaching Generation Z(u future).

Exciting young zoomer

The content of the seminar is based on the practical experience of the numerous projects, exclusive primary data such as from the Gen Z study by ZEAM and LINK as well as the bestseller "Gen Z für Entscheider:innen", which was co-edited by the founding duo Yaël Meier and Jo Dietrich. The seminar will also feature guest lecturers who will share their experiences from successful collaborations with Gen Zs. The seminar will be rounded off by a roundtable with some of the most exciting young zoomers.

The participants of the seminar are divided into two focus groups. In the "HR & Organization" group, for example, the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of workplace needs. There will also be a focus on the topics of Gen Z employer branding and new recruiting. The "Marketing & Product" focus group concentrates more on the needs of young customers and how to reach them. In this focus group, participants will gain a deeper understanding of various social media platforms, with deep dives into TikTok, the Metaverse, and content creation.

More about the seminar "GenZ Strategy"

The question of why sustainability is relevant can hardly be asked these days without being reminded of the responsibility we all have to society. This makes it all the more exciting to ask what is meant by sustainability in the first place - especially with a view to production and trend topics such as Industry 4.0. The question is therefore not "why" but rather "how.

Ecology and environmental protection

Let's start with the most obvious one, the environment. Sustainability in this environment means that I only use the raw materials and resources that are absolutely necessary. This applies to materials and machines as well as to personnel and energy. In the case of energy, the connection with the environment is most obvious, since most forms of energy directly result in pollution of the environment - exhaust gases or at least CO2 are produced. Therefore, sustainable production quickly calls energy management to the fore. Energy management means knowing your energy consumption and optimizing it to the best of your ability. This essentially includes measures to increase efficiency.

For example, based on known consumption, a decision can be made to produce a product only with the machine that requires the least energy to do so. Another measure is to reduce waste to zero so that no unnecessary energy is consumed. It is also important to avoid losses in the distribution of energy; for example, the piping system for compressed air is regularly checked for leaks.

Energy management software helps manufacturing companies to systematically record all consumption and allocate it to the respective consumers. In this way, energy-guzzling resources as well as orders with high energy requirements can be identified. To do this, energy management must either be integrated into the manufacturing IT or at least be able to access order-related production data. Ideally, energy management is part of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), but there are also solutions that can be operated stand-alone. In addition to recording and analyzing energy consumption, the focus here is particularly on correlation with order data and machine statuses. For example, energy management can be used to determine how much energy a particular order consumes and then calculate key figures that indicate how much energy was used to produce an individual item. The correlation with machine states allows conclusions to be drawn about possible waste during non-productive periods. It may be possible to turn off selected machines, or at least parts of them, when there is no production on them. For example, the conveyor belt that transports finished parts away or the handling robot that removes parts from the mold can be stopped temporarily.

Economy and efficiency

It is obvious that lower energy consumption protects the environment. It's just as obvious that you can also save money by using less energy. After all, energy doesn't just cost money - in recent years, prices for energy of all kinds have also risen enormously. Increasing competitive pressure in the manufacturing industry means that companies are now willing to use any means to reduce production costs. Alongside the careful use of raw materials, increasing energy efficiency is therefore a second measure with high potential for success.

Here, too, synergies between energy management and other manufacturing IT functions become apparent. Another exciting aspect in this context is the handling of energy quotas. If certain quotas are purchased at low prices, they have to be used in defined periods. This requires energy-oriented production planning, which an MES such as HYDRA from the manufacturer MPDV can also provide. At the same time, the planning can also be used to avoid load peaks, which also result in additional costs for energy procurement.

Particularly in the energy-intensive industry, certification according to DIN EN ISO 50001 ensures that further cost advantages are granted in energy procurement. Of course, such certification is initially costly - in terms of time and money. However, manufacturing companies should not miss this opportunity - especially if they are obliged to establish and operate an energy management system according to DIN EN ISO 50001 due to their high energy consumption.

Long-term and continuous improvement

It is also true for measures to reduce energy consumption that long-term and continuous optimization is more sustainable than a single action. Energy adds another aspect to the continuous improvement process (CIP) that already exists in most companies.

In addition to internal CIP measures, there is also the so-called 1.5-degree climate target. According to this target, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030. Since CO2 makes a significant contribution to this and production companies with their energy consumption have a significant share in this, the aforementioned measures ultimately also make a contribution to climate protection in the long term.

Author:
Markus Diesner is Senior Marketing Specialist Products at MPDV. More information on resource efficiency and energy management is available here: https://www.mpdv.com/de/nachhaltige-produktion/

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/nachhaltige-produktion-mit-energiemanagement-co/

Climate crisis, Corona pandemic, war in Europe: society is facing a crucial test. Current world events are once again casting a strong light on the social responsibility of companies. One thing is certain, companies that ignore this reality today and do not care about society will be irrelevant to that same society tomorrow, or even ostracized by it. No wonder that the reflection on one's own "purpose" has recently emerged as one of the most important topics of the past years. While much is already being done in brand communication, companies are finding it difficult to systematically translate responsibility into the business model and the product/service experience.

User obsession can quickly become a boomerang

Even companies with strong, purpose-driven mission statements are facing challenges: While AirBnB wants to enable everyone to experience cities authentically with "Anyone can belong anywhere," the service ensures that there is less living space for locals, especially in big cities, and that they can no longer afford to rent. Gorillas is changing the way we do spontaneous shopping. However, by delivering in just ten minutes, they are causing blocked sidewalks and noise around their micro-fulfillment centers, which many residents complain about. Even the best service can fall out of favor if it has a negative impact on society.

Passive users are part of every customer journey

What these examples have in common: All offers have a passive influence on the lives of third parties. In the current thinking of user-centered design, the active user is at the top of the list - i.e., the person who uses the product and generates sales. Rarely are passive "users" included in the context of the social and ecological perspective. Yet almost every product and every service along the customer journey always has an influence on others. This is exactly where we come in: Society-Centered Design forms the framework to integrate these perspectives into product development from the beginning.

The method case: Society-Centered Design

In order to systematically work on the social impact of products and services, the Mutabor developed a set of methods and tools under the term "Society-Centered Design" that combine classic user-centered design methods with the social perspective of the brand and its target groups. The framework is intended to support both the establishment of the right mindset in the company and the rapid initiation of action, while involving the most important decision-makers and stakeholders. The complex topic of ecological and social responsibility is thus easy to apply and can be approached with clear, comprehensible steps.

Social added value is tomorrow's entrepreneurial success

The basic premise of the concept is that those who treat responsibility for society and economic success as interrelated will be more successful in the long term. But why take the first step before everyone else, as long as the pressure from laws and customers is not yet compelling? The answer: because now is the chance to test and validate concepts with the group of early adopters, in order to immediately catch the critical mass of the mainstream later and not be overrun by it. Because just as the user perspective is a hygiene factor for product success today, it will be the same with the social and ecological perspective in the future. So if you want to win and retain customers in the future, you should start now to align your business model, products and services with social relevance. Bank Tomorrow is setting a good example: by investing its customers' money only in sustainable projects, it provides strong incentives to choose its model over that of a traditional bank.

Steps in Society-Centered Design 

Implementing society-centered attitudes in product/service experiences, whether new or existing, requires a holistic approach. The following outlines the broad steps of the Society-Centered Design approach:

1. Establish a responsibility-oriented mindset across all hierarchical levels
2. Analyze the customer journey and identify active/passive users
3. Derive recommendations for action in an expert review
4. Derivation of measurable KPIs and formulation of guidelines for product teams
5. Build, Test & Learn: Development and/or optimization with focus on early market

How do you convince the decision-makers?

Especially with digitalized products and services, most decisions are made on the basis of KPIs. Just like branding or design, social impact and its influence on the company's success is rarely measured. At Mutabor, we define KPIs right from the start that can be measured, tracked sustainably and successively optimized. In this way, supposed idealism becomes quantifiable for the business - and thus a competitive advantage for tomorrow.

* Burkhard Müller is Chief Digital Officer at Mutabor. Over the past 20 years, he has led transformation projects for companies such as Bosch, Migros, Swatch and Vodafone.

From an espresso on the go to a family lunch at noon to an extensive dinner with friends at the bar: Klara in Kleinbasel has nine kitchens and a bar - and has been doing so for five years now. To mark the occasion, creative agency Mona und Mateo developed and implemented a new brand identity and campaign for the gastronomy company.

At the heart of the new look is the concept of the restaurant: there is room for everyone and everything here. This free space served as a concept template and was interpreted as a design and text mechanic. This is evident, for example, in the new logo, which depicts the free space as nine spaced units - alluding to the nine kitchens - between "clear" and "a." The visual separation is also used in the headlines. The "K" is upside down and is intended to convey the claim that the restaurant is also open to non-conformists and those who live differently.

The website, signaling, complete restoration needs, and communications are also part of the redesign. Posters in the city draw attention to the rebranding and advertise a visit.

Responsible at Klara: Yannick Studer, Nik von Frankenberg. Responsible with Mona and Mateo: Sheena Czorniczek, Nadine Zürcher, Lesley Ryffel, Hannah Mey, Mona Fluri, Mateo Sacchetti. Web Development: Lani Digital Design.

The Sport Forum Switzerland is considered the largest industry meeting of the Swiss sports business. According to organizer ESB Marketing Netzwerk, it aims to highlight and critically examine the latest trends. This year's event will highlight the changing times in sports. The energy crisis, post-Covid and rising inflation do not stop at the sports business.

"Turning point is a big term, but I am sure that it will apply to the Swiss sports business in the coming years," explains Hans-Willy Brockes, the organizer of the congress and Managing Director of ESB Marketing Network. "We are in the midst of a transition from male-dominated sports management to a diverse structure. Furthermore, the change will be reflected in demanding environmental, social and governance standards, or ESG standards for short, which are relevant in every area of the sports business," says Brockes. ESG - three letters that stand for more responsibility in sport. The abbreviation describes three sustainability-related areas of corporate responsibility. The topics of diversity, women in sport and sustainability will therefore be highlighted in separate forums.

Congress day with movement

Other trends, such as the topics of visionary financing, tokens and crypto, as well as all aspects of sports consumption via analog and digital media will be the focus. And how gamification is used today as visitor guidance and in sponsorship activation will be demonstrated on site by the company placeit.

"As with any good sports event, fun must not be neglected: With the Ochsner Sport Lauftreff, the Adcom Sports Night and the collection of Placeit Event Tokens, the congress day gets moving," Brockes continues.

90 speakers in 15 forums

In total, more than 90 speakers will take to the stage at the KKL Luzern in 15 forums. Business decision-makers, event organizers, media and sportswomen will meet at Sport.Forum.Schweiz. This year, the Sport.Forum.Switzerland offers a special space for athletes. Among others, Olympic silver medalist Sina Frei, swinger Michael Wiget, beach volleyball player Joana Heidrich, paraclimbing athlete Amruta Wyssmann, former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld and running legend Viktor Röthlin will be present.

Information and registration at sportforumschweiz.ch

Now providers are desperately seeking differentiation. The increased value orientation of customers and a great openness to services provide starting points. Overall, online retail expects sales to increase by 50 percent by 2030.

"25 brick-and-mortar stores with the same product range spread across the whole of Switzerland make sense. But 25 identical online stores do not. If the same product is for sale in too many places, it's all about price," says study leader Prof. Ralf Wölfle, summarizing his survey results. "When it comes to price, however, only the biggest providers can keep up. That's why retailers now want to create attractive added value for their customers that goes beyond the interchangeable product."

Increasing diversity of offerings also due to social media

As retailers differentiate themselves through value and services, the variety of offerings is also set to increase further. Direct sales from brands to end customers and increasing sales via social media channels are playing into this development. Compared to conventional online marketplaces, social media is becoming increasingly important because value-oriented offers can be better conveyed there.

Great service readiness in Quick Commerce

Online delivery services score points with a high level of service readiness. They benefit from the fact that almost half of all supermarket purchases are unplanned. If something is forgotten spontaneously, customers don't want to rush to the store again, but simply have the products delivered. With the fastest Zurich provider, this can be done in less than 15 minutes. The tests by various supermarket chains to deliver directly from the store are another example of emerging segments in food e-commerce.

E-commerce sales to grow by 50 percent

Despite the rediscovery of stationary retail after Corona, online growth remains unbroken according to study participants: Two-thirds expect e-commerce sales in their industry to have increased by 50 percent or more by 2030. According to the participants, the trends that will have the greatest impact on the industry in the coming years are sustainability and upheavals in logistics.

Retailers and brands in a relationship crisis

What is currently preoccupying brands and retailers is a creeping conflict: Since stores have been closed due to the lockdowns, established brands have been pushing their direct sales to end consumers. Retailers feel increasingly competitive from their suppliers. Brands, in turn, complain that they do not represent retailers well enough and that they do not get enough data on customer behavior. The positions are deadlocked - even if retailers and brands will continue to need each other in the future.

More information at commerce-report.ch

The Happiness Principle

How to become more successful and powerful with 7 building blocks of Positive Psychology.

• Author: Shawn Achor
• Publisher: Unimedica, 2020
• Pages: 328
• ISBN: 9783962571634

Who doesn't want to be happy and successful at work, master challenges, and have enough time for friends and family? The reality is different in many companies. Stress, adversity and the feeling that nothing can be changed demotivate employees and make them unhappy. Shawn Achor derives seven building blocks from the findings of positive psychology, with the help of which everyone can become the architect of their own happiness. He describes the hurdles that stand in the way of happiness in a realistic and true-to-life way and gives tips on how to overcome them.

On the Way to New Work

When work becomes something that empowers people.

• Author: Christoph Magnussen, Swantje Allmers and Michael Trautmann
• Publisher: Vahlen Verlag, 2022
• Pages: 412
• ISBN: 9783800666591

There are many books on New Work, but few are as ambitious. You won't find detailed descriptions of models and methods here, but a large selection of examples from corporate practice. They are taken from the consulting activities of the authors and their podcasts. The content ranges from problem solving for individuals to solving major world problems, such as climate change. The detailed tips on self-management and organizational structure are helpful. It's not quite as clear why New Work is supposed to be the answer to everything else, too.

Well asked is half sold

Successful selling with psychological questioning techniques.

• Author: Roman Kmenta
• Publisher: VoV Media, 2022
• Pages: 224
• ISBN: 9783903845305

If only all books were written like this! This one reads easily and entertainingly, draws from the real life of a salesman and what is said can be implemented immediately. The only question mark: Do you really want to sell something anytime and anywhere, as Roman Kmenta suggests? Of course, he says, you want and have to achieve your goals. Everything in life is a question of sales technique. So he unleashes a fireworks display of guileless-sounding and likeable sales questions. He sells himself and his books just as winningly - completely legitimately from a salesman's point of view.

Leadership and self-deception

Out of the box.

• Author: The Arbinger Institute
• Publisher: GABAL, 2021
• Pages: 240
• ISBN: 9783967390742

Managers and employees often work against each other instead of with each other. In this way, they endanger the success or even the existence of their company. They focus only on themselves and lose sight of the common interests. They are "in the box." What this means and how to get out of the box is shown in this insightful book. The authors skillfully use the storytelling method to do this. Instead of a dry nonfiction book, they have written an exciting story.