Climate change, unequal working conditions, corruption: companies must realign their business models to meet global challenges. Nevertheless, executives are increasingly recognizing that competitiveness and sustainability are inextricably linked. The study "Transforming Business for a Sustainable Economy" by the international management consultancy Bain & Company reveals that for 81 percent of the companies surveyed, sustainability is more important today than it was five years ago. Eighty-five percent believe that the issue will become even more important in the next five years, and as many as 99 percent are aware that the necessary changes will have to be implemented quickly or faster than before. 297 globally active companies took part in the study.

Change process is a matter for the boss

"Many companies have already integrated certain sustainability goals into their business models as best practices," notes Bain partner and industry expert Michael Staebe. "But some pioneers have already taken the next step. They have developed new target strategies with the so-called Next Practices, which enable them to have a comprehensively sustainable business model." This new way of doing business may look different for each industry sector. For the automotive industry, for example, it means using autonomous vehicles powered by clean energy and shared mobility. In the financial sector, on the other hand, it's about dovetailing investment decisions with environmental and social goals, for example.

Six approaches for more sustainability

"A convincing business philosophy, bold goals and self-confidence accelerate the transformation," explains Bain partner and transformation expert Lars Dingemann. "It is also necessary to locate the change process at board level and involve influential opinion leaders to actively support the responsible innovation managers."

As part of the study, Bain identified six strategic approaches that help achieve both sustainability and business goals. It does not matter how experienced or inexperienced a company is when it comes to sustainability.

1. Implementing a bold vision in a controlled manner. Sustainability pioneers first design their business model of the future and then develop strategies to put it into practice ("Future Back Thinking"). Among the companies surveyed, the number of those aiming for a comprehensive sustainability transformation will almost triple in the next five years, from 9 percent today to 26 percent then.
2. Rethinking customer loyalty. In the future, long-term customer loyalty will become the most important driver for the success of sustainable companies - even ahead of reputation and cost savings. Pioneers convince their customers with a holistic approach: Sustainable products become part of the value proposition, the change process is accelerated by innovative product features and price advantages. For example, Procter & Gamble was one of the first to market cold laundry detergents that save up to 90 percent energy and are gentle on clothing.
3. Involve partners comprehensively. Many companies are using new forms of collaboration to fundamentally change their entrepreneurial ecosystem. 64 percent of the study participants consider this change to be very important. Respondents expect to increase collaboration with regulators, legislators and competitors, among others, over the next five years.
4. Using new technologies responsibly. The use of innovative technologies must be designed in such a way that sustainable successes are achieved quickly, and without undesirable side effects for health and the environment. Pioneers in this respect include Apple with its use of recycling robots and Google with its use of artificial intelligence, which saves up to 40 percent of the energy required in the cooling process in data centers.
5. Redefining the way value is created. Pioneers are going beyond purely financial indicators as part of their business strategy. The first major companies are incorporating environmental and social aspects into their investment decisions. "All these companies are convinced of their strategy," says Bain partner Staebe. "For them, it's more than just a trade-off between profitability and sustainability."
6. Customize core business as needed. 90 percent of the companies surveyed have recognized that they need to change their core business model to become more sustainable. 38 percent even consider a radical transformation to be essential. The strategic shift toward greater sustainability can encompass products, customer relationships, but also the core business.

Avoid mistakes, achieve long-term success

Companies that want to fundamentally restructure face the challenge of maintaining their current business model while simultaneously driving the transformation toward sustainability. The risk of failure is high. According to the Bain study, transformation has been fully successful for only 4 percent of study participants. 47 percent say they have failed so far.

"This failure rate shows how difficult it is to build a truly sustainable business model," Bain partner Dingemann points out. "But it is also evidence of how seriously companies are taking the transformation and how critically they are evaluating their work." He adds, "Those that start the strategy shift now can gain an enormous competitive advantage by leading the way."

Source: Bain & Company

As published online today on "View"Matthias Baumann is leaving his post at Möbel Pfister AG with immediate effect. According to a company statement, it was personal reasons that prompted him to make this departure. Just a few days ago, the world still seemed to be in order: The furniture store presented its current collection in the presence of Baumann. Until further notice, Chief Financial Officer Ivan Bosin is managing the business of Möbel Pfister on an interim basis.

Matthias Baumann, a trained businessman with further training as a business economist, has managed the furniture store since 2015. He has many years of management experience in retail and industrial companies. He was Managing Director Switzerland of the mail-order pharmacy Zur Rose and CEO of Interio AG from 2009 to 2011. Before that, he was CEO of Office World Switzerland and Germany for nine years. Matthias Baumann is married to Miriam Baumann-Blocher, owner and CEO of Läckerli Huus AG.

A year ago, Matthias Baumann spoke to ORGANISATOR about how digitization is changing the furniture trade. His im Interview The company's credo: whether online or offline, the focus is always on the customer and his or her shopping experience.

The threat situation for IT is becoming increasingly severe and has also become more complex. If an attack occurs, companies can usually prevent greater damage with existing protective measures. However, the following six myths will explain how they can significantly increase the security of their applications.

Myth 1: Cybercriminals attack the infrastructure, applications are hardly in focus

This myth is unfortunately a widespread misconception. Investigations have shown that more than half of all attacks occur via the application layer. However, the seventh OSI layer, the application layer, is not protected at all by classic firewalls. It is recommended that critical business applications be protected by an application firewall that controls input, output and access to external services and, if necessary, blocks them if they do not comply with the policy configured in the application firewall.

Application security, however, starts with the development of the software. Application programmers should follow best practices and stop using proven insecure code and vulnerability-prone programming constructs to prevent vulnerabilities from occurring in the first place. Timely patch management also plays a very important role throughout the application lifecycle (see Myth 5).

Myth 2: Penetration testing is enough, the application is secure

Most IT specialists believe that a successfully completed penetration test almost guarantees the security of an application. This is true for simple apps, but not for complex applications that contain a lot of business and process logic. Complex applications with many stakeholders cannot even be fully tested by penetration testing. Development, procurement or release processes involving multiple business units should therefore definitely go through additional security measures. NTT Security recommends using software maturity models, such as OpenSAMM, to help organizations build a security strategy for business-critical applications that is aligned with their business model.

Self-developed applications require special attention. One example: More than 70 percent of SAP functionalities are programmed by customers themselves. However, the manufacturer does not provide any security guarantee for in-house developments. The security measures established with the help of maturity models such as OpenSAMM are therefore particularly important for in-house software for which the customer is responsible.

Myth 3: Security tools do the job, then cyber attackers don't stand a chance

Many companies rely too much on their security tools, for example patching or configuration management. Tools are important, but only half the battle. In IT today, everything is networked with everything else. But the individual business units don't talk to each other enough. Security experts who pay attention to a holistic security strategy should be at the table for every new implementation and every important decision. Otherwise, each department will use its own tools in an uncoordinated manner, and in the end there will be many disappointed faces when a security incident occurs.

Myth 4: Every employee is responsible for their own safety

The most dangerous weak point in companies is their own employees, security experts emphasize. It is therefore important to create risk awareness among employees through regular training and to inform them about the current attack vectors. Training does not rule out the possibility of cybercriminals gaining access to sensitive data through social engineering techniques such as personalized phishing emails, but it does increase awareness and reduce risk. The key is to think twice about every click on a mail attachment and use common sense.

Myth 5: Security patches take hours to apply and systems are unusable

On average, vulnerable, unpatched applications remain online for several hundred days, even though vulnerabilities are known and cybercriminals could launch an attack at any time. The biggest security leak for applications is unpatched libraries, according to the Application Security Statistics Report 2018 (Vol. 13) by WhiteHat, a subsidiary of NTT Security. The reason for this negligent behavior is the common misconception in many companies that IT systems fail and are unusable when security patches are applied: Customers may not be able to access ordering systems, employees are twiddling their thumbs, and the company loses revenue as a result.

This assumption is wrong. Today, security patches can either be applied during operation or only require individual components to be shut down for a short time. Another alternative is to use the nightly maintenance window for the patches.

Myth 6: Once you've been hacked, there's nothing you can do about it

Easier said than done: In the event of an attack, companies should definitely remain calm and not cause more damage through ill-considered knee-jerk reactions. There are companies that have pulled the power plug after an attack and thus destroyed the hard disk controllers. It was no longer possible for forensic experts to reconstruct the attack and identify the attack vectors in retrospect. The goal should be to gather as much evidence and data as possible and seek the help of professional security experts as soon as possible.

Conclusion: Safety depends on many factors

A single, successfully completed penetration test is not enough to ensure application security. This is a negligent misconception. To my knowledge, there is no penetration test that does not reveal one or two critical vulnerabilities. It is therefore recommended to use maturity models for application security such as OpenSAMM as a guideline. Often, security patches are not applied because then supposedly business-critical systems such as production or sales are down for a certain time. Companies thus take an incalculably high risk. However, patches can also be applied during operation. Many of our customers do this, avoid the downtime and it works very well.

Author:
René Bader is Lead Consultant Secure Business Applications EMEA at NTT Security.

Switzerland has been ranked first in the Global Innovation Index for years. However, we should not rest on our laurels, because this ranking does not tell the whole truth, said Peter Grünenfelder, Director of Avenir Suisse, at this year's Economic Forum in Olten. Other facts should not be lost sight of: the increase in trade restrictions, the growing importance of China (at the expense of the USA), migration and digitalization. Switzerland is not flexible enough in dealing with these megatrends, he said. Grünenfelder therefore called on Switzerland to reduce the reform backlog and introduce a dynamic foreign economic policy. In addition, universities should react more quickly to the needs of the economy in order to provide the necessary skilled workers.

#LifelongLearning

Remo Ankli, member of the cantonal government of Solothurn, gave the Swiss education landscape good marks. Thanks to their practical orientation, the universities of applied sciences in particular have a close relationship with the economy. He also pointed to the #LifelongLearning campaign launched on the occasion of Swiss Digitaltag and emphasized that one of the main tasks of schools is to teach children, above all, how to learn and retain the joy of lifelong learning.

Company of the future

Roger Wüthrich Hasenböhler, Chief Digital Officer Swisscom, presented Swisscom's strategic approach. In order not to become a discontinued model, companies are well advised to invest in the future: 80 percent of the funds for the core business, 15 percent for adjacent business areas and 5 percent for groundbreaking innovations (disruptive). Only by consistently separating the core business from the innovation business could fundamental changes and new ideas be successfully realized. Otherwise, these "growing plants" would be neglected too much as soon as the core business was not running optimally. Wüthrich also rejected the idea of going it alone. Cooperations and prototyping are indispensable in order not to innovate without consumers in mind and to quickly realize new ideas.

The next Olten Business Forum will take place on September 2, 2020 held. Information: www.fhnw.ch/wirtschaft

The one-year timeout seems to have done the Alpine Symposium good: With Google's Chief Innovation Evangelist and Stanford University Adjunct Professor Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, host and organizer Oliver Stoldt was able to have a top crack of global digitization on the affiche right away. Another highlight is the appearance of Carla del Ponte. The former UN chief prosecutor is coming to Interlaken with her latest book in her luggage.

Innovations by the meter

The digital giant Google owes its constant flow of innovations not least to Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, originally from Lake Constance, who ensures that it does not dry up. Pferdt, who holds a doctorate in business education, initiated a community of 500 innovation evangelists and is the founder of Google's "The Garage" and creator of the first innovation lab. This is used by hundreds of teams a year, across all areas of Google - from YouTube, to hardware, Maps, the Android operating system and also Sales, Cloud, HR and Research. This to find creative solutions and test hundreds of never-before-seen ideas in as short a time as possible. The innovation expert teaches as an adjunct professor at Stanford University and was a research lecturer at Columbia University's EdLab. He uses his forward-thinking approach to advise governments, corporations, start-ups, and international organizations.

Lecture fireworks on digitization

Other highly attractive speakers await the audience at the Alpine Symposium 2020: Carla del Ponte, former UN chief prosecutor and Swiss ambassador, comes to Interlaken with her latest book "In the Name of the Victims - The Failure of the UN and International Politics in Syria". Next, we'll hear from Chris Riddell, an award-winning global futurist, about emerging trends in the hyper-connected, digital world. Pascal Kaufmann, founder of Starmind and Mindfire, knows all there is to know about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Anja Wyder Guelpa, founder of Geneva-based think tank civicLab, sees digitalization and disruption as an opportunity to question and change the way we lead today. iPad magician and digitalization expert Simon Pierro defines a new genre of magic.

People from business, sports and media at the Alpine Symposium 2020

Other competent speakers with high experience and knowledge potential are Cirque de Soleil star Christian Lindemann or German cyclist Kristina Vogel, who was paralyzed after an accident, Marcus Schögel, Director of the Institute for Marketing at the University of St. Gallen, SRF Middle East correspondent Pascal Weber and China & Middle East expert Martina Fuchs. Additionally on the program are Dr. Ingo Rauser (Capco), who will talk about the future of the finance industry, "Brain Store", idea merchant Nadja Schnetzler, Manuel von Allmen, owner of the Bernese Oberland shoe manufactory Kandahar and last but not least the excellently educated lawyer Kai Leonie Tschan, who has decided to become the sole hut warden at the Mittellegihütte.

Leading event for knowledge transfer

The SRF Tagesschau presenter and experienced foreign correspondent Florian Inhauser will now moderate the two-day event. The Alpine Symposium regularly brings together 950 participants at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. Among entrepreneurs, CEOs, innovative entrepreneurs and representatives of SMEs, the event has established itself as one of the leading events for knowledge transfer and networking. This has also convinced UPC Business and Xing, which Oliver Stoldt was able to win over as a new Presenting Partner for the Alpine Symposium. As a result, tickets for the Alpensymposium can now be purchased both via the website www.alpensymposium.ch as well as about Xing be booked directly.

60 years ago, the ISS, the International Space Station, was still science fiction. Ten years later, it was reality, and the day after tomorrow, it could already be scrap metal. New visions of lunar and Martian stations are already on the horizon. In general, the world is advancing in seven-mile boots in terms of technology, which encouraged the FHS alumni to make the "Brave New World" the theme of the Networking Day 2019 on September 6. There they sat, the 700 guests, listening to Raiffi the robot's welcome. SRF presenter Tobias Müller stood next to it and wondered, "I have an ambivalent feeling about this topic. Does it offer us support or does it take away jobs?"

The new heart from the 3D printer

The question was justified when listening to Internet entrepreneur Jörg Eugster. He talked about the 3D printer that will turn the logistics chain upside down. Spare parts for cars can be conveniently printed via it, eliminating the need for truck transport. There is also already printable food. Entire houses are conceivable, which would make reconstruction during hurricanes much easier. Organs are not yet fully functional, but are already in the development phase. "In ten years, it will be possible to 3D print the heart," says Eugster. Technology foresees further innovations, especially in artificial intelligence. Eugster dictated a message to his cell phone at breakneck speed, which was then typed down by the system in a jiffy. Translations are also child's play; the program DeepL translates a 25-page document in 25 seconds. In the future, a Google Assistant will arrange hairdresser appointments and reserve a table at a restaurant without telling whether there is a human or a bot on the other end of the line. And that's not all: instead of a smartphone, people will wear a chip under their skin in the future. Samsung is already working on a camera lens for the eye.

Gymnastics with the robot

The little robot NAO not only amazed the guests, but also made them laugh. Because when he was supposed to show how he leads the seniors 65+ to gymnastics, he unceremoniously went on strike. NAO got a second chance and mastered it with flying colors. Some guests were almost inclined to join in the gymnastics. The robot's goal is to make life easier for older people. The IKOA-FHS department, headed by Sabina Misoch, is working intensively on robotic solutions for the elderly. Eugster is also convinced of the robots, saying they would offer enormous help, especially in rehabilitation or for people with physical impairments.

Experience virtual reality in real life

Then Tobias Müller had to face virtual reality. Jörg Bachmann from the Institute for Innovation, Design and Engineering at the FHS St.Gallen put the 3D glasses on him. He went up in the elevator, and when the door opened, Müller was standing at a dizzying height above the abyss of a skyscraper. He had to venture out onto the platform. His knees were shaking, as if he were really in this situation. Again and again he grabbed Bachmann so that he wouldn't fall off the stage. Then he gathered his courage and jumped. Labs are already working with it to treat sufferers with their fear of heights. But virtual reality can do much more than create virtual environments, such as developing entire cities and acting out visions. Impressively shown in famous movies like Superman, Blade Runner, Incredibles 2. Hollywood is leading in 3D and VR applications and a St.Gallen resident has made a name for himself there: Dominik Tarolli. Smart City can be used for real city developments - San Francisco, Abu Dabi and also Geneva are already using it. As a homesick St.Gallen resident, he naturally hopes that the city of St.Gallen will call him and also wish for a digital twin.

Medical treatment via smartphone

With all the technology, one thing must not be forgotten: people themselves. "People still long for traditions today, no matter how efficient algorithms may be," says Sigmar Willi, who served as a speaker for the first time. While digital transformation can cause stress, addiction, loneliness and anxiety, he said, people also gain a lot from it, including new options, productivity, time, mobility and contacts. You simply have to ask yourself what you want and what's good for you - and focus on your strengths. eedoctors" - the first virtual doctor's office via smartphone - is also a human experience. You call the app, a specialist answers, you tell him your problem, and he gives you a medical opinion and, if necessary, a reference. On top of that, the app reminds you of any medication you need. With eedoctors, Andrea Vincenzo Braga, MD, wants to counteract the shortage of specialists and save patients with minor ailments such as fever, cough or flu the trip to the doctor's office. He said this would also benefit the overburdened healthcare system, as 80% of emergencies are unnecessary and drain resources from serious cases. Networking Day 2019 featured a visionary look at the "Brave New World." "We learned today: we should have an appetite for the future, be curious, but not forget the human being in the process," Müller concluded. And the guests were able to satisfy this curiosity afterwards at the traditional networking party with the various worlds of experience.

The next Networking Day will take place on September 4, 2020. The topic: How much earth does man need? In the area of tension between economy and ecology.

In complicity with the artonomists and conceptual artists Frank and Patrik Riklin and the New Work Pioneer Florian Wiese/r, Ewa Ming breaks new ground. Together they proclaim "the Artonomic Manifesto". From Monday, September 9, until the opening of Business Innovation Week on September 30, a series of public pleas will begin on the Pfingstweid parking garage deck in Zurich.

Focus on digitization

"Many managers still do not understand that the time is pressing to act. I want to cut off old pigtails and ties and have started doing so with myself!", says Ewa Ming. To this end, the experienced organizer and founder of trade fairs and congresses has developed a new, forward-looking event format: "Business Innovation Week Switzerland" (BIW). At the beginning of October, it will transform the vibrant workplace of Zurich Oerlikon into an interactive space of inspiration and experience for entrepreneurial innovation, for new thinking and action. Ewa Ming's message to the Swiss economy: "Switzerland as a country of SMEs is still characterized by companies that are often still managed too conservatively. We need to get out of the comfort zone and ensure more diversity." To this end, she is teaming up with the "artonomists" to overcome entrenched structures and beliefs in economics.

The focus of Business Innovation Week is therefore on digitization, trends and the latest technologies for the modern working world. 300 speakers at the Future Conference, 200 partners and exhibitors, and 100 events at the Live Experience Expo and BIW Academy will deliver an exceptional knowledge and networking package. The new event format will be the meeting place where people from different professions and industries who want to make a difference can participate in discussion panels and talk about new ideas and business models. "The spirit here is to be open. The mindset is connecting."

The Artonomic Manifesto

Ewa Ming, Florian Wiese/r, Patrik and Frank Riklin call for a new way of thinking and acting in the Swiss economy. The futurist, the New Work pioneer and the two conceptual artists want to convince 20,659 Swiss companies to put a sense of purpose and sustainability before the pure pursuit of profit. The starting signal will be given quite symbolically next Monday in Zurich: on the Pfingstweid parking deck in the shadow of the Prime Tower, the futurist and three artonomists will proclaim their joint manifesto. In complicity they call from now on for unusual thinking and acting in the Swiss economy - with courage for sustainable change!

The Manifesto Theses:

• If you want to act in a new way, you have to think in a new way
• Future means (dis)destruction of existing things
• No "little transformation" helps in global crises
• Come to Mache-ting, forget Marke-ting
• Do not acquire customers, find accomplices
• Rethink your own values and leadership culture
• Diversity is a booster for creativity and innovation
• Those who allow the unusual can break out
• Disruption acts louder than words
• Meaning orientation takes precedence over profit orientation
• Cheerful seriousness is the key to sustainable solutions
• Attitude is the USP of the 3rd millennium
• …

The claim

Over the next ten years, 20,659 Swiss companies are to face up to these theses and transform themselves into new ways of thinking and acting, into a different way of doing business. Because at least as many companies are needed to trigger change in a country. These companies put sense before profit and thus contribute significantly to a sustainable economy. According to a Harvard study, serious political changes took place in the last century where at least 3.5 percent of the population actively participated in change processes. Translated into the Swiss corporate world, this means these 20,659 companies.

The Ming-Riklin-Wieser-Riklin quartet calls on all companies, managers and employees: "Show your attitude and become part of the movement for new thinking and action! Become an accomplice to our manifesto, sign up online and network with Switzerland's future shapers at Business Innovation Week."

What is "Artonomy"?

Artonomy is a neologism by conceptual artists Frank and Patrik Riklin. It means the fusion of art, everyday life and business. With the work "Fliegenretten in Deppendorf" (2012-2018), the Riklin brothers succeeded for the first time, in "complicity" with a German company for insect control, to deliberately-subversively turn the existing business philosophy upside down and to lead the company into the future through the power of art. Symbol, icon and accomplice for this process is the "housefly Erika". Together with entrepreneur Florian Wiese/r, the Riklin brothers founded Artonomie AG in 2018, which consistently puts art before economics, for a different way of doing business through unusual thinking and acting.

"Our brains have the physical prerequisite, neuroplasticity, for new thinking and action. As people, entrepreneurs and society, there is no excuse anymore. The prerequisites could not be better coupled with our prosperity. Doing is like wanting, only more blatant," says Florian Wiese/r and the Riklin brothers follow up: "We demand a state regulation for unusual thinking and acting in the economy. Those who are active get tax relief. Those who do nothing pay more taxes".

With a public proclamation series, pleas in the sense of the "Artonomic Manifesto" will be proclaimed in the coming weeks on the Pfingstweid parking deck and at the Business Innovation Week in Zurich, discussed and translated thesis by thesis, step by step in real terms into everyday business life.

https://www.businessinnovation.ch/de/manifest/

Related links:

www.insect-respect.org
www.fliegenretten.de
www.Artonomie.com

Both the keynote speeches of the main program and the practice-oriented breakout sessions were essentially devoted to the various facets of digitization. The "working world of the future" and its successful design was also the focus of a breakout session and met with lively interest, with a total of around 100 participants in both sessions.

The breakout session provided initial insights into the largest study to date in Switzerland on "Working World 4.0" with 1140 participants, two-thirds of whom were from SMEs and one-third from large companies (JVs). The study was published by Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter, Head of Competence Center for Digital Transformation at the FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft, in collaboration with the Future Work Group.

High time to act

At the heart of the study are the three dimensions "People - Place - Technology," whose meaningful and effective interplay is what the study's authors believe will determine the successful design of the working world of the future. With this in mind, a catalog of questions was drawn up and the survey conducted in spring 2019.

Striking study results was presented on September 4, 2019 in Olten by Alessia Ruf, research associate in the field of applied psychology at the FHNW and responsible for the survey and evaluation as part of the study, and Marco Looser, owner of MCP AG and partner of the Future Work Group. When asked about their understanding of Working World 4.0, terms such as digitalization, transformation, new forms of work, flexibility and networking emerged among the participants, as expected. There is a clear need for action in the status quo determined according to the study results regarding progress in the working world 4.0. According to their own assessment, more than 40% of the respondents are "right at the beginning" (SME: 44 %/GU: 43%), up to 50% are "in the middle" (SME: 43 %/GU: 50%) and only13% (SME) or 7% (GU) are well advanced. With 64%, SMEs see an increase in efficiency in terms of communication and collaboration as the main drivers for the transformation to Working World 4.0, and to the same extent, also with 64%, a strengthening of their innovative strength and creativity.

A cause for concern: employees are not involved enough!

The situation is worrying with regard to the involvement of employees in shaping the working world of the future. Only 27 percent of participants answered this question positively. This means that 73 percent of employees are not or not yet involved in the change process - or the company does not consider this necessary! A rethink is urgently needed here. In addition, there is a noticeable lack of know-how, which 40% of SMEs and 47% of large companies state as a barrier to the step into the working world 4.0.

The detailed results of the study as well as a practical guide will be available to the Swiss business community as a free download from the end of October 2019. More information

Next opportunity for in-depth study insights is October 1, 2019 at the Opening panel Academy - The Working World of the Future at the Business Innovation Week in Zurich.

Interested parties book their ticket here: https://www.businessinnovation.ch/de/tickets/ and get with the discount code BIW19AW4 a discount of 20% on the 3 day pass.

How does a succession work? What do I have to prepare? What is the value of my company? How do I find a successor for my company? Am I a suitable successor? The "Initiative Nachfolgebus" and its team of experts in St. Gallen are available to answer these and other pressing questions for SME owners and potential buyers.

Benefit from expert and practical knowledge

Under the motto "We present company stories and discuss realities", the 2019 Succession Bus Tour will focus even more strongly on succession practice. To this end, in addition to the individual discussions, insights into the succession stories of a wide variety of Swiss companies will be provided by means of interviews and practical dialogues with regional SME entrepreneurs and experts with succession experience. 

It is better to succeed than to start from scratch

Apart from the fact that entering entrepreneurship via succession is often more successful than a start-up due to the already existing basis, this thesis is also supported by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2018/19 close. The Country Report Switzerland of the GEMwritten by the Fribourg School of Economics (HSW-FR) and SUPSI with the support of the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF), dispels the myth of "Start-up Nation Switzerland". The Swiss population's intentions to start a business are significantly lower in 2018/19 (6.9%) than in 2017 (10.5%). (...). In fact, only 7.4% of the Swiss have started a business. This means that the start-up rate is strikingly below the average of the comparison countries (10.4%). In a resulting recommendation, the Country Report Switzerland states that the focus of support programs should be increasingly directed toward business succession.

Promoting company succession in a more targeted manner

This is a tailwind for business succession and the succession bus. According to the country report, there is an increasing need for the Swiss economy to offer SMEs the same targeted support for their succession planning that startups have long received. This is where the succession bus comes in as a free exchange platform. This is one of the few opportunities for buyers and sellers to tackle business succession directly, practically and discreetly.

Program and other dates: www.nachfolgebus.ch

The German Stevie Awards are a high-profile business award for the German-speaking European corporate world, recognizing outstanding achievements in over 200 different categories awards. They are part of the Stevie® Awards, which among other things host the prestigious International Business Awards® and receive more than 12,000 entries from over 70 countries each year in seven competition programs. The German Stevie Awards were launched in 2014. The initiators had already deliberately chosen the name "German Stevie Awards" at the time because they wanted to signal that the Stevies are more than just a country award.

Open to the entire German-speaking region

Now these considerations from back then are being implemented: Starting with the 2020 competition year, the German Stevie Awards will open up the participation boundaries and will now be open to all organizations operating in a country where German is an official language. This applies to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Belgium. Geographically, these countries form a German language area in Central Europe. The westernmost point where German or a German dialect is the current colloquial language is the municipality of Rambruch in Luxembourg, and the easternmost is the Austrian municipality of Deutsch Jahrndorf in Burgenland. In the north, the German municipality of List on Sylt is the end of the linguistic area, and in the south, the Swiss municipality of Zermatt on the Matterhorn.

Organizations of all sizes, public and private, for-profit or non-profit, as well as individuals from the business community are eligible to participate. Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards, is pleased "that we are now inviting all Swiss, Austrian, German, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Belgian business leaders and innovators to submit their achievements and successes and face international German-speaking competition."

Just one more business award?

According to the German Stevie Awards, what is at stake is nothing more or less than the Business Champions League in German-speaking Europe. Gallagher sees quite big chances for the Swiss participants in the award, after all they come from one of the most stable economies in the world. "I'm eager to see the entries from Switzerland, which has outstanding players especially in the service sector with its trading and financial companies, but also shines in tourism and industry, for example in chemicals and pharmaceuticals, watch and precision instrument manufacturing, mechanical engineering and food."

Companies from Switzerland would benefit in many ways from winning a Stevie Award. These range from increased media and public international attention to positive employer branding effects and new networking and acquisition opportunities. By applying, companies show that they recognize the achievements of their employees. In addition, applicants benefit from the jury's qualified feedback on their applications. These comments provide insight, into the strengths and weaknesses of the application and/or the company. And because the award ceremonies are streamed live, Stevie winners receive international exposure through the broadcast alone. In addition, the Stevie Awards PR agency creates European, regional and local awareness for the Stevie winners.

Submission deadline starts on September 11, 2019

All companies and organizations may submit as many nominations as they wish free of charge - in English, of course. The application phase of the 6th German Stevie Awards will start on September 11, 2019, and all those who submit their applications by the first deadline for participation, December 4, 2019, will benefit from a discount of 25 euros on the award fees per successful nomination. Several jury panels will then determine the gold, silver and bronze award winners, who will be presented with their trophies at a ceremony on May 8, 2020. Each award winner will receive a trophy according to their winning level in gold, silver or bronze. For the International Business Awards® 2019 the two Swiss companies DHL Express based in Muttenz and Swisscard AECS from Horgen each won two Stevie Awards.

An overview of all winners of the German Stevie Awards 2019 can be found at https://stevieawards.com/gsa/2019-gewinner-der-german-stevie-awards listed.

Following a high at the beginning of 2019, demand for new specialists in the Swiss economy declined somewhat towards the middle of the year. This is shown by the survey established by the recruitment company Hays in Switzerland. Skilled Workers Index (FKI).

Demand for skilled workers at a high level

With an index value of 210 in Q2 2019, overall demand in the Swiss labor market for skilled workers remains at a very high level. At the end of 2018, the counter was still at 204. In Q1, the index even climbed to 222 points - an all-time high since the beginning of 2015, which was set as a reference value of 100. This means that in mid-2019, more than twice as many skilled workers were being sought in this country as at that time.

In absolute terms, 46,077 specialist positions were advertised for new appointments in Switzerland between April and July, compared with 48,705 in the previous quarter. By far the largest proportion of vacancies, namely around 20,000, are in the area of information technologies (IT), followed by sales and marketing with 12,000 positions to be filled.

Fewer engineers wanted

In the engineering sector, the index shrank from 243 points previously to 221 points in the 2nd quarter. 5096 engineers were sought, around 500 fewer than in the previous quarter. The most sought-after profiles include development engineers, e.g. for drive technology, automation, electrical engineering, hardware, mechanical engineering and mechatronics (1090 vacancies), electrical engineers (970) and civil engineers (850).

Finance also recorded a decline, from 203 to 187 points. In the Skilled Workers Index, however, this term refers to academic employees in corporate and bank accounting, but not to the banking sector as such. Here, controllers (20129) and accountants (1950) are among the most sought-after specialists. Controllers were the only specialization in this skill segment to increase quarter-on-quarter - from 230 to 239 points.

Particularly in demand: IT specialists

In the IT specialization, the steep rise in demand for embedded systems developers that had been ongoing since the 4th quarter of 2017 was halted for the first time. During this time, demand had more than doubled. In other specializations, demand continued to rise in Q2, including database developers, web developers, IT project managers and leaders, IT security specialists and IT support staff. By far, the Skilled Workers Index recorded the most vacancies among software developers (4128), followed by Java developers (1466), IT consultants (1431), IT supporters (1398) and web developers (1365).

Slight decline in demand for life sciences

Demand in the life science sector also declined slightly overall; the index here fell from 216 in the 1st quarter to 204 points. Growing demand was recorded in the skill segments of clinical research staff and quality managers. By contrast, demand for life scientists has once again shrunk, so that the number of vacancies in this segment has fallen by a third in 24 months. However, with 412 open positions, this specialization is still the most sought-after in the life science sector.

No break-in detectable

At 204 points, the index for specialists in sales and marketing is also almost at the same level as before the end of 2018 (203). The greatest demand here is for qualified staff in sales: 4766 corresponding positions were available in the past quarter - around 500 fewer than in the previous quarter. Only the customer service and marketing manager segments saw minimal growth.

Despite these mixed results, Marc Lutz, Managing Director of Hays (Schweiz) AG, remains optimistic: "Demand for specialists in all sectors remains at a very high level. There is no actual slump to be seen, especially as companies are advertising more than twice as many vacant positions as they did four and a half years ago."

Source: Hays

And how do you feel about the shortage of skilled workers? Take part in the ORGANISATOR survey!

The two-day event with a clear focus on digital business was convincing across the board. Above all, the various showcases at the trade show proved to be real crowd pullers. Here, digitization could be experienced in a playful way or in the form of model systems. The focus was on current applications for manufacturing, logistics, retail, data management and much more. For example, it was demonstrated how digital price tags work in supermarkets and which digital tools suppliers can use to easily equip their products with the right labels. Or a model was used to show how dynamic, location-controlled advertising gets onto screens in buses. All in all, the 100 exhibitors from all IT sectors presented an impressive overview of the numerous possibilities of digitization for SMEs.

Environment Arena as an ideal trade fair location

Ecologically exemplary and equipped with innovative technology, the Umwelt Arena provided the ideal background for the IT trade fair topsoft. The flexible space available made it possible to offer a comprehensive supporting program in the form of presentations and workshops parallel to the exhibition area on both days of the fair. "Exhibitors and visitors, but also we as organizers, felt extremely comfortable in the Umwelt Arena. There is no doubt that we will be here again in 2020," explains exhibition manager Cyrill Schmid. A shuttle bus running every quarter of an hour provided the connection to the Killwangen-Spreitenbach train station - so the venue could also be reached conveniently by public transport.

Presentations were very well received

The organizers were very pleased with the great response to the technical presentations and workshops. The presentations were very well attended, thanks in no small part to the high-quality program and professional moderation. Topics such as New Work, digital ethics, artificial intelligence and much more left trade fair visitors spoilt for choice. In addition, there were free one-hour workshops with renowned experts, which provided participants with up-to-date knowledge and concrete recommendations for action.

Positive conclusion of the topsoft makers

"This year, we were particularly struck by the high quality of the exhibitors and offerings. We already sensed the great commitment in the run-up. The motivation has carried over to the entire trade fair. We are already looking forward to next year," was the positive assessment of the topsoft organizers. The exhibitors also expressed their appreciation to the trade press and praised the high quality of the visitors. In the meantime, the company is working on further formats that will increase visitor benefits and at the same time make the digital potential even more tangible. The next topsoft trade fair is planned for August 2020.

www.topsoft.ch