Using upcycled materials generously provided by MCM and Jakob Schlaepfer, a traditional St.Gallen textile manufacturer with over 100 years of history, the STF Fashion Design students were tasked with creatively interpreting them and breathing new life into them, with the aim of creating harmonious synergies or skillfully emphasizing contrasts. Using Jakob Schlaepfer's exclusive and experimental yard goods, the STF students went on to design unique and exquisite fashion key-pieces, exploring the limits of creativity and craftsmanship.

Additionally, the students were entrusted with an MCM bag that served as a blank canvas for their imaginative visions. From reshaping, to painting, to embroidering, to reusing, the students creatively incorporated Jakob Schlaepfer's luxurious materials into the redesign process, ultimately creating stunning, reinvented MCM bags. The fashion key pieces blend seamlessly with the redesigned MCM shoppers, coming together in a captivating overall look that beautifully balances fashion and functionality.

The unveiling of the students' total looks with matching designed MCM bags will now take place at an exclusive vernissage at the end of August 2023 to mark the opening of the second floor of the MCM store at Münsterhof in Zurich. MCM was founded in Munich in 1976 and is known for - according to its own description - "intelligent luxury" that is part of the lifestyle of digital nomads. The brand creates seasonless, timeless, responsible and transformative collections.

Source and further information: STF Swiss Textile College 

The Family Business Award is being presented for the 12th time since 2012. The winning company of the Family Business Award 2023 will be chosen at the award ceremony on September 13, 2023 at the Kursaal in Bern. These three family businesses are nominated for the final:

• Bolliger & Co. AG | Grenchen SO
• Garden plants Daepp | Münsingen BE
• RWB Groupe SA | Porrentruy JU

So far, the prize has been awarded to the following family businesses: Griesser AG (2022), Killer Interior AG (2021), Metzler & Co. AG (2020), Wilhelm Schmidlin AG (2019), 1a hunkeler fenster AG & 1a hunkeler holzbau AG (2018), Jucker Farm AG (2017), FRAISA SA (2016), Wyon AG (2015), Entreprises et Domaines Rouvinez (2014), SIGA Holding AG (2013) and Trisa AG (2012).

Promotion and appreciation of family businesses

The Family Business Award has been endowed by AMAG in memory of the company's founder Walter Haefner since 2012. The award is intended to promote the mindset, values and commitment of family businesses and to underscore their importance to the Swiss economy. AMAG CEO Helmut Ruhl says today about the Family Business Award: "Family businesses play a unique role in the Swiss economy and society. Based on a firm framework of values, they preserve traditions and drive innovative ideas. The award we present honors and celebrates those family businesses that have succeeded over generations in repeatedly offering sustainable solutions for the future. This year's finalists have impressively succeeded in doing so."

Jury and evaluation of the Family Business Award 2023

The winning company will be selected by a top-class jury consisting of experienced personalities with excellent professional credentials. The jury is chaired by Gabriela Manser, Co-CEO and President of the Board of Directors of Goba AG, Mineralquelle und Manufaktur and President of the AI Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The judging process was developed by the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability CCRS at the School of Management Fribourg. The scientific procedure provides the basis for an objective evaluation of the applicants by the independent jury.
Photo: The winning company in 2022: Griesser AG from Aadorf in the canton of Thurgau.

Source and further information: www.family-business-award.ch

With the new office, retailsolutions aims to expand its international presence and become more active in the South African market. "Our focus will be on S/4HANA transformations, as well as supporting South African retailers in optimizing promotion and replenishment challenges through the use of machine learning - all key topics in the retail sector," explains Managing Partner Michael Niestroy, who is responsible for the international branches for the company. In order to offer customers a comprehensive range of innovative solutions, the focus is also on topics such as public cloud implementations.

Louis Stemmet has been recruited as Country Manager for the South African branch. He has many years of experience as an SAP consultant in the retail industry. His personal focus is on replenishment, which he also covered in his doctoral thesis. With his in-depth knowledge of the South African retail market and his comprehensive SAP expertise, Stemmet will make a significant contribution to further strengthening retailsolutions' position as a leading SAP retail consulting company as well as a maintenance and sales partner. In addition to customer acquisition, the company will also actively promote the expansion of personnel on site. "The plan is to set up a near-shore center to develop customized solutions and meet the individual requirements of the South African retail market, but also to provide highly qualified, cost-effective resources for international projects," says Stemmet.

Source and further information

Forterro, headquartered in London, is strategically investing in industrial mid-market software companies that need a partner to develop and grow in the face of digital transformation and today's challenges such as skills shortages. The acquisition of Proffix is therefore to be seen as a further step in Forterro's expansion in the Central Europe region. It underscores the company's commitment to the Swiss market, where it already has a presence through last year's investment in mid-market ERP provider myfactory, according to a statement. "We extend a warm welcome to Proffix, their employees, partners and customers," said Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro. "Proffix and their products fit seamlessly into Forterro's vision and solidify our position as the leading provider of software solutions for small and medium-sized businesses in Europe." Marcus Pannier, president of Forterro Central Europe, adds, "Proffix stands out in particular for its service to German-speaking Switzerland, complementing our acquisition last year of myfactory in the DACH market."

Ensuring sustainable growth

Peter Herger, CEO and co-founder of Proffix, says about the decision: "I have always been a wholehearted entrepreneur and am very proud of how we have developed our company as an independent SME to this day. However, with the increasing complexity and pace of technological development, we have visibly reached our limits and have therefore decided to bring a strong strategic partner on board. With Forterro we have found this partner. During the acquisition process, it became clear that Forterro focuses on its employees and personal relationships, which is in line with our deeply rooted culture and ultimately made the decision easier for us."

Key management personnel remain with the company

Peter Herger will accompany the transition period and then retire from the company. He will hand over a well-established leadership team to work with Forterro on the next growth phase of Proffix. Co-founders Baldassare Nastasi and Robert Caduff will remain part of the new Forterro team and Jürg Danuser, CTO of Proffix, will continue to lead the ERP software development division. Commenting on the acquisition, he says: "I am very much looking forward to working with the Forterro team. We need a strong partner at our side to accelerate our growth and the cloud transformation of our product. Forterro brings exactly that strength, expertise and experience. I am excited about our journey together."

Source and further information: Proffix / Forterro

The sponsor and initiator of the Prix SVC awards is the Swiss Venture Club, an independent association for the promotion and support of SMEs in Switzerland. As the SVC's most high-profile activity, the award ceremonies have developed into events that are known throughout Switzerland and are now held in eight economic regions and every two years. In this spirit, the SVC will again award the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2023 to exemplary SMEs that impress with their innovative products and services, their corporate culture, the quality of their employees and management, and their sustainable track record. A prerequisite for nomination by the jury is a strong anchoring in the region.

The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at the Congress Center Basel. 1,200 guests from business, science, politics and culture are expected. The ceremony will be hosted by Dani von Wattenwyl. All of this year's 2023 finalists are once again impressive success stories from the economic region of Northern Switzerland (in alphabetical order):

Bertschi AG

Bertschi AG is a globally active logistics service provider specializing in liquid and free-flowing products for the chemical industry. As a pioneer in transalpine combined rail freight transport, the family-owned company is a trailblazer when it comes to sustainability and safety in the transport of goods. Each year, over 200 million truck kilometers are eliminated by Bertschi, the European market leader in intermodal chemical transport, actively shifting traffic from road to rail and waterways. Headquartered in Dürrenäsch, the Bertschi Group operates worldwide with 3,200 employees at 74 locations in 38 countries. Chairman of the Board of Directors and majority shareholder is Hans-Jörg Bertschi, CEO is Jan Arnet. Three representatives of the third generation are active in the management of the family business.
www.bertschi.com

Infors HT

Infors HT, based in Bottmingen, has been developing and producing high-tech solutions for biotechnology for over 58 years. As a specialist for bioreactors, shaking incubators as well as software for bioprocess control, the company involves its customers directly in product development and thus designs practice-oriented solutions. The products are used worldwide in research & development as well as in production, such as in the biopharmaceutical industry, the food industry or in agricultural technology. The family-owned company with nearly 300 employees, 150 of them at the headquarters in Switzerland, has a worldwide distribution network and a strong network of trusted suppliers. The owner is Alexander Hawrylenko.
www.infors-ht.com

Schelling AG

Schelling AG is a family business with more than 145 years of tradition. As a manufacturer of high-quality packaging and displays made of corrugated board and solid board as well as print products, package inserts, pouches and labels, the company offers its customers everything from a single source. As a pioneer in the industry, the company develops packaging solutions from natural raw materials that set new standards. Examples include 100 % microplastic-free sachets and biodegradable pouches. The long-established company, headquartered in Rupperswil, has five sites in Switzerland and Germany with a total of 600 employees and sells its packaging and print solutions internationally. The owner, CEO and Chairman of the Board is Beat M. Schelling.
www.schelling.ch

Stöcklin Logistics AG

The Stöcklin Group, headquartered in Laufen, has been a competent partner for innovative and customer-specific logistics solutions worldwide since 1934. As an internationally experienced system integrator, Stöcklin supports its customers in planning and project planning through to the delivery of turnkey complete systems in the area of warehouse logistics and automated warehouse management. The goal of Stöcklin Logistik AG is to store products in the most space-saving way possible, to manage them reliably, and to convey and pick them in the fastest way with the least amount of personnel. Globally, around 500 employees work for Stöcklin. Urs Grütter is Chairman and Delegate of the Board of Directors.
www.stoecklin.com

Wyniger Group - The Teufelhof Basel AG

The Wyniger Group, which emerged from the guest and culture house "Der Teufelhof Basel", is an owner-managed company based in the Basel region with a focus on the catering and hotel industry. The group of companies also includes various cultural and craft businesses, a catering as well as facility management and service companies. The businesses are all individually managed and positioned under their own brand. The traditional Teufelhof with hotel, restaurant, theater, bar & coffee, brewery and wine store is located in the heart of Basel's old town. Around 500 people are employed in the group. Raphael Wyniger is the owner, CEO and Chairman.
www.wyniger.com / www.teufelhof.com

Two projects in Texas and Louisiana are each expected to eliminate one million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 445,000 gas-powered cars. These projects will be financed by 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, which the government has promised. This makes it the world's largest investment in engineered carbon dioxide removal in history, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a statement. "Reducing our carbon emissions alone will not stop the growing impacts of climate change," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the statement. "We must also remove the CO2 we have already put into the atmosphere." Direct Air Capture (DAC) techniques - also known as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR, CO2 capture) - focus on CO2 released into the air, which contributes to climate change and extreme weather. Each of the projects will remove 250 times more CO2 from the air than the largest CO2 capture plant currently in operation, according to the Department of Energy.

CO2 capture from the air criticized

The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers direct capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere one of the methods needed to combat global warming. But the sector is still insignificant; according to the International Energy Agency, only 27 carbon capture plants are in operation worldwide, although at least 130 projects are under development. And some experts worry that the use of the technology could be used as an excuse to continue emitting greenhouse gases, rather than a faster transition to clean energy.

Direct CO2 capture "requires a lot of electricity to extract CO2 from the air and compress it for pipes," Mark Jacobson, a professor at Stanford University, told AFP news agency. "Even in the best-case scenario, if the electricity comes from renewables, that renewable electricity can't then replace a fossil fuel power source on the grid, such as coal or gas. That means this technology is nothing more than a gimmick," he said, adding, "It will only delay our solution to the climate problem." Direct capture is different from carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems at the source, such as factory smokestacks, which prevent additional emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Underground CO2 storage

The U.S. nonprofit Battelle is the prime contractor for the Louisiana project, which will inject captured CO2 deep underground for storage. It will work with another U.S. company, Heirloom, and Switzerland's Climeworks, which is already a leader in the industry and operates a plant in Iceland with an annual capacity to capture 4,000 tons of CO2 from the air. "The notification of selection is recognition that the project has what it takes to help build the U.S. DAC ecosystem," said Daniel Nathan, chief project development officer at Climeworks. It is a testament to the company's ability to deliver high-quality, high-integrity CO2 capture using DAC, and they look forward to working with all project partners to bring DAC technology to the Gulf Coast, Climeworks added.

The Texas project, in turn, is being led by U.S.-based Occidental and other partners. When completed, it should be able to remove up to 30 million tons of CO2 per year, according to a statement from Occidental. "The rocks in the subsurface of Louisiana and Texas are sedimentary rocks that are very different from Icelandic basalt, but are quite suitable for storing CO2," Helene Pilorge, a researcher in carbon capture at the University of Pennsylvania, told AFP.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the two projects are expected to create 4,800 jobs. No start date has yet been set for either project. They will be financed by President Joe Biden's major infrastructure bill, which was passed in 2021. The Department of Energy had previously announced it would invest in four projects totaling $3.5 billion. In May, the Biden administration announced a plan to reduce CO2 emissions from gas- and coal-fired power plants, focusing in particular on this second technology.

Source: Techexplore.com

The more complex or networked the structure of a company is, the more difficult it is to establish a culture of continuous improvement or CIP culture in them, because: Then, in addition to the employees of a department or division, employees who have their workplace in other divisions or even at other locations are usually integrated into the service provision process, as well as cooperation partners such as external service providers. For this reason, it is important in such projects to provide employees and managers with easy-to-use tools for implementing the desired changes and improvements - across divisions or even companies - in parallel with day-to-day business. One such tool is the A3 Report.

Increase the problem solving competence

This goes back to the industrial engineer Joseph M. Juran. About 60 years ago, he recommended that Japanese top managers present problem solutions, decision-making principles and strategies on a sheet of paper in DIN A3 format for reasons of clarity. Toyota, among others, followed this advice.

The A3 Report provides employees with a template for the analysis and action steps to be taken when solving a problem. In addition, working with it triggers a learning process in them that leads to a deeper understanding of the problems and gives them the competence to design and implement sustainable solutions.

The A3 report is based on the PDCA cycle known from lean management, according to which every problem is also an opportunity for improvement. This consists of four phases.

• Phase 1: Plan. In it, the problem and the current state are described and the (core) causes of the problem are analyzed. In addition, the target state is formulated. In addition, metrics for achieving the target state are defined.
• Phase 2: Thu. In it, the measures to achieve the target state are fixed.
• Phase 3: Check. In it, the effectiveness of the measures is monitored so that they can be readjusted if necessary.
• Phase 4: Act. It evaluates the experience gained in solving the problem and derives standards for future action, which serve as a basis for further improvements.

A3 Report: Structure

 Above each A3 report is a title such as "Reduce the processing time of customer inquiries" or "Reduce the scrap when producing product xy". It thus names the problem to be solved. This is followed by seven analysis and work steps that must be followed in order to solve the problem and implement a new standard.

1. Here, the problem should be described in such a way that all people involved understand the problem and its implications, as well as the relevance of a problem solution for achieving the company's goals.
2. Actual State/Situation. Here, we describe what is actually happening "on the ground" or at the operational level. It also analyzes what is preventing those affected from achieving the target state. The actual state should be presented as vividly as possible. In addition, a fact-based understanding of the problem should be created among the report users - for example, with the help of graphics and tables.
3. Target or target state. This state must be specified precisely - also because thinking backwards from the desired goal usually leads to better solutions than searching for solutions without a defined goal. Those involved should also ask themselves: How do we measure whether our improvement initiatives have been successful? And: What basis (for example, key figure) do we use for comparison?
4. Root Cause Analysis. The task now is to identify starting points for effective measures. An Ishikawa diagram, also known as a fishbone diagram, helps here by collecting the possible causes of the problem. The goal is to identify the factors that have a direct influence on the problem.
5. Countermeasures. This is where the measures are listed to increase performance. It is important to name the countermeasures clearly when listing them:
   - "Which" (sub)problem is to be solved by the measure,
   - "how" it will be solved,
   - "who" is responsible for the measure,
   - "when" and "where" will it be carried out?
6. Performance measurement. It is checked whether the measures led to the planned result. In addition, the reasons for any deviation from the target are stated. The impact achieved is quantified, with a graphical representation (before/after comparison) facilitating comprehensibility.
7. Standardization and follow-up. Finally, the overall process is evaluated. In addition, it is reflected which measures should be taken to secure and further advance the improvements achieved. The following questions, among others, need to be answered:
   - What needs to be done to secure what has been achieved in the long term?
   - To what other tasks/problems can we transfer our experience?
   - Who should we inform about our experience so that other areas/teams can benefit from it?

Managers become learning facilitators

Working with the A3 Report requires special skills from all those involved - especially the managers. They must be intensively involved with the value-adding processes; moreover, they must (also) see themselves as learning companions for their employees. This kind of self-image on the part of managers is indispensable for the development and expansion of a CIP culture in companies. This is why many companies are currently working on new management development concepts. In doing so, they are often guided by the lean leadership development model.

This distinguishes four levels in the competence development of managers.

• Stage 1: Developing yourself as a leader. The underlying assumption is that in the future it will be a core competency of managers to reflect on their own behavior and actions and to systematically improve their own performance.
• Stage 2: Coach and develop other people. The second level of competence involves the ability to develop other people as a leader in such a way that they in turn acquire the competence to reflect on their behavior and actions and to initiate their own learning processes.
• Step 3: Support the daily self-improvement (Kaizen). This is about aligning groups of employees (teams, departments) in one direction and ensuring the continuous improvement process.
• Stage 4: Create a vision and align goals. Ideally, all managers are involved in the last development stage. Now it is a matter of overcoming silo thinking and aligning all activities in the organization in such a way that the corporate goals are achieved.

Increase the innovative power of the organization

Companies expect that management development based on this competency model will increase the innovative strength and speed of their organization, and that it will gradually reduce the workload of managers. The more competence and routine their employees have in solving problems independently, the more complex the tasks they can be assigned and the less often they have to act as "trouble shooters.

About the author
Dr. Georg Kraus is managing partner of the management consultancy Kraus & Partner, Bruchsal (www.kraus-und-partner.de). Among others, he is a lecturer at the University of Karlsruhe, the IAE in Aix-en-Provence, the St. Gallen Business School and the Technical University of Clausthal.

It can't be explained away: The cost of living is rising steadily due to inflation. However, employees' wages have hardly risen at all, especially in the low-wage sector, as the two employee associations Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz and Angestellte Schweiz note. The modest wage increases in recent years hardly compensate for the rising cost of living, they complain. The two associations are therefore demanding up to 4.5% more in wages from 2024. This demand applies in particular to those companies that did not grant their employees the full cost-of-living adjustment last year. This means that each entrepreneurial situation must be considered individually within the required framework, it says in a statement to the media. The exception is low-wage professions. There, a loss of real wages must be avoided.

Profits rise, wages fall: "This can't go on".

Companies make a profit: They regularly present good to very good company figures. But employees feel little or nothing of this in wage negotiations - or they are put off until later. "Every year, the productivity of employees increases and with it the profits of companies," says Michel Lang, head of social partnership at the Swiss Commercial Association. "We are currently experiencing an exceptional situation: a robust labor market and - probably related to this - currently still unbroken consumer behavior among private households. And yet many households are having to cope with a reduction in real income, while companies are distributing profits to their shareholders. Our wage demands are therefore legitimate and necessary." The demanded wage increases are also necessary because the purchasing power of employees is of obvious importance for the Swiss economy: If purchasing power falls, this has a direct, negative impact on the economy.

Attractive wages as an investment against the labor shortage

The constantly rising cost of living hits people in the low-wage sector disproportionately hard and has serious consequences: Many of them have hardly any financial reserves and no capacity left. The Swiss Commercial Association and Angestellte Schweiz are therefore demanding a special effort from companies focusing on people with low incomes in the form of a wage increase of at least CHF 300 per month for employees who earn less than CHF 4200 per month when working full-time. "People in the low-wage sector must have the security that they will not suffer a real wage loss. That is why the required minimum contribution plays an important role," says Stefan Studer, managing director of Angestellte Schweiz. In times of acute shortages of skilled workers, companies would also be investing in their own future if they offered attractive pay, Studer added. Never before have so many people been willing, change their job. And the time for this is better than ever, he says. "If you want to retain skilled workers or need to bring them on board, you have to make money available," says Stefan Studer.

Source: Swiss Commercial Association / Employees Switzerland

The calendar entries line up like in a film reel. Breaks are rarely given sufficient consideration. With coffee or tea, sweets and other snacks are "eaten" in front of the screen. One should drink a lot? So there is enough water available. In reality, said liquid often remains in its place. During intense discussions, it's not exactly a good idea to drink regularly, and after a few hours, you've faded out the water bottle anyway. Not to mention exercise!

Attention. Biological scrapping before the PC

Sitting for long periods of time shortens the hip flexors, which no longer deserve their name, as they now seem to be less responsible for bending the hips and more for supporting the entire torso. This rests compressed on the pelvis, while the slightly tilted forward posture pushes the lungs into an economy position. Due to a lack of need to make themselves felt through deep breaths, the respiratory organs withdraw more and more and silently locate themselves somewhere between the ribs. The knees are in constant flexion and form the connecting element between regressing muscle parts on the upper and lower leg. In summary, this description already reads a bit like biological scrapping.

At the same time, we are working in the hypermodern digital age, with everything that is necessary for a healthy life. But from the fact that the pulse watch counts the steps, they are not yet done. The bottle of water is not considered drunk as long as it is only next to the screen. Ultimately, all this entails many consequences. And it's not just since the advent of virtual work that more and more health aspects are being lost, whether in the office or in the home office - including, above all, the all-important potential for breaks and exercise.

Especially in the online context, there is often the opinion that you can just sit for two or three hours, because you're taking a break afterwards. But is that really the case? Experience shows that many employees are constantly working online, and the only breaks they take are to get their next coffee now and then, or to take their official lunch break at the time prescribed by their employer. Thus, the search for many small movement and stretching gaps is and will become increasingly important, in which short exercises and active sequences can be incorporated on a regular basis.

Activation exercises and movement moments

Work on the screen is compressed, intensive and very one-sided. When constantly looking at divided slides, the receptiveness is already limited after 10 to 15 minutes, because a certain passive consumption attitude sets in. Here it is recommended to bring the attendees back into active participation after a few info-graphics via a question or a picture. Contributions can then be shared via chat, as the cameras are usually switched off in slide mode. Concentration in a virtual meeting wanes after 50 minutes at the latest. For two-hour meetings, a short break is certainly sufficient, but for longer meetings, the breaks should already last about 10 minutes after a section of 60 to 90 minutes at the most and can be supported by numerous activation exercises. Doing these together also strengthens the sense of community and team spirit.

Who does the exercises can be arranged in turn. It is enough to consciously circle the head together, pull the shoulders long back and breathe deeply and calmly. The arms respond with a releasing little crackle in the fascia as they are stretched upward, while the fingers stretch toward the ceiling with the palms folded. Or each of those present brings along a red/blue piece via small work assignments, for example, and shows it to the camera with an explanation of why he/she has chosen it of all things, describes his/her own bunch of keys, or briefly tells about a regional speciality.

Eyes open ... and closed

There are also small moments of movement for the eyes, which are very happily accepted during the short breaks. The constant focus on screen content is particularly hard on our eyes and often leads to burning and itching and even severe eye dryness. The market is now virtually flooded with appropriate preparations to meet the acute needs of screen-affected visual organs. Simple exercises will certainly not stop the onset of serious eye problems, but they do make a noticeable contribution to being able to continue working at the screen better. These include - in addition to regular blinking - light sequences in which the eyes wander down the keyboard or gradually grasp the corners of the screen. A short announcement from one of the participants and the joint practice of the exercise with the camera switched on becomes a very humorous aspect of virtual meetings, which are otherwise often dominated by serious technical topics.

Of course, longer breaks are a good time to simply turn off the sound and images. In order to stay in touch with the group, small tasks are suitable to think about during the break time. To do this, those present can be asked to bring a specific object related to a previously determined topic after the break. Or it can be about associations such as: "If our project were a vehicle, what would it look like?", or "What tool would be the best way to describe our work?". There are no limits to the imagination. When thinking about the question, it is only important that the topic fits the target group. Otherwise, the group does not feel taken seriously and sometimes reacts tensely - which tends to achieve the opposite effect.

Break routines

Whatever form the breaks take, every little exercise that breaks up the obligatory routine has a positive effect on the mental performance and motivation of the employees. It's not just everyone present in the virtual room who benefits from this. Ultimately, the positive effects carry their impact beyond the end of the virtual event, giving the numerous calendar entries a completely new meaning. It is not uncommon for one or another break exercise to even make it out of the virtual context and into the real world. The need for this is definitely there - a nice challenge to interpersonal creative thinking in a digital age.

Book tip on the topic :

Petra Motte

Moderate online & design virtually:

The digital breakthrough for your success!

300 pages, from 24.99 euros

ISBN: 978-3-658-33424-6

Author:
Petra Motte has been working as a trainer, consultant, coach and mediator for many years. She gained international experience in Southeast Asia for over 10 years, which she now brings to bear at the corporate and enterprise level. Process optimization, holistic change management, virtual development or intercultural issues - Petra Motte's great passion is the people behind the numbers. https://www.movasis.com

DeepCloud, a spin-off from Abacus, is taking off: Already, the DeepO solution has processed more than 1 million documents through AI. Unlike traditional optical character recognition programs, DeepO can do more than text recognition, it says. It understands the semantics of documents, integrating information from multiple sources to deliver comprehensive results within seconds. DeepO is publicly available as an integrated feature of DeepBox, a cloud-based document sharing platform. It is ISO 27001:2013 certified and hosted exclusively on Swiss servers. Through DeepBox, users also benefit from DeepO's cognitive data capture. A wide range of documents are automatically captured, analyzed, classified and processed - including invoices, receipts, purchase orders, credit notes or salary slips. The solution is not only a feature of DeepBox, but is also available as an API-based standalone solution. It can be integrated into both cloud and on-premises technological infrastructures.

Societal benefits of artificial intelligence.

DeepCloud's Chief Technology Officer, Alexander Vegh, emphasizes the importance of DeepO as a tool to help people: "It is our goal to minimize unnecessary manual data entry, as it often yields little and easily leads to errors. DeepO also helps people with automatic data validation and fraud detection. Furthermore, thanks to the integration with the commercial register and other third-party sources, the solution is able to instantly enrich the document with information that is not publicly available or difficult to find manually."

According to the vendor, the data capture AI proves to be up to twenty times faster than manual processing, resulting in an impressive 80% reduction in administrative costs. Native integrations with Abacus ERP software and AbaNinja accounting tool are also available. This enables seamless connectivity to Swiss ERPs, as well as REST API integrations for other ERPs. DeepO has already been successfully integrated with several applications, including the mobile app AbaClik and the Swiss real estate platform Tayo.

1,000,000 is just the beginning.

Claudio Hintermann, Chief Executive Officer of DeepCloud, expresses his confidence in the future growth of the platform: "Although 1 million documents processed in just 7 months is a major milestone for us at DeepCloud, this is just the beginning. We are experiencing double-digit growth every month as the platform continues to grow in popularity. DeepCloud's DeepO embodies the ability of artificial intelligence to help people do their jobs and revolutionize data capture - its future looks more promising than ever," said Hintermann.

Source and further information: www.deepo.swiss

At the start of the 2023 apprenticeship program, the new education ordinances and curricula for the basic vocational training programs "Kauffrau/Kaufmann EFZ" and "Kauffrau/Kaufmann EBA" (previously Büroassistent:in EBA) will be implemented. With the reforms, the prerequisites were created to optimally prepare young business people for the changing world of work in the future. The KV is the most popular basic training in Switzerland and around 12,000 young professionals are starting their commercial training this month. Melinda Bangerter, Head of Education at the Swiss Commercial Association, is delighted with the new apprenticeship: "The groundbreaking KV reform comes into force after six years of intensive preparation. I am firmly convinced that the course has now been set for the successful further development of the KV profession in the age of digitalization."

Promoting the strengths of learners with action competencies

With the reorientation of the apprenticeship, the focus is now holistically on professional action skills. These are geared to the needs of the labor market and enable young people to shape their working and private lives independently. In a constantly changing economic and social environment, this is of great importance for both young people and the economy. "Teaching and testing according to action competence orientation is standard in vocational education today," explains Bangerter. The new orientation makes it possible to better address the different prerequisites and strengths of the learners as well as the needs of the training companies and industries - for example, by means of practical assignments in the companies, elective areas in the vocational school as well as an overarching online learning documentation. Bangerter: "We wish the learners, training companies, vocational schools and industries a successful start to the new commercial apprenticeship."

Zurich Square: Successful implementation thanks to constructive discussions

The working group "Forum for the new commercial apprenticeship in Zurich", which was initiated two years ago by the Commercial Association Zurich, has closely accompanied the implementation of the reform. Together with 13 Zurich-based representatives of the industries, employers, associations, schools and authorities involved, Switzerland's largest professional association in the commercial-business sector prepared the successful launch of basic commercial training. "The intensive discussion among the forum participants clearly showed how complex a reform of this magnitude is," said Amalia Zurkirchen, Managing Director of the Zurich Commercial Association. "As the sponsor of the KV Zurich business school, we are now experiencing first-hand how the new apprenticeship is being received by the learners. We are convinced that the constructive dialog in the Forum will bear fruit and wish all apprentices a successful start!"

As a professional and educational association, the Commercial Association offers a wealth of information and is available to answer questions about the new KV apprenticeship.

• Website: Apprenticeship starting 2023 (kfmv.ch)
• Advisor: KV apprenticeship: All clear! (digital) - Apprenticeship starts in 2023 (kfmv.ch)
• Professional group: We vocational and practical trainers (kfmv.ch)

Extensive commitment to the new training

As the body responsible for the education ordinance and the education plan for the profession of "Kauffrau/Kaufmann EFZ", the Swiss Conference of Commercial Training and Examination Branches (SKKAB) is responsible for the further development of basic commercial training EFZ. The SKKAB has been committed to the new training together with all association and training partners since the beginning of 2018. These include the future 19 training and examination sectors, the vocational schools with their three school conferences, the Swiss Commercial Association, as well as the cantons and the federal government.

Digitec Galaxus has optimized its package sizes and now uses more precisely fitting packages. A new AI solution from Ergon helped with this. Thanks to the new solution, Switzerland's largest online retailer was able to reduce the empty space, and thus the filler material, by 28 %. Ergon published this approach in a scientific paper. The paper also highlights the optimization itself and shows how its resource consumption could be reduced by 96 %. It is not only the mail order business that benefits. Parts of this approach are also suitable for personnel deployment, timetable or material requirements planning.

Transparency promotes sustainability

Ergon and Digitec Galaxus have published the detailed description of the solution approach on https://arxiv.org published. The goal is to help other companies achieve greater sustainability as well. "The publication is important to us because sustainability and transparency are core values of Ergon," says Wilhelm Kleiminger, Head of Data Science at Ergon. "Furthermore, we want to show that digitalization and AI approaches can play a key role in sustainability." According to Kleiminger, data-driven companies have an advantage when it comes to identifying and implementing optimization potential. In this regard, Digitec Galaxus is one of the companies with a role model function, he said. The air volume to be optimized as well as the constraints, such as creasing, could thus be mathematically defined based on concrete business goals and KPIs. "Clear metrics are needed for both machine learning and mathematical optimization. This is the only way to create an algorithm that solves relevant problems," Kleiminger concludes.

One solution, numerous advantages

Digitec Galaxus has been using the solution since fall 2022. Since then, the online retailer has not only saved resources and costs. Aurel Gautschi, Product Owner at Digitec Galaxus, says: "We have received a lot of positive feedback from employees. The new package sizes are much more ergonomic. That makes work easier. Customers are also happy about less waste. For Digitec Galaxus, this is a win on several levels.

Source: Ergon Informatik AG