Europe's politics are on the move. Switzerland, in the middle of it all but only partly directly involved, is not unaffected. The economic ties between its companies and the euro zone are closely interwoven, its trading partners are important, and its dependencies are great. After last year's confidence, skepticism is growing among Swiss companies regarding the future strength of Europe. Pessimism is spreading due to the already weakening economy in Europe and the below-average economic forecasts for Switzerland. This is shown by the country analysis from the current European Payment Report, which was conducted by Intrum AG. The study is based on a survey of 11,856 companies in 29 European countries conducted from January 31, 2019 to April 5, 2019. It examines payment behavior from different perspectives, highlights national trends and compares them with European comparative figures. The European Payment Report 2019 and the Country Report Switzerland 2019 are available for download free of charge.

Economic downturn feared

Just under a third of respondents fear an economic downturn within the next two years or are convinced that Switzerland is already in a recession. At 27 percent - compared with just 7 percent last year - a strikingly higher number of Swiss companies expect their debtor risk to increase even further in the near future. They already write off just under 4 percent of their sales annually due to bad debt losses, which is significantly higher than the average of their European competitors. Only 6 percent of the companies surveyed still believe that their bad debt losses will be reduced in the near future. "Already many companies are acting with foresight and taking precautionary measures to prepare for any economic downturn," notes Thomas Hutter, Managing Director of Intrum AG. "Such measures, such as proactively reducing accounts receivable risk, can be initiated at any time and have an immediate impact on the operating result. It also increases the company's financial flexibility and stress resistance in a challenging economic environment."

Late payers: complicit in liquidity shortages and insolvency

Business is problematic for 71 percent of Swiss companies if debtors do not pay their invoices until after the due date. Here, too, Switzerland is well above the European average of 51 percent. However, the payment periods, which have been reduced in some cases in recent years, have only had a moderate effect as an antidote. Creditors' patience is still being stretched beyond endurance. Payments from private customers are generally received around 4 days late, while corporate customers even allow themselves a 7-day delay. Public-sector bills are paid particularly far in excess of the payment deadline: instead of 31 days, the average wait for receipt is 42 days.

In comparison with European practice, Swiss companies set longer payment periods for private individuals, which in turn has an impact on the time it takes to actually receive payment. In contrast, the payment periods granted to corporate customers and by the public sector are shorter: These invoices have to be paid more quickly than in Europe.

Regardless of longer or shorter payment periods, payment morale is anything but good. The reasons for this can be found in financial difficulties on the part of debtors, but also in deliberate delay or carelessness. A good quarter of those surveyed complain of liquidity bottlenecks and lost sales as a result. Twenty-one percent see their growth hindered by delayed incoming payments, and 14 percent even see their existence threatened. Swiss companies are increasingly resorting to precautionary measures to avoid payment defaults: Advance payment ranks right at the top (55%), followed by credit checks (42%) and collecting their receivables (28%).

Future: Without cash but with a lot of risk from the network

Many sectors and industries have already digitized processes, not just in the future. Digital payment methods have long since become established. 48 percent of the companies surveyed believe that we will be living in a cashless society in 10 years at the latest. This assessment puts Switzerland exactly in line with the European average. Although many also see the benefits for their company in digitization - including increased efficiency in payment processes and accounting - they worry about the increase in cyberattacks. Nearly two-thirds (63%) believe that as cashless payments continue to increase, so will the risk of cyberattacks. In the area of online commerce, which is taking on an increasingly important dimension, the risks to suppliers can be reduced or their security significantly increased by means of digital identity verification of customers.

Source: Intrum AG

"It all started three years ago with escalated harassment allegations by an employee against a member of management. The company reached its limits with this challenge. The HR manager was totally absorbed and could not do his normal job," says Judith Wissmann, founder and president of workandconflict.ch. The experts involved in implementing the measures recognized that there is a great need for action in companies when employees make accusations. A loose group of specialists formed the expert pool Arbeitundkonflikt.ch and developed instruments that can be used for prevention and intervention. These include, for example, steps to be taken by a contact point or a questionnaire, steps and schedule for internal investigations.

Interdisciplinary competence center

Today, Arbeitundkonflikt.ch is an interdisciplinary competence center for the protection of personal integrity for companies and those affected. Core areas are prevention and intervention. One of Arbeitundkonflikt.ch's specialties are in-house and public seminars and workshops. In these prevention measures, managers and contact points are trained using video clips or live scenes specially filmed for training purposes.

Experienced experts

The expert pool for work and conflict combines organizational development, legal, pedagogical and psychological know-how. The pool of experts consists of highly experienced experts for conflict clarification, internal investigations as well as mediation. Communication support in crises around conflicts in the workplace are another field of action. The platform finds the appropriate experts for each stage of conflict escalation and, with its support, relieves HR managers, leadership and other contact points in companies and organizations.

The study by the Family Business Association (FBA) found that independence, longevity and trust form the foundation of family businesses, but more so among study participants over 60 years of age and significantly less so among participants under 40. According to Dr. Wolfgang Schwartzkopff, head of the study and co-president of the German-Swiss Association of All Family Businesses, it is apparent that the younger generation also wants a greater international focus as a strength and pays more attention to the topic of training quality.

High demands on management

Likewise, success factors specific to family businesses include the successful management of generational change. This process is more difficult, not least because of the very high demands on family and company management. For Prof. Denise H. Kenyon-Rouvinez (IMD), family businesses need people with passion, drive and resilience at the top.

Succession planning in family businesses

Unexpectedly, the study shows that in the case of a non-family solution, the sale to another entrepreneurial family is preferred in succession planning. Management buy-out is seen as another favored option before selling to a non-family controlled competitor. Once the business has been sold to a third party, a new chapter can be opened for the entrepreneurial family when it becomes an "investing family".

70 % of the respondents explicitly mention a close connection between family values and the success of the company. These mission statement contents remain a relevant yardstick even when an external CEO is sought. It can even become an advantage for a family business if generation-specific value changes take place. In order to correspond to the spirit of the times in a more sustainable way. The study participants see disunity among family members and nepotism as a natural risk.

Intra-family succession: important points

Successful succession within the family requires

• the early planning
• the design as for an important project, with milestones and timelines
• the renunciation of nepotism
• the clear definition of the division of roles
• the dialogue about value differences
• the thematization of conflicts at the beginning of the process
• the consideration/clarification of financial aspects of all family assts, as well as
• the contractual regulation of the transfer of ownership

Schwartzkopff sums up: "It remains essential that each entrepreneurial family intensively discusses the orientation of the family and the company in confidential talks and that the total assets ("family asset allocation") are included." This is particularly important to ensure that the next generation assumes responsibility for its own assets at an early stage.

Source and further information: http://familybusinessassociation.ch/

Employer branding is no longer a new topic. But it still arouses great interest among HR professionals. This is the only explanation for the fact that the 15th edition of the East Switzerland HR Day was held in front of a record-breaking crowd: The hall was almost filled to capacity, as Abdullah Redzepi, member of the patronage committee, could not fail to note with pride in his opening address.

Employer Brand: "Being Substantially Different"

The organizers succeeded in putting together a varied panel of speakers on the topic of "employer attractiveness". Theory and practice alternated in a balanced manner. First, Bastian Schneider of Hotz Brand Consultants spoke about the essence of a true employer brand. "Brands make people make decisions," he said, referring to the fact that this naturally also applies to the brand with which one presents oneself as a company. The real ingredient for success in employer branding, he said, is to be "substantially different." To do this, you also have to have the courage to say no to what all the other competitors are doing. "Purpose, meaning, identification, pride: this is where the greatest potential lies," says the speaker.

Florian Wassel, founder and co-owner of TOWA Digital, continued this thread when he spoke about employer branding for digital natives. It is neither foosball tables in the office nor ingratiation with the younger generation nor the frantic attempt to be cool that attracts generations Y and Z, he said. Rather, it is a matter of setting an example of agile management, creating orientation, clarity and transparency, and thinking even more digitally in the search for talent. His company is very active in this search, he says, not least because a wide variety of employees regularly make their presence felt on a wide variety of communication channels and thus become ambassadors for the company.

Maintaining and measuring employer attractiveness

Katharina Lehmann, CEO of the timber construction company Blumer-Lehmann, explained how even "traditional" companies cannot avoid using social media as an indispensable recruiting and communication tool. Managers as well as employees serve as "influencers", marketing is an important tool not only for sales but also for recruiting. And last but not least, every company needs a culture of trust. This is still created at the human-to-human interface. Nevertheless, employee communication must be direct, open, fast, unsparing, but at the same time constructive.

Simon Graf from Swiss Post showed that not only SMEs but also large companies struggle with recruitment difficulties. He explained how his company uses quantitative and qualitative surveys of applicants to identify weaknesses in the recruitment process. After all, if a candidate can at least report a positive "candidate experience" even after a rejection, this serves the attractiveness of an employer. In addition, Swiss Post relies on an internal referral program: employees are rewarded if they successfully find applicants for open positions in their personal environment. It's an effort that has already led to many hires, says Graf.

The role of positive psychology

The conference was concluded by Oliver Haas. He explained how positive psychology can lead to unimagined potential development in companies. "Appreciation creates added value," he concluded. Behind this is the realization that happy people are more successful overall. This requires the right inner attitude. This needs to be awakened by focusing less on weaknesses and more on strengths. After all, the current economic upswing is due less to technology than to positive psychosocial factors. These will also form the basis for competition in the future: "Machines don't burn out, people do," as the speaker put it.

More information: www.personaltag.ch

In a series of studies, the IAP Institute for Applied Psychology at the ZHAW looks at the current changes in our working world in the context of digital transformations and the effects on people. In the current third study, the IAP used structured interviews to ask 22 specialists and managers from various industries and companies in Switzerland how they experience and use the agile transformation in their own companies. For the study, only interviewees from companies and organizations with first-hand experience of agile transformation were selected.

Drivers in the introduction of agility

According to the Swiss companies surveyed, an increased customer focus and the associated need to develop individualized and tailored products are the strongest drivers for establishing agile working and/or organizational methods. Agile companies can also benefit from increased attractiveness for the future talent pool. The hope of speeding up decision-making processes is another key driver for the adoption of agility. Many companies also hope to be able to deal more flexibly with increasingly complex economic conditions by switching to agile forms of work and organization. In addition to employees, top management is driving the agile transformation in some companies.

Obstacles to the introduction of agility

New forms of work and organization often trigger fears among employees regarding the adaptation of their fields of activity or the loss of their jobs. This leads to employees having resistance to the upcoming changes. The interviewees also mentioned the realignment of functions, the lack of clarity regarding responsibilities, decision-making powers and role definitions as further challenges. The increasing self-organization of teams and individual employees can quickly overwhelm employees. "That's why it's imperative that companies involve employees in the process toward greater agility," says Anna-Lena Majkovic, the study's author. "In the process, employees must be explained why the company is moving to agile and what this means in concrete terms for individual employees and their areas of activity." Clear framework conditions must be defined for the introduction of agile methods. According to the companies, however, a lack of specialist knowledge about agile methods often makes professional introduction difficult. Especially in companies whose work structures are characterized by very classic hierarchies.

Agility as a change process

The agile transformation in companies causes profound changes, especially with regard to the design of work processes and in the team set-up. For this reason, the introduction of agile forms of work and organization often does not proceed smoothly in practice. Above all, the interface management between classic and agile forms of work and organization creates communication barriers between classic and agile units. The interview partners surveyed report frustration and friction at the interfaces. "The learning process towards agile can be painful" says Anna-Lena Majkovic. "Companies need a lot of stamina to do this. And they need confidence in the team to try things boldly." The interviewed professionals and leaders emphasize the importance of establishing a positive culture of mistakes and a learning organization. It is advisable to design the implementation of change processes with the employees. Top management is called upon to act as a role model. Early recognition and also discussion of resistance are central to the implementation of agility.

Success and failure factors

The companies surveyed cited the role model function of top management as a success factor. Managers must be actively involved in the change process and also answer critical questions about agile change. In order to be able to openly address challenges and critical issues, however, a culture of trust must prevail.
The failure factors in the change process towards more agility include inadequate communication on the concrete design of the change, again inadequate communication of the sense of purpose and underestimation of the time factor.

Effects on the corporate and error culture

Overall, the respondents describe positive effects from the introduction of agile forms of work and organization. They report a reduction in silo thinking and more open discussion cultures. The reduction of hierarchical structures and decision-making processes also increases personal responsibility and interdepartmental collaboration. According to the interviewees, there is also a positive effect on the error culture. Errors are consciously classified as a learning process that enables quality optimization and improves communication. Errors represent the opportunity to initiate innovative processes and to generate essential insights from wrong decisions. However, the companies surveyed also emphasize that living a constructive error culture remains a challenge for companies.

Accompany agility sensibly

A larger number of the participants surveyed report having used external specialist expertise in the introduction of agile forms of work and organization. For example, short training courses on agile forms of work and organization were conducted. Study author Anna-Lena Majkovic also recommends this: "The agile transformation is a long-term process that is accompanied by resistance, uncertainties and setbacks. It is therefore advisable to accompany the agile project professionally from the very beginning and to allow all levels of an organization to participate in the transformation."

More information: www.zhaw.ch/iap/studie

For the first time, there is room in the household budget of Swiss families for purchases of durable appliances in addition to goods for everyday use. Washing machines, refrigerators and electrical appliances for household and DIY use made their way into the apartments and houses of the Swiss in the 1950s. These years saw the birth of many household appliances that fundamentally changed housework and still make our hands easier today. This development was made possible by electrification.

The 1950s bring many conveniences

What was previously a luxury is becoming affordable for many. Electricity now flows out of the socket as standard in all households. Everything that is available with a cable is purchased and connected. Electricity consumption increases sharply. In 1953, television trials begin, in 1957 the first computer goes into operation at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), and the postal, telephone and telegraph companies (PTT) already report one million telephone subscribers in 1959.

Immerse yourself in the time of the 1950s with the help of the picture story below. A time that was characterized by technical progress and gave us many conveniences that we can no longer imagine life without today. So much was invented and discovered during this time that our modern lives have become much easier, and sometimes we don't even notice it anymore. We owe this to the experts who dedicated their lives to science. Even today, they ensure that the safety of electrotechnical products and systems is guaranteed and that they are compatible in networked systems. Their findings have been incorporated into recognized standards, which have been and continue to be adapted to the state of the art. In this way, they make a significant contribution to continuous further development and innovation.

Electrosuisse is responsible for standardization in electrical engineering

The Comité Electrotechnique Suisse (CES) of Electrosuisse is responsible for the field of electrical engineering. SNV has delegated all tasks related to electrotechnical standardization to the CES.

Electrosuisse is Switzerland's leading professional association in the field of electricity. Its aim is to ensure the safety of networks, installations and equipment, to keep its members up to date on developments in science and technology in all subfields of electrical engineering, and to promote professional dialogue. Electrosuisse organizes and supervises standardization in electrical engineering, electronics and information technology through its CES Commission in more than 90 technical committees. The CES represents Swiss interests at European and international level. It is the national member in the international and European standardization organizations of electrical engineering, IEC and CENELEC.

More information:
www.snv.ch
http://technik-museum.ch/
https://www.electrosuisse.ch/de/mitglieder-services/fachwissen/pioniere-der-elektrotechnik.html

Photographed flipcharts and whiteboards now replace the scribe in many meetings. With smartphones and tablets, high-quality images can be created, distributed and digitally archived directly in the document management system (DMS) in no time at all. Mobile data entry (MDE) devices are also increasingly equipped with a camera function. This opens up many more worthwhile applications for photos or videos created on the move, and for optimizing the digital flow of information:

1. in logistics

While the truck is still at the ramp, the employee in the incoming goods department notices damaged packaging. Using the camera in his MDE device or smartphone, he immediately records the defect. In addition to a battered cardboard box, he can also record obvious defects in the goods or incorrect deliveries. Returns and replacements can be requested immediately - even by back-office staff. But the quick snapshots also help in the case of a flawless shipment: A quickly documented confirmation in the goods receiving department ensures faster posting and thus shortens throughput times.

2. in shipping

Immediately before the goods leave the premises, a quick photo documents: The products now to be loaded are undamaged, complete and correspond to the order. If the delivery arrives at its destination incomplete or damaged, the "evidence photo" makes it clear beyond doubt that the damage occurred during transport. This prevents liability disputes from arising in the first place.

3. in manufacturing

It is also worthwhile in production to record certain production steps in pictures or videos. This makes it easier to track quality and completeness. The audiovisual material also provides the basis for further process optimization. Once production is complete, a photo can be used to document the final state. But that's not all: pictures from production are also helpful in customer communication. For example, they show the customer how far his individual order has been manufactured, thus increasing the anticipation of his desired product.

4. in project management

In complex projects, such as in plant construction, images and videos also help to record the status of certain trades and to record their progress. This applies to individual project phases and even more so to commissioning.

5. at the service

Service technicians in the field are under a lot of pressure: After all, the customer wants his problem solved as quickly as possible. If follow-up work becomes necessary, it is worth describing the current condition with text and images. If the colleague can already see the signs of use, for example, before the work begins, he can prepare himself in a more targeted manner. Of course, before-and-after images also make it easier to record the maintenance work performed.

From the digital file to the digital process

A digital recording alone does not make a digitization. If an employee first has to go to a PC or terminal to upload files, this costs valuable process time. So does copying to a PC, whether it's via swapping an SD card or plugging in a USB cable. Conversely, people in the back office have all the information they need directly available in the digital file - without queries and almost in real time. Even if only seconds or a few minutes are gained per process: Over the course of a day or a week, this can quickly add up to several hours of wasted working time. So for companies that want to exploit the full potential of digitization, it's not just a matter of creating photos as promptly as possible. They should also make sure that they can pass on the images directly from the mobile device to downstream departments. It must also be possible to attach the digital media to the respective orders or other documents.

Digital information flow: saving time and making work easier

Not only does this save employees several steps in the upload process, it also increases the speed and transparency of the process as a whole. The speed and transparency of the process as a whole also increase. Colleagues can react faster and start subsequent activities sooner. This is because they have direct access to the digital document, including all images and videos, and in the case of integrated archiving with a document management system, for years to come.

Source and further information: proALPHA

GIA Informatik is due for a renewal: A large part of the infrastructure has already been in operation for five years. The IT company was therefore looking for a supplier for the basic components including expansion, the entire server infrastructure, storage space, extensions and backup systems, and therefore carried out an evaluation. "As the overall supplier, we decided on HPE Switzerland, which had already provided the server landscape up to that point," says René Lüscher, Head of IT Solutions and member of the management team at GIA Informatik AG. By choosing a single supplier for servers, storage and backup systems, the company, which focuses on cloud computing, IT services and SAP, aimed to ensure that operations would be simpler in the future, so that the various components of the infrastructure would work smoothly together. The total cost of the infrastructure renewal amounts to several million Swiss francs.

Zofingen replaced by Lucerne

In parallel, GIA Informatik is replacing the existing data center in Zofingen with a new one in Lucerne, as already reported. "The two projects run synchronously on the timeline. That's why, at the strategic level, we thought about handing them over together and in an integrated way," explains René Lüscher. The primary data center is in Oftringen; all system classes classified by availability are located here. Disaster-tolerant systems are in operation in Lucerne.

The evaluation for the large-scale project began in the fall of 2017, and the contract was signed with Carlo Giorgi, Managing Director of HPE Switzerland, in September 2018. Immediately afterwards, GIA Informatik placed the hardware order and had the entire platform installed by HPE Switzerland by March 2019, including all configurations. To ensure secure operation, it will subsequently be monitored as standard.

Bits and bytes

The renewal includes 54 hosts (computers), running over 2000 virtual servers. The total amount of data is two petabytes, which corresponds to 2000 terabytes. The backup contains 5.5 petabytes; it is mirrored in both data centers with the same capacity. The backup hardware weighs two tons per data center. The storage is all flash memory, specifically SSD; there are no more traditional hard drives. "Storage is growing rapidly, and data storage is becoming more efficient. Thanks to increased performance, we can cut the host systems in half. Previously, we needed more than 104 hosts for the same performance," explains René Lüscher. In addition, GIA Informatik relies on a "composable" infrastructure for fast application provisioning of virtual computing and storage resources with the new, software-defined solution HPE Synergy.

Added value for GIA customers

The use of the latest technology from HPE brings maximum flexibility and innovation for customers. The new IT infrastructure coupled with the industry expertise of GIA Informatik make it possible to respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of customer and market requirements. Thanks to the new platform, innovation projects such as Cloud, Big Data, Internet of Things, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, SAP HANA, etc. can also be driven forward and steadily expanded for and with GIA customers. More efficient operations at lower costs provide the IT service provider with more resources for new projects.

More information

The fact that the IT company Opacc has once again received a top rating on the employer rating platform kununu.com is likely due to a variety of reasons. For example, the well-known fair and transparent application processes, the appreciation of candidates and - last but not least - the newly opened company headquarters in Rothenburg, which offers excellent working conditions, are among them, according to Opacc.

Fair recruitment processes

Natalie Schürmann, responsible for personnel acquisition at Opacc Software AG, is pleased with the result and sees her ideas confirmed: "We were obviously also rated very well by rejected job applicants, which makes us particularly proud! Rejections are unavoidable. At Opacc, however, great importance is attached to the necessary respect for all people who apply, as well as to quick, written rejections so that candidates can reorient themselves again.

While numerous companies are increasingly automating and anonymizing their application processes, Opacc relies on personal interviews and multi-stage, clearly regulated processes. This is obviously appreciated by candidates and leads to comments on the kununu.com platform such as: "The application process is very thorough, very fair and very relaxed."

Personality more important than skills

For Opacc, it is crucial that new employees have a convincing personality and are able and willing to support the company culture. Natalie Schürmann: "In the first interview, I focus on personality and social aspects. Desired candidates, who are then invited to the second interview, receive in-depth insights into the specialist department and face the questions of the supervisor. As a rule, this is followed - almost as a third stage - by a practical day in the specialist department. This is how we ensure that we hire people who not only meet the profile, but who will also share our Opacc corporate culture."

Professional recruitment pays off

The central Swiss company builds on over 30 years of experience in the development and implementation of enterprise software. In recent years, numerous new positions have been created with top-qualified specialists. However, the increasingly costly recruitment of talent acts as an obstacle to further growth. This makes it all the more important for HR managers to inspire new employees for Opacc with a variety of efforts.

Top ranking as most popular employer

The kununu.com rating platform has determined which Swiss companies are the most popular employers. Opacc is in an excellent 3rd place in Switzerland and was rated by almost 200 employees and applicants. 96% of the participating users would recommend their employer to others.

Opacc currently has a wide variety of jobs available, from project management to support, systems engineering to development.

Source and further information: www.opacc.ch

Many SMEs are clearly coming to terms with reality and seem to have little need for advice: According to Deloitte's "Private company global considerations for 2019" study, around three quarters of the companies surveyed are confident about their business prospects for the next 24 months. Most of them expect higher sales and earnings and higher productivity. And 49 percent expect to need to expand their workforce by several full-time positions. For this study, 2550 mid-sized companies were surveyed worldwide.

Many SMEs - many consulting service providers

So everything is under control? Yes, as long as nothing changes in the situation. But many companies also want more: they want to grow. And to do so, they need information and know-how. They often find this support from their trustees, lawyers, their bank, tax advisors or management consultants. In other words, SMEs turn to a different expert for almost every issue. As is well known, the market for consulting firms is correspondingly broad - naturally also a reflection of the diversity of SMEs.

From large to small enterprises

SMEs are also an increasingly interesting target group for large consulting firms. Switzerland in particular is a globally unique market for the private sector, writes Deloitte, for example. Many family businesses are based here, the country is traditionally rich in family offices and wealthy individuals, and the private equity segment is gaining in importance. With Deloitte Private, this globally active consulting and auditing firm is also launching its services for the private sector in Switzerland. "We are seeing an increasing demand from private companies for more support to address their biggest challenges: they are looking for new growth opportunities, they want to benefit from digitalization, ensure compliance with ever-changing, complex cross-border regulations, and protect themselves against risks such as cyber-attacks. Now more than ever, private companies need experienced advisors they can trust to play out globally integrated solutions locally across all disciplines," explains Karine Szegedi, Managing Partner of Deloitte Private in Switzerland. But why is Deloitte only now "discovering" the private company segment? Karine Szegedi continues: "With Deloitte Private, we have been active in other geographic markets for some time. In the last ten years, we have focused primarily on large companies. We've grown a lot in the meantime, and now we've reached a size that allows us to serve the segment of smaller and medium-sized companies as well."

Everything from one source

Deloitte Private becomes a single point of contact for companies. This is exactly what the decision-makers of family-owned or privately held companies want, according to the statement. Private companies would particularly benefit from Deloitte's local expertise in the areas of tax, mergers and acquisitions, business transformations, assurance and risk management. Deloitte intends to further expand its presence in the Swiss market.

"We want to offer an alternative"

Karine Szegedi leads Deloitte Private in Switzerland and in this capacity is also a member of the Executive Board of Deloitte Switzerland.

Ms. Szegedi, what makes the Swiss market special?
Karine Szegedi: There are many family-run companies in Switzerland, and some listed companies in Switzerland are also family-run. In addition, there is an interesting diversity of private banks and family offices in this country. This makes Switzerland very different from other countries in Europe. One example: Whereas in Belgium, for example, SMEs operate primarily locally, this is quite different in Switzerland. Many Swiss SMEs operate internationally, even globally. Their need for support from consultants with international know-how is correspondingly high. And that's where we can lend a hand, based on our experience with large companies.

How can experience with large companies be transferred to smaller ones? Those are different worlds after all ...
Not necessarily. Family businesses, for example, are more agile, but at the same time more cautious about change. They don't try out everything new right away. But overall, the topics are the same as those that interest large companies: Regulations, compliance, taxes, digitization, etc. What is different in each case is the contact person: In a family business, we often talk directly to the owner, who is also the CEO, whereas in listed companies, responsibilities and governance are distributed differently.

Many SMEs do well with advice from their fiduciaries. What added value can a consulting firm like Deloitte offer here?
Above all, we want to offer an alternative and not compete with existing offerings, such as those of private banks in asset management. However, we can offer added value there due to our expertise in compliance issues. We offer a wide range of services that can only be offered to a limited extent by other consultants or a fiduciary. Where specialized knowledge is required, which even we do not always have, we refer clients to the relevant experts in our network.

SMEs also value the personal relationship they have with their consultants. As a globally active consulting and auditing firm, how does Deloitte ensure that this is the case?
Our customers have a contact person who coordinates all further needs. He or she arranges contacts with experts on a wide range of topics. These specialists then report everything to the lead client manager.

Where or in which specialist areas do you see the greatest need for consulting among SMEs?
That's hard to generalize. A hot topic at the moment is cybercrime and everything to do with the management of cyber incidents and cyber risks. There are still many international companies interested in entering the Swiss market. We advise them on tax and legal issues, accounting and financial reporting regulations, etc., also in connection with M&A. Compliance is also a relatively large topic. Many companies and family offices need support here in order to be able to outsource the compliance area.

Example Accounting: What consulting services can Deloitte offer here?
Does it also take on fiduciary tasks? We do not offer accounting as such as a service, but of course everything to do with specific issues in accounting, auditing, assurance or company valuations.

Example succession planning: What services can an SME call on here?
Succession processes can be very complex. We offer support here in questions relating to taxes, governance and law - all with a view to long-term succession planning.

More information: Deloitte Private

It's no longer a secret. And yet most salespeople and entire sales teams try to ignore this simple fact: Sales will be different tomorrow than it was yesterday, and especially in B2B (business-to-business).

The reasons have been mentioned a thousand times: Buyers are much better informed, take less time, have much more choice ("global sourcing"), etc. And yet very many sellers find it extremely difficult to adapt.

Customer visits are carried out as in the past, with the hope of persuading the potential customer to buy by presenting the products. It is still expected that the prospective customer will contact me, because after all he has a "need". It's assumed that the prospect will read my emails and listen to my voicemails.

Here comes the brutal truth: Forget it! If you win a customer using these outdated methods, you've won the lottery. Congratulations! Only you won't be able to increase sales with them anymore.

So what to do? Here are three things you absolutely must address to stay ahead in the new sales world:

1. Knowledge. Train your team and yourself in the new ways to sell. There are several new strategies and methods that most salespeople have only heard about in passing. In addition, marketing and sales are increasingly intertwined. Are your processes prepared for this? Oh yes, and a salesperson without a coherent LinkedIn profile leaves potentials by the wayside.
2. Mindset. For most salespeople, you need to work massively on the mindset. The willingness to learn and the activity level often have to be increased significantly. I know salespeople who think and act like they did 20 years ago.
3. Courage. Today, as a salesperson and as a sales team, you have to stand out from the crowd much more clearly than before. Where a few years ago the product was sufficient as a sales argument, now you also have to be perceived as something special already in the sales process, and always with added value for the potential customers. A small example: How many of your salespeople regularly write for business magazines or post helpful content on social media?

My call: Tackle these issues today. Chances are high that your competitors are doing just that today and in the future.

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

More than 99 percent of all Swiss businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 250 employees. The study presented here, commissioned by the Swiss Confederation of Skilled Crafts (sgv) and KMU Frauen Schweiz, collects data on the importance and positioning of women working in one of these approximately 500,000 SMEs. The study is based on a special analysis of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) data for 2017, and the results can be considered representative for Switzerland. From 2012 to 2017, the total number of employed persons in Switzerland increased by 5 percent to 4.6 million. In comparison, the number of employed women has increased by 7 percent in these five years. The highest percentage of women is found in microenterprises with 1-9 employees. Small and flexible structures favor women's employment.

Women's careers and SMEs

Women are not only on the rise in numbers in SMEs, but also on the career ladders. The largest increases have occurred in the number of women employed in management and supervisory positions. Particularly striking is the increase in the number of women in top management positions. While 26 percent of all people in this group were women in 2012, the figure is nearly one-third (31 percent) in 2017. By comparison, the corresponding figure for men has fallen by 7 percent. In other words, women are conquering the so-called carpet floor.

The figures also show that the increase in the number of women in management positions is particularly large in medium-sized companies with between 50 and 249 employees. The number of women employed in top management positions increased by a whopping 54.7 percent. This is without any legally imposed quota for women. No such trend can be observed in large companies. On the contrary, in large companies with 250 or more employees, the number of women employed in top management has actually declined slightly. And it is around this problem, the situation of women in large companies, that the entire public discussion and resulting demands revolve. "This fails to recognize the reality of women in over 99 percent of all Swiss companies," said sgv Director and FDP National Councilor Hans-Ulrich Bigler at the media conference.

It is not surprising that women are very often found in the management of medium-sized companies. Women who take the top jobs here do so with above-average frequency and very high qualifications. 67 percent of them have a tertiary education. The proportion of women with the highest level of education in management is 59 percent across all company sizes.

Self-employment as an opportunity

Self-employment is a big issue among working women in SMEs. Most of the nearly 73,000 self-employed women run a small business with 1-9 employees and still 8,733 run a business with 10-49 employees. The small form of a company is generally very suitable for women. This is shown by the comparatively large share of women in small businesses of almost 50 percent. Women tend to be less common in medium-sized and large companies compared to men. Women frequently use self-employment as a part-time job, i.e. 67 percent, and are thus able to reconcile family and career. The partner of self-employed women without employees is also entrepreneurially active in 28 %. This suggests that in this case they often run a business together.

Women's advancement in reality

The study confirms the important position of women in family businesses. 60 % of all employees in these businesses are women. sgv Vice President and entrepreneur André Berdoz emphasized at the media conference how irreplaceable women are in family-owned businesses: "Very often, women take on key roles in the business as coordinators who maintain an overview and lead and coach the employees. Without their cooperation, many SMEs would not be able to exist.

SMEs integrate women into the workforce quite naturally, entrepreneur and sgv Vice President Daniela Schneeberger knows from her own experience. The discussion about the role and position of women in the economy must take much greater account of this fact. "Promoting entrepreneurial women therefore means creating good framework conditions in order to maintain flexibility. And flexibility is one of the great assets of women," said FDP National Councilor Daniela Schneeberger at the media conference.

"recognize-integrate-network"

This year, KMU Frauen Schweiz celebrates its 25th anniversary. KMU Frauen Schweiz is the network of female collaborating partners and self-employed entrepreneurs in SMEs. The network was founded by the sgv in 1994. It is a platform for women's concerns within the sgv. The largest umbrella organization of the Swiss economy thus recognized the importance of supporting women in the working world and in society 25 years ago and integrated it into the association. Under the motto "recognize-integrate-network", the network of SME women, with the support of the sgv, is committed to ensuring that the achievements of women in business and society are increasingly publicized and recognized. The Federal Certificate of Competence in Business Management for SMEs, introduced by the sgv together with the Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship Training SIU, gives women the recognition they have long been missing. "SME Women Switzerland was awarded a prize by the European Commission for this innovative approach," explains the President of SME Women Switzerland and sgv Vice Director Christine Davatz.

Source: Swiss Trade Association