The summary of the annual report is created with ChatGPT, the graphics for it come from DALL-E: Generative AI programs have rapidly established themselves in everyday office life in Switzerland and are now part of daily business for many employees. This is shown by the survey "The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI in Switzerland" by the audit and consulting firm Deloitte Switzerland. For the survey, 1,002 people were questioned throughout Switzerland who could in principle use generative AI in their work. As the survey of these groups of people shows, six out of ten employees (61%) who work with a computer or similar device already use Generative AI programs in their everyday working lives. In the private sphere, usage is even slightly higher at 64 percent. The highest percentage in professional use is for AI text programs (47%), followed by image programs (26%) and coding programs (24%). The majority of respondents are satisfied with the results obtained and rate the results provided by AI with 7 out of 10 (possible) points.

Many companies lack guidelines for AI use

The high number of users illustrates the already high level of implementation of generative AI in the office workplace: many respondents state that AI programs enable them to work more efficiently (63%), be more creative (54%) or improve the quality of their work (45%). However, with the widespread use of generative AI by employees also comes a problem that poses great risks for companies: In many companies, AI implementation is not steered by management and consequently provided with clear guidelines, but is instead carried out by the employees themselves - in a quarter of all cases (26%) even without the knowledge of their direct superiors. Thus, 61 percent of respondents say their company does not have corporate guidelines for AI use. 24 percent of respondents also state that the use of AI is prohibited in their company - at least for the time being.

For companies, this poses major risks, for example with regard to data protection or the circumvention of established operating processes. This vulnerability is also evident in the devices used: Just under 60 percent of respondents say they use their personal computers or cell phones when using generative AI for work.

However, the survey also shows that many respondents are well aware of the potential risks posed to their employer by the use of AI: Two-thirds (67%) see incorrect, erroneous or incomplete information as one of the main drawbacks of generative AI. Sixty-five percent of respondents have cybersecurity concerns, 64 percent cite data privacy as a problem, and 61 percent fault the lack of transparency around the sources and information used when using AI programs.

AI deployment: For companies, it will be a learning-by-doing process

"Companies cannot simply ignore or casually make AI implementation part of everyday work. Rather, they need to build active processes to realize the full potential of generative AI and address the risks described, as many employees are already using such programs," says Marc Beierschoder, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Offering at Deloitte Switzerland. "For many companies, it will be a learning-by-doing process. They first need to clarify legal and technological fundamentals to ensure that risks are managed effectively. Only in a second step is the focus on productivity gains. The final step is to define a long-term strategy beyond the immediately visible benefits. This requires considerable investment. In the long term, however, this promises much higher profits."

The benefits of systematic implementation go far beyond the immediately visible advantages: Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize business offerings, co-conceptualize new products and services, or change entire business models.

Widespread fear of potential job loss

It is sometimes these efficiencies and changing business models that worry many employees and AI users. Just under half of all respondents (43%) say they are concerned about losing their job over the next five years due to the increasing use of AI programs. Of particular interest here, employees who already use AI heavily in their day-to-day work are far more concerned about their job future, at 69 percent. This is one of the reasons why more than half of all respondents (54%) are convinced they will have to learn how to use generative AI programs. However, employees do not see themselves as responsible, but rather primarily the employer, who should provide them with the necessary knowledge through training and continuing education (48%). There is a gap in expectations here: 31 percent of all respondents have already received active support or training from their employer.

"Generative artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the world of work in the coming years. For both employees and employers, a constructive approach to the topic is important. Employees will benefit from simplified processes and increased efficiency in the future. For their part, however, companies have a responsibility to address concerns about the impact of AI on job security jobs and to train their employees through continuing education measures. This can lead to new forms of collaboration between humans and AI," explains Marc Beierschoder. "In constructively designed AI ecosystems, employees are not simply replaced by AI programs. Rather, AI-trained specialists use their knowledge in a targeted manner in their day-to-day work and thus actively contribute to the company's future strategy."

If you've been (or still are) looking to cool off in the water during the summer heat, David Bowie's quote comes in handy: "If you feel confident in the area you are working in, then you are not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you think you can handle. Venture a little beyond your limits, and if you feel your feet barely touching the ground, you're in exactly the right place to do something exciting." I think this gets to the heart of why many don't really get anywhere and then are dissatisfied: they tread water in the shallows.

Stepping in place in shallow water

In any case, we remember David Bowie (and many others) for not staying in shallow water. (And attention: What in the quote not is to simply swim into deep water completely out of one's mind. That only very rarely works out well ;-) In any case, I see a lot of people who find countless reasons why they absolutely have to stay in the familiar water. The problem: This doesn't get us anywhere and it makes us unhappy in the long run, because unfulfilled.

It's where the feet no longer feel the ground that the magic often happens. Let's bring this into the business context a bit. Here are three ideas on how to bring David Bowie into your everyday life (besides listening to his music):

Idea #1: More curiosity

As children, we are curious. Later, we are gradually deprived of this. Conversely, this means that we can also learn it again.

Instead of accepting things or improving them slightly (shallow water), keep asking yourself, "Why is it like this?" Or, "Why don't we do it differently?" Or, "Why don't we just leave that out?"

Idea #2: More inspiration

I think too few people are inspired by people who have crossed borders, who had or have "no ground under their feet".

For me, at any rate, it helps a lot to reflect again and again (and to read about it) how outstanding artists, politicians or business people have generated their success. When you see what works for others, you can venture into deeper water yourself.

Idea No. 3: More variation

We often stay in shallow water because we always do the same things in the same way. It's comfortable and seemingly safe.

If you simply vary your own routines and keep doing things differently, you'll find yourself in situations where you can do "something exciting" much more often.

So, what deep water will you go into today and what exciting thing will you create?

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

The swissICT association connects ICT providers, users and professionals in Switzerland with its 2500 members. The comprehensive study "Salaries in ICT" has been one of swissICT's core services since 1981. The 2023 edition has just been published. It shows that salaries in 2022 and 2023, excluding the inflation rate on the cut-off dates (May 1), have increased. This is 1.8 percent across all professions and skill levels. This presumably also reflects the recruitment of talent, which is sometimes desperately sought after - but not at any price, as is also evident from the study. A more differentiated look reveals a large increase of 2 percent, particularly at the junior competence level. This is only surpassed by those in senior and top management and goes up to a maximum increase of 4.8 percent. It can be assumed that salaries have increased since the previous year due to both inflation and the shortage of skilled workers.

Working conditions

For the first time, the salary survey also included six questions on employment conditions. Three of the six questions concerned home office arrangements and thus address the changes that have taken place in recent years. For example, employees are most often expected to be present in the office three or more days. However, 17.4 percent of the 293 companies said they do not have any requirements. However, if asked which companies pay financial compensation for home office days, the figure is just under 18 percent. When it comes to weekly target working hours, an average of 119 companies report that they have a 42-hour week. A small but still not insignificant number of companies have a 35-hour week.

From traditional to agile organization

For the first time since the survey of agile job descriptions, there has been a slight decline in the number of mentions of DevOps Engineer. The decline amounts to 10 percent from 2022 to 2023, but this does not detract from the apparent growth in the agile job descriptions, as the product manager has increased by 133 percent in return. On average, the agile jobs are therefore still up by 40 percent in terms of mentions. They can also look forward to slightly above-average growth of 3.6 percent in salaries.

"The forms of collaboration have changed," says Lukas Ruggli, HR business partner at Swiss Post. And when asked about the general salary issue in the IT industry, he says: "We're in the same situation as everyone else: We are constantly looking for highly qualified IT specialists. Everyone faces more or less the same challenges. But I'm glad that companies are nevertheless remaining realistic and not paying excessive wages just to attract the right people. It is important to continue paying fair and appropriate wages in the future. But it wouldn't be good to suddenly get into a wage spiral that then can't be controlled and costs go through the roof as a result."

Source: swissICT

SMEs in the MEM sector are no longer optimistic in July 2023 for the first time this year: A slim majority of 54 percent consider the current business climate to be rather or very unfavorable. "This means that the Swissmechanic SME-MEM business climate index slips slightly into the red for the first time this year," Swissmechanic director Jürg Marti notes. The 182 SMEs that participated in the latest quarterly survey report declining orders, sales and margins. Only the increase in personnel is continuing at a slower pace. The shortage of labor again emerged as the biggest challenge in the second quarter, ahead of the exchange rate, the lack of orders, energy prices and supply chain problems (see chart).

Weak exports, slowing monetary policy

A number of negative factors on both the demand and supply sides have led to the current low in sentiment. The most important aspects are the weak external economic environment, geopolitical uncertainty, still relatively high energy prices, the strong Swiss franc and monetary tightening, which is leading to higher interest rates and more restrictive lending, which is hampering investment.

Because the most important trading partners Europe, the USA and China are themselves suffering from an economic slowdown, exports from the MEM sector fell in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of the previous year for the first time in more than two years. This negative trend was confirmed in July.

Strongly committed to training

"Even though our companies were able to stabilize production capacity utilization in the second quarter, the challenges facing the MEM sector are considerable," comments Swissmechanic Director Jürg Marti. The shortage of labor was mentioned most frequently in the survey, namely by 54 percent of the companies (see figure). Around three quarters of these companies were unable to fill their vacancies in the last three months. This shortage is most pronounced in the technical professions, especially among employees with the training profile "Berufsbildung Sek. II".

Swissmechanic is countering this labor shortage with its strong commitment to basic education. The more than 1,200 member companies, which employ an average of 55 people, currently train around 6,000 apprentices. "The regional anchoring of our 13 sections, which in turn operate 14 of their own training centers for inter-company courses, is one of the great strengths of our association," Jürg Marti emphasizes.

No recession expectations

On a positive note for SME-MEM, the realignment of energy supply, for example, is making rapid progress following the discontinuation of Russian raw material supplies. Global supply chains have also normalized and there are increasing signs that inflationary pressure is easing significantly.

Even though the coming months are likely to remain challenging, BAK Economics therefore does not anticipate a recession in the MEM sector. BAK Economics expects the MEM economy to be merely subdued in the current year, as in the economy as a whole. Job creation in the MEM sector is likely to continue (at a slower pace). The outlook for next year is slightly better.

Source: Swissmechanic

Since the company OpenAI released its ChatGPT program for general free use at the end of 2022, a real hype has arisen around the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) - not only on the stock market, but also in the media. In the most dazzling colors, they described the opportunities that AI offers companies, for example, for redesigning and optimizing their business processes, and the dangers that increased use of AI poses - for some professions or employees who hold certain functions in companies.

Use of AI: Serenity among managers

However, company executives seem to be very relaxed about the topic of artificial intelligence. At least, that is what the current Leadership Trend Barometer of the Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age (IFIDZ) in Wiesbaden suggests. 158 executives took part in this online survey. They were asked about the extent to which they see the role and responsibilities of managers changing as a result of the increased use of AI.

The survey revealed that only two percent of respondents are convinced that AI tools or systems can replace human managers in the medium to long term. In other words, they do not fear for their function. Rather, the majority of them (93 percent) are convinced that artificial intelligence (AI) can support them in their leadership work. For example, 56 percent of respondents expect AI systems to be able to relieve executives of "boring, repetitive tasks." In addition, just over half of executives (51 percent) believe AI can help them and their employees make decision-making processes "more efficient" and make "better decisions." That's why 57 percent of executives advocate for their organization to be more open to using AI in leadership - to find solutions and achieve goals. They also want existing fears and reservations about AI to be reduced so that it is "deployed and used as a matter of course."

Only a few use AI tools

Two-thirds of executives (66 percent) are of the opinion that "we can no longer imagine life without AI. Consequently, only three percent are convinced that the current AI debate is merely "hype" that "will soon die down. Against this background, it is striking that, according to their own statements, only 12 percent of managers are currently already using AI tools for their management work and to increase their personal performance and that of their department.

According to Barbara Liebermeister, head of IFIDZ, this means that there is currently still a large discrepancy between the openness to and acceptance of AI systems by managers on the one hand and their use in day-to-day operations and management on the other. According to her, this "gap" must be closed "so that companies can make the most of the opportunities that AI offers them, for example, to optimize their business processes and to open up new business areas.

Source: www.ifidz.de

What happens in the already apparent in the first quarter, is now a fact after the 2nd quarter: Only a few months after the opening of China's borders, the country has regained its old position in the ranking as a destination for Swiss business travelers. In the first half of 2023, the Middle Kingdom ranked second among long-haul destinations after the U.S., displacing the ranks two to four from 2022 - the United Arab Emirates, India and Singapore - by one place each. That's according to the AirPlus Business Travel Index, an analysis of airline ticket transactions processed through AirPlus. Last year, China had slipped to 27th place in the long-distance ranking, after the country had classically occupied second place behind the USA prior to the corona pandemic. Nevertheless, the total number of China tickets sold is still well below the 2019 level (-65 percent). Overall, spending by Swiss companies on airline tickets increased by 46 percent between January and June 2023 compared to the same period last year.

Different price trends for airline tickets

Ticket prices developed differently in the first half of 2023: Business Class tickets cost an average of CHF 4319 in June, 3.3 percent less than in January. In contrast, there was a price increase in Economy Class: Prices averaged CHF 641 per Economy ticket in June, an increase of 12.9 percent since the beginning of the year.

Business Travel Trends: Longer Trips, More Business Class, Workation

The habits of business travelers have changed permanently since the pandemic, as the evaluation of the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2019 once again proves:

• Proportionally, employees of Swiss companies flew more often in business class (17.4 percent vs. 14.1 percent in 2019) and less in economy class (81.5 percent vs. 85.5 percent)
• Fewer domestic flights were used (0.2 percent vs. 1.0 percent in 2019), but more long-haul flights were used (26.5 percent vs. 24.2 percent in 2019)
• Companies booked tickets earlier (30.5 vs. 26.6 days)
• More and more trips started on a weekend (22.4 percent vs. 18.7 percent in 2019) - an indication of the "bleisure" and "workation" trends, the combination of a personal trip and a business trip
• Trips lasted one day longer on average (6.5 vs. 5.5 days), but the share of one-day trips decreased significantly (4.8 percent vs. 9.9 percent in 2019)

Switzerland ranks 6th as a business travel destination in Europe

For European business travelers*, Germany was clearly the most popular destination in the first half of the year - one in five trips headed for a German airport. Around one in twenty trips was to Switzerland, which put it in sixth place on the popularity scale for European business travelers (behind Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain).

Andy Stehrenberger, Managing Director of AirPlus in Switzerland, comments on the latest results of the AirPlus Business Travel Index as follows: "The travel activity of Swiss business travelers picked up again in the first half of the year. In this context, companies were quite willing to spend more on airline tickets. In addition, travelers have made lasting changes to their habits compared to 2019, as our evaluation shows. Swiss companies and their employees are increasingly aware of taking multiple appointments as part of a longer trip and reducing one-day business trips as well as flights within Switzerland. For their part, employees are enjoying the flexibility of location-independent working established during the pandemic. One result of this is the increasing combination of private and business travel."

*Evaluation of the European core markets of AirPlus International (Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy)

Source: Air Plus 

The recovery trend of the Allianz Trade Export Forecast observed since the end of 2022 was halted. In June, the leading indicator for Swiss exports fell to a new low for the year of -1.40 points. The direction has now changed again and the indicator stood at -1.26 points at the beginning of August, 0.47 points lower than three months ago. The Allianz Trade Export Forecast thus remains in negative territory. This indicates below-average growth in a long-term comparison. "Just three months ago, we were pleased to see a dynamic trend reversal in the Allianz Trade Export Forecast," notes Jan Möllmann, CEO Allianz Trade Switzerland. "Unfortunately, this trend was abruptly stopped. On a positive note, we still have robust labor markets and closely coupled consumer confidence and a continued strong appetite to buy."

Recessionary trends in the industry

The trade-weighted purchasing managers' index for the Swiss export markets stands at 46.6 points. This is 1.5 points lower than three months ago. As with the Forecast Index, a trend reversal was also registered here in July. This is not the case for other indicators. For example, according to the Business Climate Index, the production expectations of industrial companies in the European Union are the lowest they have been since June 2020. The Purchasing Managers Index for Swiss industry also shows a sharp decline. It fell to 38.5 points. This is the lowest level since April 2009. Production has generally declined and the falling order backlog suggests that no immediate recovery is in sight.

Financial markets sheer carefree

"What is exciting," says Jasmin Groeschl, Senior Economist for Europe at Allianz Trade, "is that despite rising interest rates and clear signs of a slowdown in industry, many blue chips on the financial markets are trading close to record highs. Investors are probably assuming that the economic dip will pass quickly. At Allianz Trade, we expect more moderate growth of 0.8 % for Switzerland in 2023 and 1.7 % for 2024." The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) expects real GDP growth of 1.1 % in 2023 and 1.5 % in 2024.

Inflation dynamics significantly eased

In Switzerland, the inflation rate was above average at 2.8 % in 2022. In the first quarter of 2023, inflation picked up to 3.2 %, but fell to 2.1 % in the second quarter. In July, it stood at 1.6 %. Switzerland protects its farmers by imposing import duties on foreign agricultural products. This stabilizes the prices concerned, but leads to a higher price level. Despite the strong Swiss franc, imported goods are significantly cheaper than in the previous year. However, a strong franc harbors risks for the export economy, as it makes Swiss exports much more expensive in an environment where global demand is weakening significantly due to uncertainties, the turnaround in interest rates by many national banks and continuing high inflation.

Stagnation of Swiss foreign trade after very good first quarter 2023

Driven by rising prices, Swiss foreign trade increased in both exports and imports in the first quarter of 2023. However, these stagnated in the second quarter of 2023. Adjusted for seasonal effects and inflation, exports stood at 2.8 % in the second quarter, having risen by 3.2 % in the first quarter. Imports were down for the third consecutive quarter at -5.4 %. The trade surplus amounted to CHF 9.9 billion in the second quarter. Trends in exports and imports were characterized by a -3.0 % decline in exports in the chemical-pharmaceutical sector. The Watches division, at +2.5 %, recorded a new high. All other product groups showed a decline in sales in the second quarter of 2023. In terms of value, Switzerland sold fewer goods in North America (-4.8 %), Europe (-1.2 %) and Asia (-3.0 %) in the second quarter of 2023.

Imports from North America, Asia and Europe all declined. 10 out of 12 product groups recorded a decline. Again, the chemical-pharmaceutical products sector was particularly affected, falling by 1.3 billion Swiss francs. Aerospace, on the other hand, recorded an increase of 11.5 %, or 32.1 % in real terms.

Source: Allianz Trade Switzerland

As a result of demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers, competition for talented workers as well as motivated trainees has intensified dramatically. At the same time, the world of work is undergoing rapid change, which is also influencing Generation Z's expectations and needs of their employers. With the recently completed and Switzerland-wide representative study, SwissSkills aims to make an informative contribution to professional associations and employers. The search for qualified skilled workers and committed apprentices is increasingly one of the biggest challenges for the economy.

The key findings - in three different areas

The recruitment, development and retention of young talent were investigated. The findings of the study show that a good working atmosphere, the team, and colleagues are the most important reasons for both women (94%) and men (87%) when choosing an employer. Job search via traditional job advertisements ranks first for both genders (80%), followed by personal contacts (75%). Social media do not play a major role in the job search.

In the development of young talent, by far the most important requirement for leaders is appreciation, as well as trust and respect (78% for women and 77% for men). Honesty and open communication are the second most important expectations of a manager for both women (65%) and men (61%).

The three main reasons why young people leave a company are interpersonal; a poor working atmosphere (64%), lack of appreciation (62%) and dissatisfaction with the manager (41%) are hardly conducive to longer employee retention. Nevertheless, job security is an important need for both women (50%) and men (44%), even in times of low unemployment and increasing shortage of skilled workers.

Representative for the whole of Switzerland and all industries

The SwissSkills study was conducted in cooperation with Kitoko People. A total of 600 people between the ages of 17 and 27 throughout Switzerland were surveyed online. Of these, 460 were from German-speaking Switzerland, 100 from French-speaking Switzerland and 40 from Italian-speaking Switzerland. The survey sample covers a large part of the industries. The data was collected in the period from March 2023 to May 2023. The respondents were the SwissSkills Ambassadors and all participants of SwissSkills 2022, so the study is oriented towards the best professional talents in Switzerland.

Source: SwissSkills

Seven instead of just one head at the top: The members of the executive board of the myclimate foundation will jointly succeed the previous CEO Stephen Neff, who is leaving the organization at his own request. The board of trustees of myclimate had voted in favor of this new model. With this step, the top management of myclimate expects that the new management structure will further strengthen the organisation in the current dynamic market environment. The collective knowledge, experience, and skills of the seven executives will form the foundation for optimally fulfilling myclimate's mission in the future, as it says: Together with partners from business and society, the goal is to implement effective climate protection through consulting, education, and projects.

Experience and complementary competencies

As of October 1, 2023, the operational management of myclimate will consist of the following seven people:

• Kathrin Dellantonio, Managing Director of myclimate Switzerland: Born in South Tyrol, she has held various management positions at myclimate for around twenty years and is a specialist in advising companies on holistic climate protection.
• Miryam Escher, Head of Corporate Services: Miryam Escher is an HR and finance expert who has accompanied various companies in her career. Since 2018, she has been responsible for HR, administration and finance at myclimate.
• Stefan Baumeister, Managing Director myclimate Germany: After 16 years in the IT industry, Stefan Baumeister founded the subsidiary organization myclimate Deutschland gGmbH in 2009, which he has developed into a double-digit million turnover with a team of more than 40 people.
• Christof Fuchs, Managing Director myclimate Austria: Christof Fuchs has been building up the Austrian business of myclimate from Vienna since January 2022. Previously, the experienced manager launched, among other things, the first nationwide car sharing system in Austria.
• Florian Goppel, Head of Carbon Markets: The lawyer and MBA is an internationally experienced expert in sustainability, procurement and growth management. He has advised the European Union, among others. Since 2021, he and his team have been managing the myclimate carbon offset projects.
• Beat Nussbaumer, Head of Innovation and Digitalization: Beat Nussbaumer is a passionate "Lean Manager" with a focus on project management and leadership tasks. Since 2020, he has been bringing these skills paired with his IT know-how to myclimate.
• Kai Rassmus Landwehr, Head of Corporate Marketing: The graduate historian is a passionate communicator with roots in the sports industry who has helped shape the appearance of myclimate since 2013 and sharpened the brand message and direction.

myclimate foundation on new paths

The seven-member Executive Board will take up its new duties on October 1, 2023. In the coming weeks, the new managers will work together with the Board of Trustees - the highest authority for strategy and management of the foundation - to define the operational and administrative cooperation. Likewise, a seamless handover from outgoing CEO Stephen Neff will take place during this time. He, who has led myclimate as CEO since 2018, announced his retirement in April of this year. The enthusiastic diving instructor is taking the opportunity to take over a diving school on the Campbell River in British Columbia/Canada. For Stephen Neff, this closes a circle, as the Swiss-Canadian lived there until adulthood. Under his leadership, myclimate has grown from a pioneering foundation with 70 employees to a professional organization with 170 specialists with offices in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

Source and further information: www.myclimate.org

While employer and employee circles are united over the Sense and nonsense of a 4-day week some companies are putting their money where their mouth is because they are convinced of the benefits of a shorter working week. This is also the case with Dobler-Bautenschutz AG in Schinznach-Dorf, a leading Swiss company in the building protection and renovation industry.

Employee well-being at the center

Currently, the team of Dobler-Bautenschutz AG consists of 18 highly qualified employees who are trained specialists in building protection. In the course of its 30th anniversary, the company has introduced a 4-day week since August 1, 2023, to ensure a better work-life balance for its employees. "The well-being of our team is very important to us," explains Franz Dobler, the company's founder. "With the 4-day workweek, we enhance the quality of life of our employees while promoting productivity and job satisfaction." As a company specializing in building protection, the company employs professionally experienced and best-qualified Swiss male and female skilled workers who have been specifically and consistently trained as specialists in the field of building protection. Dobler-Bautenschutz AG is not only certified in quality management according to ISO 9001, but also distinguishes itself through its expert opinions and expertises. As a member of the professional association SPR Switzerland, the company underlines its position as a recognized player in the industry.

Positioning yourself as an attractive employer

The company is dedicated to solving any moisture and water problems with expertise, as well as old building renovation in building protection. With a wide range of specialized services - from mold treatment, quarry stone masonry restoration, concrete masonry waterproofing to basement waterproofing - the company offers what it describes as a unique ten-year warranty on all work performed. "Our employees are our most valuable potential," says Stefan Gütiger, a member of the management team at Dobler-Bautenschutz AG. "With the introduction of the 4-day week, we are also giving them more time for family and personal interests." The aim is to establish the company as one of the most attractive employers in the region, and this decision was therefore an important step in this direction, Stefan Gütiger continues.

Positive effect on employees and customers

The company's employees have already responded positively to the switch to the 4-day week. "They appreciate the additional free time and use it for family, hobbies or to relax," says Elian Bertschi, also a member of the management team. The 4-day week also offers Dobler-Bautenschutz AG a competitive advantage. "We can attract and retain talented professionals, and our employees are more motivated and productive," says CEO Kevin Dobler. "This decision underscores our forward-looking corporate culture and strengthens our position in a competitive market.

Source and further information: Dobler Building Protection AG

Looking at digitization from the perspective of SMEs and listening to what companies want and have to say. This is how the organizers - the topsoft platform and the Digital Council consultant network - summarize the topics of the newly launched ONE expert forum. The agenda includes field reports, for example on a cyber attack experienced first-hand, the challenges of managing e-commerce teams, brand building using social media, and much more. The forum will take place in the unique event location Heuboden near Rotkreuz. What sets the event apart from others: Only representatives of SMEs are on stage, not IT solution providers.

Help, we have been hacked!

The title of the keynote alone is a wake-up call, because the danger of an attack from cyberspace is by no means an illusion. More and more Swiss SMEs are suddenly faced with this reality and have to deal with it. Daniel Fiechter, CIO of STOBAG AG, has experienced such an attack and explains both the procedure and the company's reaction.

But the presentations also provide a lot of know-how, always based on their own experience. The speakers point out the advantages, but also the risks of digitization, always using concrete examples.

Field reports and networking

The range of topics covered by the presentations is wide, always with concrete application examples and first-hand tips. During the extended breaks as well as at the subsequent dinner, there will be sufficient time for joint discussions and uncomplicated networking. "Instead of presenting solution providers, at ONE Fachforum we focus on users and companies. This enables SMEs to engage in a factual and professional exchange on digitization at eye level," says co-organizer Cyrill Schmid of topsoft, summarizing the purpose of the expert forum.

For Kevin D. Klak from the Digital Council consulting network, the expert forum is an ideal opportunity to exchange ideas among like-minded people: "We are pleased that companies such as Stobag, Anliker, Stadler Form, Cereno Schweiz, Meier Tobler and also the city of Zurich report on how they experience digitization. In this way, participants learn what works in terms of digitization and where there are stumbling blocks."

Source, more information and tickets: one-fachforum.ch.