The Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, held a dialogue event with over 25 CEOs and other top managers from the Swiss economy on Tuesday, June 20 at The Dolder Grand in Zurich. At the event, two theses from the book "Wheels of Normality. How norms and standards create trust". SQS recently published the non-fiction book with the NZZ Libro publishing house. The two theses are: Norms and standards are (partly) decisive for prosperity in Switzerland; and it is precisely an open SME economy like Switzerland's that benefits from such private rules.

S-GE notes protectionist tendencies of norms and standards

In his introduction, SQS CEO Felix Müller showed how and why norms and standards make it easier for organizations to reliably meet high expectations - and thus contribute to our confidence in a normality characterized by quality, safety and comfort; a normality that is neither self-evident nor given and thus anything but "normal".

In her keynote speech, Dr. Simone Wyss Fedele, CEO of Switzerland Global Enterprise, emphasized the importance of norms and standards for the global networking of the Swiss economy. Local exporters benefit from clear and generally recognized rules. It is also important that companies can demonstrate that they comply with these rules by means of credible certificates such as those issued by SQS. However, Wyss Fedele also expressed her concern that important trading partners of Switzerland were increasingly using norms and standards for protectionist purposes.

"We would have neither the resources nor the know-how for such instruments"

In the following discussion, the companies had their say. Felix Müller was joined on the panel by Jürg Rogenmoser, part owner, member of the board of directors and operational managing director of Aeschbach Chocolatier AG; Dr. Peter Roth, standards representative of the Hilti Group and member of the board of the Swiss Standards Association (SNV); Christian Späth, head of the Civil Engineering Division and quality delegate on the executive board of Implenia AG; and Dr. Matthias Wandfluh, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Wandfluh AG.

Two findings of the discussion were: Norms and standards are indeed important tools for companies to reduce complexity, avoid errors and guarantee quality. "It is precisely an SME like ours that benefits from this," said Matthias Wandfluh. "We would have neither the resources nor the know-how to develop such instruments ourselves." However, private standards in particular, which large companies impose on their suppliers, are becoming increasingly difficult for SMEs to meet in terms of number and scope. "More and more large customers are imposing their own requirements. Just filling out the corresponding questionnaires is almost impossible for us," said an entrepreneur from eastern Switzerland.

Participation is possible and urgent - especially for sustainability rules

This was a steep learning curve for Peter Roth, who is involved in the development of standards on behalf of the Hilti Group and the Swiss Standards Association (SNV). Unlike private standards, recognized standards, for example those of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), are developed in a transparent, participatory and democratic process. As a result, they are more likely to serve the interests of the general public, not individuals. Roth urged those in attendance to take advantage of the opportunity to participate. "Of course, it's easier for a large corporation to provide the necessary resources. But ultimately it boils down to this: standardize, or you will be standardized!"

The concluding discussion with lawyer Dr. Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, who heads the Sustainability Governance unit at the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Bern, made it clear that it is more urgent than ever for business to play an active and constructive role in the development of new norms and standards. The state in Switzerland and abroad - especially in the European Union - has long since begun to enact numerous new rules in the name of a more sustainable economy.

Source and further information: SQS

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wie-kmu-bei-normen-und-standards-von-betroffenen-zu-beteiligten-werden-koennen/

Swiss Engineers United AG SEU was developed as a platform for Switzerland by engineers for engineers. It responds to the ongoing shortage of skilled workers and other current challenges in the engineering industry with a special business model: SEU grows through the targeted acquisition and smooth integration of healthy SMEs, with the owners of the partner companies and all existing SEU shareholders participating in the holding company. It is an ecosystem that brings together vital and innovative engineering companies by combining know-how, latest technologies and innovative ideas under one roof.

Overcoming challenges together

"Our goal is to help shape the future of the industry, to tackle challenges together and to combine the spirit of innovation, expertise and dynamic entrepreneurship," says SEU co-owner and Chairman of the Board Franco Quinter, summarizing the credo of the newly founded holding company.  

With its multi-brand strategy, SEU, headquartered in Pfäffikon SZ, focuses on the uniqueness of its partner companies. Co-owner and board member Christian Vetsch says: "For SMEs, cooperation at eye level is much more valuable than energy-sapping competition. With our model, we enable far-reaching synergy effects and strengthen the individual partner companies individually and specifically." In addition, the SEU Group also enables successful succession solutions by separating the takeover of the company management from the financing of the purchase price.

Create synergies

In an increasingly digitalized world, SEU strives to create important synergies and optimize resources through innovations and its own international production sites.

At the same time, the Group values strong customer loyalty and is aware that it owes its success to its committed employees. Therefore, SEU promotes participation and further training, offers clear and transparent communication, and focuses on individual meaningfulness and appreciation of performance.

Soft integration strategy

For SEU, it is clear that every company is unique and has its own spirit. That is why the Group attaches great importance to a gentle integration strategy. Only necessary adjustments are made; the individual brand image, the external market presence and the unique spirit of the respective corporate culture are retained.

"We want to bring together the best in the industry and shape the future together with our partners and co-companies proactively and on an equal footing," says Chairman of the Board of Directors Franco Quinter of SEU.

Source and further information: SEU

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/schweizer-engineering-gruppe-geht-fachkraeftemangel-gemeinsam-an/

What did this word trigger in them when they read it? Or in new German, what did it trigger? If something bad, then I'm sorry. For me, it usually triggers anger when I hear or read it. The term is currently used very inflationary and unfortunately often wrong. At the moment, everything triggers something in everyone. No matter if gender star, climate surcharge or ChatGPT. It seems as if we are all traumatized, so much you hear the word or read it in the social media. Can't we just get excited anymore?

In the psychological context, a trigger is a so-called cue stimulus. It triggers an unprocessed trauma and floods us with feelings that we had at the time we were traumatized. And that can be very unpleasant for those affected.

The word was mainly used in psychology before its rapid spread. And that's where it belongs. It comes from English and means trigger. Yes, that's right, the little lever on a pistol or revolver that causes the cartridge to fizz out of the barrel with a shot. Bang! That would be the second interpretation. "Pull the trigger." - Pull the trigger. Finish it.

In the social media, after all, it often pops up and therefore it is not surprising that the term outside the treatment rooms of psychologists and psychoanalysts appeared there first. As so-called trigger warnings, with which at best traumatizing content was provided. The often thoughtless content and comments on the rather anonymous platforms seemed to awaken the need for more empathy and more considerate behavior.

Caution, trigger alarm!

It was well-intentioned when these first appeared before posts. Such hints can protect us by giving us the choice whether we want to see what is coming now or not. But even here, the inflationary use of trigger warnings is counterproductive. They are automatically clicked away or make us even more curious. And in the most harmless case, you get angry about the crap you just consumed; in the worst case, traumatic events are reactivated.

But what is traumatic today? The next reorganization, the missing briefing of the client, the new hip cosmetic product that is no longer available online, the terrible campaign of the competitor agency? OMG. Is it all that bad? Seems so to anyone who consumes social media or even classic media and their comment columns.

Whereas letters to the editor used to be linguistically sophisticated, today comments are often just verbal shootouts. "Pull the trigger." - Pull the trigger. Finish her/him/it off. In the end, a lot of noise and many victims who are then traumatized in the worst case.

But at least mental health has managed to get out of the taboo zone and into the public eye in recent years, and we can finally talk about mental health problems, traumas and illnesses as if they were the flu, a pulled muscle or a broken leg. But that doesn't mean we have to communicate with each other in psychologist speak all the time.

* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.

Efforts to transfer Stewi in its current form to new hands, which have been ongoing for some time, have unfortunately failed, according to a statement on Thursday. As has been known since last year, the company headquarters would have had to make way for a new building anyway, while the Stewi building in Winterthur's Grüze district is being demolished.

Now, "for health and age reasons", the owners no longer felt able to continue the company at a new location. The former family business Stewi had been sold to the two new owners Lorenz Fäh and Stephan Ebnöther in 2017. The two marketing specialists planned to bring the traditional company back to its old heights.

However, price pressure from all sides, accompanied by the aftermath of the Corona pandemic, has now "significantly influenced" the decision to close the business, the statement continues.

Hope dies last

However, there is still a glimmer of hope for the company's cult product, the "rotary dryer": Stewi is currently in talks with potential buyers who want to take over elements of the company and keep the well-known name alive.

Until the end of 2023, Stewi will continue to serve its customers through the familiar sales channels and directly at its headquarters in Winterthur, according to the statement. A final furnishings and remnants sale will then take place in the fall after production has ceased. (SDA)

Werbewoche.ch: Dear Mr. Tück, like numerous Swiss agency, digital and communications professionals, you are currently spending a few days at Cannes Lions. What are your impressions this year?

Benjamin Tück: The atmosphere is super, and the discussions very constructive. The beauty of the Cannes Lions Festival is that the good cause is in the foreground. The participants want to exchange ideas with each other and make contacts. For me personally, the exchange with our customers is essential. Cannes offers a very good framework for a light-hearted and topic-related exchange. It is also interesting to see how more and more technology-based projects are submitted and nominated for awards every year. This trend of using new technologies to develop creative solutions will only increase in the future.

Live exchange in the Cannes format was not possible during the pandemic. Do you have the impression that the industry missed that?

It's always a shame when such a big event, where you can meet and discuss in person, doesn't take place locally. But a break also helps to appreciate what you had. Here on site, we can easily meet a triple-digit number of customers, colleagues and competitors every day. That would simply not be possible online.

Now Switzerland is not necessarily one of the "Frontrunner "when it comes to the lion hunt ... but that doesn't mean that nothing is moving in our agency, digital and communications industry. You, for example, set up your house a while ago as a "Accenture Song" rebranded. But there's more to it than just a new name, isn't there?

Exactly, behind the new name there is also a structural adjustment. In 2022, we consolidated the business units of "Accenture Interactive" in such a way that we could efficiently and accurately meet changing customer requirements. The goal of the new name was to replace the word "Interactive," which had become too generic, and create a catchy, effective and optimistic alternative. The new name also comes with a significantly new operating model. As with our clients, the day-to-day design took a little longer, but we are now well on our way to redefining the model of a digital agency.

What are your current priorities in the Swiss market?

The dynamics in the market have turned sharply in recent months. Stagnating global growth has clearly shown that many companies are not yet using technology efficiently in marketing and sales. Many customers have become more cost-conscious and are currently focusing more on transforming their business model. Of course, the efficient use of data and, in the next step, generative AI play a major role. We use this new technology in our customer solutions and investigate its relevance by means of studies. With the more than 25 patents Accenture owns in this area, we benefit from our in-house experts in this work.

And which developments or trends are currently most relevant for Accenture Song globally?

The development of generative AI is very relevant to us. This new technology is changing the way we communicate, consume and create, and will be integrated everywhere. In addition to new technologies, we will also be concerned with the issue of sustainability. We are integrating sustainability into everything we do and developing sustainable solutions for our clients. For example, Accenture Song's Sustainability Studio brings together 30 experts in sustainability, business and life-centeredness to provide insights, strategies and design ideas for a more environmentally conscious interplay between nature, business and people.

I have already had the opportunity to admire your development center in Zurich in person - you are a company that invests a lot in new technology, even outside of your typical lines of business. What kind of experiments are you conducting with generative AI?

Accenture announced just last week that it will invest $3 billion in AI over the next three years. Our overall goal with this investment is to help clients redesign their operations at all levels and use AI to create value quickly and responsibly. Many of our customers have their global headquarters in Switzerland, and much of their global marketing spend is handled here. The efficient use of data and content with AI has great potential for both sides of the balance sheet.

Where do you see the opportunities - and the risks - associated with the technology?

Generative AI enables us to make processes more efficient. With this technology, we can, for example, find and compile information much faster or automate code creation and message sending. We've already seen the impact of Generative AI on the creative industry: Suddenly, realistic-looking images can be created with just a few clicks. The biggest difficulty here is making sure that the AI information is reliable - especially now, when the technology is still in its infancy. In addition, we must expect that criminals will also use generative AI for their own purposes, for example to generate malicious code or write phishing emails.

Sir Martin Sorrell once told me in an interview that he considers Accenture to be his biggest competitor. Did you watch his presentation in Cannes - and does your company share his assessment vice versa?

Sir Martin Sorrell's achievements are very impressive, and we are accordingly pleased to receive his recognition. My understanding is that S4 Capital wants to embark on a similar journey to the one we have been on with Accenture Song for over 10 years. I'm sure it will be exciting! Unfortunately, time did not permit me to be at Sir Martin Sorrell's presentation. I have deliberately designed my week around my clients. I have listened to our competitors whenever possible, because you can learn a lot from each other. But the alignment of our business model starts with our customers.

The 154th SVTI Association Meeting took members, patrons and guests to Neuchâtel in western Switzerland. The statutory part was kept short as usual, so that the social program offered participants more time and opportunity for information and networking.

New member of the Board of Directors and adaptation of the Articles of Association

After 12 years on the SVTI board, Daniel Rebsamen, who is also vice president, has stepped down due to age. René Kian Sarrafian, graduate mechanical engineer and head of the nuclear fuel department at the Gösgen-Däniken AG nuclear power plant, was unanimously elected as his direct successor.

In the recent past, the SVTI has repeatedly succeeded in participating in federal research projects. This has necessitated a corresponding selective extension of the purpose statement in the statutes, which refers to the implementation of research activities and the development of innovative technologies and products, particularly in the fields of technical safety supervision and the manufacture and operation of technical installations of all kinds.

Review, Outlook, Projects

The geopolitical situation, disrupted supply chains, skyrocketing energy prices or the shortage of skilled workers are just some of the challenges that had to be overcome in 2022. Nevertheless, the operating business was able to close with a very solid result. The consolidated financial statements - also called group financial statements - include the association as well as the subsidiaries and represent the overall business of the SVTI Group. The total turnover of the SVTI Group amounts to CHF 47.5 million. This sum is slightly below the previous year's value, but in line with expectations. Various business areas have developed positively and the entire organization has proven to be robust and well positioned. The international NDT conference under the auspices of the Nuclear Inspectorate in Switzerland took place in the year under review as a highlight with charisma for the future. The event was a great success with international appeal. It was also announced with pleasure that the SVTI Group received the prestigious "Swiss Employer Award" in the category "100 - 249 employees" on the basis of an employee survey. The "Swiss Employer Award" is the leading prize for determining the attractiveness of an employer and, as an award, creates a vote of confidence in the search for future employees.

Under the Innovation Fund, various technology-oriented projects for the further development of services and testing methods were initialized and advanced. These include, for example, the use of drones for measurements on components, robot- or crawler-assisted inspections, and research into the safe handling of hydrogen technology.

Keynote address "The Armed Forces, Switzerland's Cadre School

The keynote speaker at the association's meeting was Colonel i Gst Mathias Müller on the topic of "The Army, Switzerland's cadre forge". Mathias Müller, who in an earlier NZZ article was also referred to as the chief recruiter of the Swiss Armed Forces, is today active in the function of project manager for top events of the Swiss Armed Forces, and is also the author of several books. With his presentation, he gave the participants an understanding of practical leadership issues and the military leadership philosophy of today. He also explained that leadership, with its many facets, plays a fundamental role in both the military and civilian sectors.

Source: SVTI

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/svti-praesentiert-an-vereinsversammlung-ein-gutes-finanzielles-ergebnis/

Last year, Zeam and Link conducted the first major representative study of young Generation Z in Switzerland (advertisingweek.ch reported) and are now relaunching their collaboration. According to the companies, the cooperation will result in a recurring study, which will be called the "Generation Future Study".

This year's study focuses on all questions in the area of People & Culture relating to the young generation. Together, Zeam, Link and YouGov want to shed more light on the actual needs and demands of young employees today and how companies can successfully attract and work with young talent.

Current data from the federal government show that for the first time this year there are more representatives of Generation Z on the labor market than the once dominant baby boomer generation. At the same time, the young generation has many new expectations and demands of employers, which is a constant source of discussion.

2,000 respondents

The new study builds on the results of the first study and expands on them. For example, the first study found that the working atmosphere is the most important factor for young people when it comes to the attractiveness of an employer - this year's study looks at what this actually means. In addition, topics are surveyed that are important in society in the context of young people as employees.
widely discussed, for example, factors for job selection or preferred forms of application.

The study is sponsored by Swissstaffing, the Swiss employers' association for personnel service providers. Around 2,000 Generation Z respondents in Switzerland (all language regions) and Germany will be surveyed. Excerpts of the study results are expected to be presented from August.

The study is again being conducted in Switzerland and Germany. In Germany, data collection is carried out by YouGov, an international company for online market research and
analysis technology, which also includes LINK.

The shift to location-independent working, software-defined networks and rapid adoption of cloud connectivity is enabling global enterprises to achieve new levels of productivity and efficiency. However, as they transform their distributed network infrastructure to meet the demands of hybrid working and cloud computing, the attack surface also increases and they become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Now, the two vendors are looking to address this challenge by offering the Prisma^® SASE (Prisma Access + Prisma SD-WAN) from Palo Alto Networks with the connectivity and digital integration capabilities of Orange Business and the managed secure access service from Orange Cyberdefense. This is because the vendor-managed SASE solution provides a secure foundation for agile, cloud-based organizations, according to the statement.

Complete AI-supported SASE solution

Building on existing modern connectivity solutions, Orange Business orchestrates networks, cloud and cybersecurity components to connect customers' business strategy and infrastructure strategy. In doing so, the Evolution Platform is the foundation for a secure, flexible and virtualized ecosystem. Orange Cyberdefense's self-described unique threat intelligence backbone, complemented by state-of-the-art functionality and expertise including detection and response, aims to help organizations achieve better security outcomes. The fully AI-powered SASE solution combines network security, SD-WAN and autonomous digital user experience management (ADEM) into a single cloud service. This increases security and reduces complexity.

Network and security architecture rethought

One company that has already chosen this solution is Imerys, a leading global minerals mining company. Imerys wanted to accelerate its cloud transformation and use agile infrastructure to transform its IT infrastructure to support business growth. At the same time, it wanted to ensure the highest level of global security through the managed SASE solution from Orange and Palo Alto Networks. The company also wanted to save costs by reducing the number of its suppliers and facilitating its M&A activities. Imerys now relies on Orange's SASE solution, based on Orange Business and Orange Cyberdefense functionalities, to create a secure, global, cloud-enabled network and smoothly migrate its current infrastructure. For maximum protection, Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE now provides a zero-trust approach, regardless of whether an end user is inside or outside the corporate network.

More and more companies are relying on cloud solutions - including for cyber security

"Enterprises are adopting new cloud-based technologies to increase productivity, improve efficiency and offer new services. However, this is also increasing their digital attack surface," sums up Helmut Reisinger, CEO EMEA and LATAM, Palo Alto Networks. "The challenge to improve cyber resilience has never been greater. By combining our SASE solution with Orange's services and management capabilities, we are able to offer our customers industry-leading network and security solutions in a single platform. It is easy to deploy, scale and manage, and delivers best-in-class performance." And Aliette Mousnier-Lompre, CEO of Orange Business, adds, "As more enterprises move their operations to the cloud and adopt a digital-first approach, our customers need to adopt zero-trust security. They are asking for a solution that brings networking and security together in a flexible, simple and cost-effective way. Together with Palo Alto Networks and Orange Cyberdefense, we offer a fully converged and managed SASE offering that delivers for our global customers."

Source: www.orange-business.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/cybersicherheit-orange-business-und-palo-alto-networks-bieten-verwaltete-sase-loesung/

At the end of 2021, three Basel entrepreneurs presented their idea to the Yellow agency. In order to be able to exploit the full potential of the project, the client and the agency opted for a greenfield start. The task for the strategists at Yellow had several dimensions. First, a foundation had to be laid that would allow the company to diversify in all possible directions while remaining true to its purpose. Second, a brand had to be created with which young people between the ages of 12 and 18 could identify and by which they would feel credibly understood.

The entire development, strategy and creative process was managed using the agency's own "Like" system. Focus groups with young people and mothers as well as online surveys via social media channels were used to gather insights. The agency and startup jointly defined the purpose as making it easier for young people to grow up.

The result is Vivage, which is primarily a platform by young people for young people. Communication takes place exclusively via Instagram and TikTok, where the company's own creators discuss topics that affect their peers in adolescence on a weekly basis.

As its first physical support, Vivage recently launched a product for which Yellow was fully responsible from package design to webshop to launch. The results can be seen on Vivage.ch, in social channels and selected print titles.

Responsible at Vivage: Alex Locher. Responsible agency: Yellow. Partner: Monami, Open Interactive.

Jung von Matt Brand Identity has developed a new and future-oriented brand identity for the private laboratory Labor Team. Labor Team, originally "Team W", is one of the five largest medical laboratories in Switzerland and was founded in 2001.

In order to position the company for the challenges of the future and to profile itself as a pioneer of individual diagnostics in the private laboratory sector, the first step was to define a clear brand strategy. With the help of workshops and various stakeholder analyses, the self-image was sharpened to a quality and competence positioning. The development of a new brand name and a brand identity that has been revised in all areas are intended to send a strong signal to internal employees and external stakeholders.

The new appearance is accompanied by a concise and flexible design that stands out strikingly from the often soberly sterile design of the competition and is optimally conceived for use in the digital field. The individual elements were inspired by everyday laboratory medicine and are based on the amorphous shapes of cell cross-sections under microscopic magnification. These can be found as concise form elements in all of the company's physical and digital applications.

User friendly website

In parallel, Jung von Matt Tech dedicated itself to the relaunch of the Lab Team WebsiteThe agency integrated the new brand identity into the website and developed innovative solutions for an improved user experience.

The focus of the website relaunch was on improving the information architecture and content. The results of the modernized website include an introductory animation to the new Labor Team presence, a generous header, and an intuitive analysis finder. Other benefits that come with the new website include a modernized career presence, a variety of content modules, and a user:inside-friendly CMS.

The new digital design system is intended to combine functionality and aesthetics and positions Labor Team as an innovative and leading brand in laboratory medicine. Modern animations are designed to give the website a dynamic and modern look and feel. In addition, Jung von Matt Tech carried out a content transformation that reflects the new brand mentality and also created a variety of new content to provide end-customers and applicants with even more information.

Responsible at Laboratory Team: Alain Cahen (CEO, Strategy), Walter Jenni (CIO, Systems), Domenic Buschor (Project Management, Head of Marketing), Marco Bont (Technical Connection), Corinne Zangger (Content/Implementation). Responsible at Jung von Matt Brand Identity: Thomas Deigendesch (Strategy), Christina Widmann (Design Lead), Pablo Scheidegger, Loraine Olalia (Design), Diana Geissel (Project Management), Inna Schill (Consulting). Responsible at Jung von Matt Tech: Mergime Raci, Christoph Boy (UX Concept), Vitalli Peters (Art Direction), Emmanuel Denier, Joel Rohland (UX/UI Design), Christian Koop (Technical Direction), Patrik Ruchti, Stefanie Pfeffer (Consulting/Project Management), Stefan Bruggmann (Managing Director, Development), Michelle Scholz (Managing Director). Responsible at Jung von Matt Impact: Matthias Wobrock (Analytics), Philipp Bühler (SEO), Hagi Süssmann (Client Direction). Responsible at 180HB: Piotr Kamiński (Lead Web-Development), Piotr Skwira, Paweł Malinowski, Marcin Gregorczyk, Krzysztof Zjawin (Web-Development), Paweł Nowak (QA). Responsible at Ese Agency: Severin Gamper (Art Direction), Livia Rainolter (Project Management).

After about 18 years of operating under the "Swisscanto" brand, the Swisscanto Collective Foundation and the Swisscanto Supra Collective Foundation decide to make their independence more visible again. To this end, the two pension funds return to their founding names - just in time for their 50th anniversary: Servisa Collective Foundation and Servisa Supra Collective Foundation.

An extraordinary case

By returning to its original name, Servisa is treading an unusual path, but one that makes sense in terms of brand strategy. The foundations want to reaffirm their independence and at the same time demonstrate continuity - because there is no change to the long-term business strategy. Scholtysik carefully examined the perception, quality and legal enforceability of the original brand name beforehand and, in close cooperation with WalderWyss' trademark lawyers, is developing a multi-stage approach for the reintroduction of the brand.

"Innovation and transformation drive us all and people reflexively look for something new. But it can be worthwhile to stop for a moment and look at what you already carry in your portfolio," explains Lukas Staudenmann, naming expert at Scholtysik. "For Servisa, this meant a six-month time gain and cost savings in the high five figures."

Appearance that reflects the attitude

Together with the Servisa management team, Scholtysik identifies the brand essence of the pension fund and uses it to develop a market-differentiating image that reflects the attitude of the foundations. The name Servisa is intended to express the personal customer service with which the pension fund wants to distinguish itself from others.

The new figurative mark is intended to symbolize strength, cohesion and security. Illustrations also deliberately add a human touch to the reduced, straightforward design. With subtle humor, they are intended to make abstract pension topics accessible and easier to understand for policyholders. This is the responsibility of illustrator Till Lauer, whose work for The New Yorker, The Economist, The Guardian Weekly or also The time attract international attention.

Launch accompanied by communication

Scholtysik is also responsible for coordinated launch communications on the Monday deadline to the various stakeholder groups such as employees, insured persons, affiliated companies, brokers and the media. Scholtysik develops the communication strategy and supports Servisa's managers in media relations and coordination with the partners involved.

Severe storms, pandemics, armed conflicts, terrorist threats, cyber attacks: crisis situations are occurring with increasing frequency and are increasingly determining the reality of life. Companies therefore need organizational resilience, i.e. the ability to anticipate crisis events, minimize their impact on business operations and ensure the safety of their employees. 

The company Everbridge shows how to become more resilient as a company in six steps. It aims to increase the resilience of companies and authorities in crisis situations.

1. Investing in the well-being of employees. Companies are only as resilient as their employees. Investing in training, mentoring, and resources that promote workforce well-being and mental health is therefore a top priority. Happy and healthy employees are better able to deal with crises and are more engaged in managing them.
2. Develop a resilient corporate culture. A resilient workforce also requires the right culture. Companies should recognize the successes of their employees, encourage them to learn from mistakes, and promote their cooperation. Then employees develop a strong sense of community, stick together in crises and pull together.
3. Maintain a leadership style of integrity. Managers in the company must set a good example. If they provide clear guidance, set realistic expectations and are approachable at all times, they create a sense of trust and stability among employees that will pay off in crisis situations.
4. Promote agile thinking and working. Solving problems quickly, adopting new approaches at short notice if necessary, and adapting to new challenges: These are the hallmarks of a resilient organization. Companies can develop these capabilities by promoting agile mindsets and agile working methods.
5. Proactively manage risk. Resilience requires a proactive approach. Resilient companies continuously assess potential risks, develop contingency plans and test them regularly. This then enables them, should the worst happen, to minimize disruption to business operations and recover quickly from setbacks.
6. Use integrated and intuitive technology. Technology plays a key role in building a resilient organization. Organizations need business continuity, disaster recovery and risk management tools that work seamlessly together and are intuitive enough to be used by anyone in a crisis.

"Investing in your resilience is no longer optional for companies. Building a resilient organization is now a top priority," said Stefica Divkovic, senior vice president at Everbridge. "With the above six steps, we aim to provide companies with a guide to assess their resilience and make necessary improvements if needed." The U.S.-based company, which has offices across Europe, relies on so-called critical event management (CEM) technologies in its work. These not only help to identify critical events earlier and respond to them proactively, but also to mitigate the impact and return to normal productivity more quickly.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/sechs-punkte-fuer-ein-krisenfestes-unternehmen/