The world's most widely used BEREG anti-doping control containers will remain Made in Switzerland: The Board of Directors of Berlinger Special AG announced today that it will not discontinue the production of containers for doping control samples and will continue to supply the market with the world's best-tested containers. Production, sales & marketing as well as the permanent further development of the products, will remain in Switzerland. Since the 1990s, Berlinger Special AG, a technology company based in eastern Switzerland, has been manufacturing containers and security solutions for doping samples, which are now regarded as the global standard and are used for doping controls at most international sporting events (e.g. Olympic Games, major football events, World Championships in Athletics, etc.). The World Anti-Doping Agency WADA, all international sports federations, national anti-doping agencies and customers have recently been informed about the continuation of production.

Great confidence and high international demand for Berlinger anti-doping products

The deciding factor for the reconsideration of the withdrawal from this business segment, announced in March 2018, was the very high demand worldwide for the BEREG anti-doping bottles for urine and blood. "An overwhelming majority of national anti-doping agencies worldwide, have asked us several times to continue production," says BoD President Andrea Berlinger. Berlinger Special AG had to struggle in 2018, due to the high demand for anti-doping containers sometimes with long delivery bottlenecks. In recent months, both the internal production processes and all anti-doping products were reviewed according to the latest findings. An update of the control container for blood doping samples will be delivered for the first time this month. BEREG's anti-doping control kits continue to meet the latest requirements of WADA and international sports federations and are appreciated by athletes worldwide for their easy and safe handling.

Strategic focus on two business areas

Following this decision, the Toggenburg-based company continues to focus on its two traditional business areas. In addition to the area of anti-doping, in which the company has built up a great deal of knowledge over the decades, this is the high-tech-based temperature monitoring of cold chains. The companies Berlinger & Co. AG (temperature monitoring) and Berlinger Special AG (anti-doping products) employ around 100 people in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. Both companies have been led by CEO Thomas Bechter since August 2018. The family business, which has been in existence since 1865, has been owned by the Berlinger Schwyter family for 11 years. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of both companies is Andrea Berlinger.

www.berlinger.com

The demands at work are increasing, one deadline chases the other and the sheer endless possibilities in our private lives don't make it any easier: What can we do to avoid the risk of becoming unbalanced? The renowned stress and depression researcher Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Hasler from the University of Fribourg counters the growing pressure of the working world 4.0 by strengthening resilience. As a psychotherapist of many years' standing, he is familiar with measures for increasing one's own resilience. Specifically, he proposed a three-point program in his presentation at the Impulse conference: "First and foremost, it is important to benefit as much as possible from the meritocracy. First and foremost, one should invest in self-efficacy and self-fitness, as one's own boss, so to speak, who is open to life and its challenges. Third, it is important to develop and maintain local cooperation. The direct exchange in the neighborhood, in the association, in the place of residence and the cultivation of real relationships helps enormously."

Plea against multitasking

Leadership Coach Angelica von der Assen illuminated the effects of mindful leadership. She spoke of an "action addiction" in a world characterized by total "busyness." Today's fast-paced workday, she said, is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. "No one forces us to get on the hamster wheel. It is we ourselves who expose ourselves to this stress." Von der Assen therefore made a clear plea against multitasking, which results in more time and errors in the short term and a reduction in intelligence in the long term. "Mindfulness, on the other hand, can be rewarding: By doing less and being more, we gain speed for the essentials."

Craft and empathy professions have a future

The brilliant conclusion of the impulse conference was made by the German best-selling author and honorary professor for philosophy Richard David Precht. He took a careful look at our society and was convinced: "The future is already here - high time to act. The bourgeois society is a meritocracy and this is just being replaced by a revolution that many do not want to admit. It may, but need not, cost many jobs." In Precht's eyes, jobs in the world of work 4.0 will be generated primarily in IT, skilled trades and empathy professions. Human performance profiles, in other words, that cannot be replaced so quickly and easily by machines. "For the new meritocracy to function in the Western hemisphere, we need a restructuring of our social system on the one hand. And on the other hand, the creation of a basic income so that consumers continue to keep the economy going."

Source and further information: www.kfmv-zuerich.ch

The results of the CEO Survey published this week paint a clear picture: 85 % of CEOs worldwide believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will dramatically change their business over the next five years (see 22nd CEO Survey by PwC). Almost two-thirds of global decision-makers consider AI to have a greater potential impact than the Internet. The level of development and promotion of AI varies from country to country.

Switzerland takes a passive stance

The global comparison shows that Swiss CEOs are exercising restraint. Around 40 % of the Swiss CEOs surveyed state that they are not currently planning any AI applications. Globally, the figure is just 23 %. Another 23 % of Swiss CEOs say they will develop a plan to apply AI in the next three years, while 30 % have taken a very limited approach so far. Less than ten percent say they have already implemented AI in their business.

A similar picture emerges when it comes to the question of the extent to which AI will change the way business is done: 26 % of Swiss CEOs do not expect any major changes as a result of AI - a view shared by only 13 % in a global comparison. Correspondingly, the number of CEOs predicting a significant change is 18 % higher globally than in Switzerland.

No time for AI?

The reasons for this are complex. In some cases, Swiss companies have had other priorities in recent years, such as the strength of the Swiss franc. In addition, some companies have reservations about the performance of the technology or are critical of automation. An important building block is the handling or availability of data. The more comprehensive and complete data is available, the better AI systems can learn from it. Government support measures also play a significant role. These relate to clear regulatory framework conditions and the promotion of education and research.

"Compared to other countries, Switzerland does not yet have an AI strategy at the federal level. This is despite good framework conditions, because Switzerland has an excellent education system, a great capacity for innovation and talented professionals," says Christian Westermann, data expert and AI leader at PwC Switzerland. "It is now up to the federal government to create the necessary framework conditions for AI in Switzerland and to support companies as well as research and educational institutions in initiating concrete measures. Only in this way will they not be left behind and gain a business advantage in the future."

AI at the core of global digital transformation

Numerous countries such as China, France, Singapore or Japan have declared AI as a key technology of the digital transformation and announced comprehensive plans to advance AI research and development. In addition, there are numerous international strategies (e.g., from the EU, the UN, the UAE, and India) governing AI partnerships. The investments are substantial, with amounts in the billions of dollars. The initiatives differ only in their strategic focus. Collectively, they cover scientific research, talent development, skills and education, public and private sector adoption, ethics and inclusion, standards and regulations, and data and digital infrastructure.

Federal working group launched

However, the national AI strategies have one thing in common. They are trying to create a comprehensive ecosystem. Says Westermann: "A strong AI ecosystem is characterized by a strong network between science, business with companies and startups, and society. For such an environment to emerge, pioneering policy measures and an overarching strategy are needed. In 2018, the federal government set up a working group on artificial intelligence, which is to present existing and new measures to the Federal Council by fall 2019. I hope that this will create a foundation that will continue to support Switzerland in taking a leading role in technology and innovation."

Source: PwC

Half a year after the introduction of mandatory job notification, one in four companies feels restricted in their recruitment efforts. This is the finding of a survey of 650 managing directors and HR managers conducted by the market and social research institute gfs-zürich on behalf of swissstaffing and the Swiss Trade Association. The proportion of companies that feel strongly affected by restrictions and additional administrative burdens is even higher, at 39 percent. The reason: For every vacancy, the obligation to report must be checked and, if necessary, a report must be made.

Mandatory reporting slows down recruitment

"Many companies are dependent on personnel at short notice during peak order periods and unforeseen events such as accidents and illness. In order to be able to fill the vacancies quickly, the five-day bidding block is far too long. Many corporate clients of temporary staffing companies need the employees they are looking for within 24 hours," says Leif Agnéus, President of swissstaffing and General Manager of Manpower Switzerland, explaining the high proportion of restricted companies. The result: delays, lower quality, overtime for existing staff, lost orders.

Reporting process successful, candidate proposals deficient

The focus of the federal government and the cantons on a business-friendly notification procedure has paid off. Eighty percent of the companies surveyed find the verification of subordination and the notification process simple. There is a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the RAV's candidate proposals. Only 31 percent of the companies surveyed rate these as good. In view of the figures, NR Hans-Ulrich Bigler, Director of the Swiss Trade Association, comments: "As long as the quality of the RAV's dossiers does not improve, extending the obligation to register to occupations with an unemployment rate of over 5 percent does not make sense, but only places an additional administrative burden on SMEs."

Job notification requirement hits French-speaking Switzerland particularly hard

An analysis of the survey by canton shows: The job notification requirement is hitting French-speaking Switzerland particularly hard. In the canton of Geneva and the canton of Vaud, 72 and 60 percent of companies respectively say they are severely affected by the job notification requirement. In addition, 44 percent of companies in the canton of Geneva feel severely restricted in their recruiting efforts. "In the canton of Geneva, there are more jobs than working-age residents. Uncomplicated recruitment options are therefore particularly important." explains swissstaffing economist Marius Osterfeld. Given the shortage of skilled workers and international competition, the goal should be to create a more transparent job market, but maintain the liberal labor market. For the political leaders in Bern, the survey results are a wake-up call, as a further increasing burden on the economy is foreseeable due to the extension of job notification requirements in 2020 and the introduction of controls.

Source: Swissstaffing

You now have about 49 weeks left to make history in 2019. Seriously, what is it that you will "move the world" with this year, at least in your environment and for your peers (or your customers). And by that I don't just mean "a little more of the same," but something really great that you can be really proud of.

Always in the comfort zone...

What's behind it? Well, the direction of our lives is largely determined by the questions we ask ourselves. And most people, from my experience, don't ask themselves questions that move them forward strongly, but questions that leave them in the comfort zone.

"What am I making history with this year?" is a powerful, umcomfortable question. Because you may not have an answer. If your response is "What a crock!" then we're on to something here. Then you have potential for more positive impact on those around you - and for making a real difference.

How to make history in 2019

Here are three specific ideas on how you can make history in 2019:

1. Choose exactly one big target! I know you've heard this a thousand times: What is your one big goal for the next 12 months? And yet, when I ask people in any environment (including CEOs), I almost never get a clear answer. So write down your one most important big goal for this year!
2. Double your productivity! How you can do that? First, you need your big goal for it (see point 1). Because everything that does not go in the direction of this goal is a waste. Then work every day at least half on the topics that really move you forward. This is exactly where it fails for most: They become extremely efficient in things that don't really move them forward - a huge waste.
3. Grow every day! Finally, make this year your growth year! Read or listen to a good book each week that will move you forward. Get video and audio courses. Go to seminars. Participate in mastermind groups. And so on. A first step for this: Create a personal growth plan with monthly goals.

Well then, let's do it! If we have more positive "history makers" this year, it will be a better year. Especially in today's times, we need that - we need You!

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

The radical changes in the modern working world also require a new recruiting mindset from business. A book by Frank Rechsteiner - he is Owner of Hype Group, which specializes in executive recruiting and strategy consulting for IT companies - shows how departments need to get more involved in recruiting in order to meet the demands of digitization, globalization, demographic change and a shortage of skilled workers. The focus is on building a clear and convincing employer profile.

Important recruiting trends

Frank Rechsteiner's new book offers an overview of the important recruiting trends, such as active sourcing, recruiting 4.0, content recruiting and influencer recruiting. In addition to HR managers, business leaders are also urged to radically rethink recruiting. Instead of continuing to produce stereotypical job ads, business departments must work with HR professionals to identify job content and unique selling points that will help their company score as an employer. To this end, the goals of the teams in which vacancies are to be filled must also be defined and linked to company-specific elements such as vision and mission statement.

 Interactive use possible

"Only with clear job requirements and an authentic employer image can companies gain an edge in the competition for qualified personnel," emphasizes Frank Rechsteiner, who has incorporated his many years of expertise and experience as an executive recruiting coach, career expert, author and impulse speaker into the book. As each topic is supplemented by practical examples and recommendations for action, specialist departments also receive numerous tips on how to mesh more closely with HR colleagues. The book can also be used interactively with a free augmented reality app. 

The 160-page book "Recruiting Mindset. Personalgewinnung in Zeiten der Digitalisierung" will be published by Haufe on March 15, 2019 and can be ordered at https://shop.haufe.de/prod/recruiting-mindset-inkl-augmented-reality-app or can be pre-ordered in bookstores under ISBN: 978-3-648-12344-7.

DSAG member companies continue to invest in IT in general. At 31 percent (DACH 40 percent) of the Swiss companies surveyed, the budget is increasing by an average of around 13 percent compared to the previous year. (DACH 16 percent). SAP investments are similar to general IT investments. They increase at 25 percent of Swiss companies (DACH 42 percent), by an average of 16 percent (DACH 27 percent). "A certain reluctance to invest on the part of many Swiss companies could be due to the fact that no clear strategy about the future design of the software is yet apparent," comments Christian Zumbach, DSAG board member for Switzerland. A new question this year was whether the budget for software-supported business processes is provided by and is the responsibility of the business department. In 39 percent of cases (DACH 28 percent), the business department is largely in charge. In 44 percent (DACH 41 percent) of companies, the IT department continues to be responsible for IT budgets. They thus follow the traditional division of responsibilities.

Big Data is top

Among the current trend topics, more than half of Swiss companies (53 percent) are investing in Big Data (DACH 46 percent) and 44 percent in the Internet of Things (DACH 43 percent). Artificial intelligence projects are on the agenda of 25 percent (DACH 32 percent). Robotics Process Automation is on the agenda of 11 percent (DACH 23 percent). 17 percent of respondents have no projects planned on these topics (DACH 19 percent). Multiple answers were possible here. "Big Data, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning have arrived in Swiss companies. For DSAG, this is an incentive to continue to work intensively on these topics in 2019," comments Christian Zumbach, DSAG Executive Board Switzerland.

S/4HANA on the rise

The main investments in the Business Suite are declining. Only around 3 percent of Swiss companies are planning high investments for 2019 (DACH 10 percent). In contrast, 11 percent are planning high investments for S/4HANA (on-premise) (DACH 14 percent) and 8 percent for S/4HANA (cloud) (DACH 3 percent). "Here, a new understanding seems to be emerging with regard to S/4HANA, even if it is not yet as pronounced," comments Christian Zumbach. The trend is also evident in the switch from ERP 6.0 to S/4HANA. This year, 3 percent still want to switch (DACH 5 percent). For 33 percent, the switch is an issue in the next three years (DACH 39 percent). From 2021/2022, 31 percent are planning to do so (DACH 30 percent). The number of those who have not yet made a decision has risen to 28 percent (+ 13 percent), but has fallen to 16 percent in DACH (- 9 percent). "The fact that the number of undecideds has risen so much could indicate that many Swiss companies are examining additional alternatives before taking a concrete path," Christian Zumbach interprets the result. On the other hand, the number of those who want to stay with SAP ERP 6.0 has fallen further to 3 percent (DACH 6 percent). This is 9 percent less than in 2018 (DACH -7 percent).

Digitization: Focus on existing business processes

In connection with investments for digitization efforts, DSAG member companies continue to differentiate between existing business processes and new business models. The focus on existing business processes (very important and important) has increased further in Switzerland by 7 percentage points (DACH + 5 percentage points to 90 percent) compared with the previous year to 94 percent. Investments in new business models are rated as important by 69 percent of respondents in Switzerland (DACH 68 percent). "The still very high importance of existing business processes shows that companies are still very intensively engaged with their ERP system," Christian Zumbach summarizes.

Source and further information: www.dsag-ev.ch

Whether in the car, in one's own home or in the factory: more and more objects are exchanging information and thus enabling new applications. The "Internet of Things", as this technology is called, places high demands on sensors and the electronics behind them. That is why the FHNW School of Engineering has founded a new Institute for Sensors and Electronics.

Sensor technology for a networked world

The nearly 40 employees of the institute develop customer-specific sensors, measuring systems and application-specific electronics. Due to the often complex tasks, interdisciplinary cooperation with a wide range of partners is expedient. The new applications increase the demands on the electronics of the sensors.

The institute's microelectronics specialists develop smaller, faster, more accurate and more flexible components. In addition, they have experience in developing components to the highest safety standards.

Cooperation with local industry

One specialty of the new institute is particle measurement technology. This involves measuring fine dust and aerosols in the air. In this way, important data on smog or diesel emissions can be collected, for example. In addition to established techniques, new approaches are also used, for example in photoacoustics.

In collaboration with local industry, the Institute of Sensor Technology and Electronics FHNW implements concrete projects and can thus integrate the latest developments into the local economy. The next generation also benefits: Students at the FHNW School of Engineering are actively involved in research through student projects.

More information: www.fhnw.ch/ise

Digital transformation is having a positive impact on employment across all disciplines and is anything but a job killer. This is shown by the annual HR report published by the personnel services provider Hays. Overall, the respondents to this year's HR Report expect more opportunities than risks (60 points on a scale of 0 to 100). The number of jobs will grow in IT in particular: 54 percent expect positive employment effects here. Respondents also expect more significant job growth in sales (50 percent) and in marketing and research and development (43 percent each). According to the decision-makers, new job profiles will be created primarily in research and development, IT and marketing. Hays and the Institute for Employment and Employability (IBE) surveyed more than 800 companies for the HR Report 2019.

Further training and expansion of the work-life balance

In order to ensure the employability of employees, lifelong training and development is considered the most important instrument (50 percent). In addition, the expansion of the work-life balance (44 percent) and cooperation in mixed teams (39 percent) are at the top of the list of suitable measures.

 "The importance of work-life balance for employability is growing. The respondents see their own company as more responsible than themselves. However, the realization of the work-life balance is still clearly lacking," says Prof. Dr. Jutta Rump, head of the IBE.

Generalists in demand

In order to successfully shape the digital transformation, generalists (61 percent) are more in demand than subject matter experts. In addition, companies rely more often on experienced experts (57 percent) than graduates (43 percent). Moreover, creative minds (56 percent) are ahead of implementation- or process-oriented employees (44 percent). "Combining the different competencies and skills of people in a meaningful way will be an even greater challenge for companies in the coming years. In the future, it will no longer be enough to rely primarily on specialist knowledge. Instead, mental competencies, such as actively dealing with change, will become the central skills," Marc Lutz, Managing Director of Hays (Schweiz) AG, comments on the results.

Source and further information

A free trade agreement between the EU and Japan comes into force on February 1. Switzerland also has a free trade agreement with the Land of the Rising Sun. According to Martin Herb, President of the Swiss-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, however, there is an urgent need for action: "Because Switzerland and Japan have still not been able to agree on updating the soon-to-be 10-year-old bilateral free trade agreement of 2009, Swiss companies will now lose competitive advantages in Japan. Swiss companies will be at a disadvantage in the Japanese market compared to competitors from the EU as of February 2019."

Using Davos as an opportunity for Switzerland

National Councilor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, President of the Switzerland-Japan Parliamentary Group, now demands in a communiqué published on January 21: "The Federal Council must use Japan's high-level presence at this year's WEF in Davos to obtain concrete commitments from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for at least equivalent market access for Swiss companies in Japan. It cannot be that Japan treats Switzerland worse than the EU." As early as December 2017, National Councillor Schneider-Schneiter had pointed out this impending discrimination against Swiss companies in an interpellation in the National Council and repeatedly demanded (2017, 2018) that the Federal Council renew the 2009 free trade agreement (JSFTEPA). But so far there have been no results, the former competitive advantage has been given up without a fight. "Competition from the EU has definitely overtaken Switzerland in Japan"The media release states soberly.

Parliamentarians demand: Consider joining the CPTPP

National Councillor Schneider-Schneiter welcomes the fact that the Federal Council is now also considering joining the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) multilateral free trade agreement, as stated in the foreign trade report of January 16. CPTPP has only been in force since December 30, 2018, and in addition to Japan includes 10 other countries (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam), with further accessions such as those of the United Kingdom (UK) under consideration. Consequently, there is no lack of options for the Federal Council to lobby for equal market access for Switzerland in Japan. It is high time to finally address these options and discuss them with Japan at the highest level.

Source and further information: www.sjcc.ch

When companies move entire business processes to the cloud, the expected business objectives can only be achieved if the migration is secured from the outset by a comprehensive IT security strategy - in which the security of the data plays a decisive role. NTT Security outlines the most important activities in five steps.

1. identify and classify data

To begin with, companies must determine which applications and data are to be transferred from their own data center to a cloud provider during the migration. For example, it must be clarified what type of data is involved and whether personal data is involved, because then the strict regulations of the GDPR apply. In which applications will the data be used, by whom and how? Is it only read or is it also processed? The security model is built on the basis of this information.

2. define the level of protection for each step in the workflow

Based on the classification and risk assessment of the data, the level and class of protection must be determined for each step in the workload. Is encryption needed, and if so, when: during transmission, during storage, at field level? Will pseudonymization or tokens be required? Where should the encryption keys be stored: on-premise, directly with the cloud provider, or with a separate cloud provider?

3. define rules for access control

In order to achieve a high level of protection, data must not be accessible without protection at any time during a business process. It must also be ensured that copies of stored or archived data are protected during processing in the same way as the originals and that these copies are deleted when they are no longer required. Depending on roles in the company, access authorizations are assigned and compliance with them is monitored so that no unauthorized person can read, copy, modify or delete data.

4. record all data accesses in log files

Companies need to link rules for granting access authorizations with comprehensive log management. Access logs record and store all data activities. These records and the evaluation of all data accesses and other security-relevant events are a prerequisite for seamless IT security monitoring. On the one hand, analysis of the log files enables unusual events to be identified and their causes determined, and on the other hand, it supports companies in tracing all activities during security audits.

5. observe the life cycle of the data

Data retention requirements are regulated in detail in the financial services, medical technology, chemical-pharmaceutical and other industries. The protection of personal data over its entire lifecycle is regulated in the GDPR (in Switzerland by the Data Protection Act, but the GDPR also applies to Swiss companies with business relationships in the EU) - regardless of whether the data is located in the company's own data center or in the cloud. For companies, this means that they must permanently retain complete control over personal data, from collection to processing to archiving. This applies to individual and standard applications, regardless of whether they are on-premise or in the cloud.

Source and further information: NTT Security

More and more people in Switzerland are working while they have time off: 68% state that they do business on their smartphone during their free time; 29% even do this often or very often. At the same time, 84% use their device for private purposes during working hours. And in the future, the smartphone is likely to become a far more valuable work tool: Processes will be handled on the move, data collected on site will be processed directly and made available to authorized persons. Overall, the smartphone is increasingly becoming a control tool for life and work: In Switzerland, 92% own such a device and 97% of them use it every day, not least for work. These were the findings of a survey of over 1,000 consumers in Switzerland and a total of 54,150 people from 34 other industrialized and emerging countries for the Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey.

Four groups can be formed from the responses of all working smartphone owners to the questions on the professional and private use of their devices (see figure below). The smallest group, at six percent, is made up of those who use their smartphone for work in their free time but never do private things during working hours. The second most common group (10%) is made up of people who still keep work and private life strictly separate. The majority of this group is female (61%) and tends to be older.

Majority hardly separates

Almost four times as large as the first group is the group of those who spend working time on private matters but never free time on business (23%). The majority of these are also women, as the Deloitte study shows. Most of them only go on their social media profiles or exchange private messages during working hours from time to time. However, a good third do so frequently or very frequently. The vast majority of employees in Switzerland (62%) mix work and leisure on their cell phones in both directions; men are in the majority here (58%).

Similar use private and business

The top business applications are email (48%), phone (44%), calendar (36%) and instant messaging (35%). Barely ten percent of respondents use their smartphones to complete administrative processes such as expense tracking, scheduling work assignments, billing hours or project management. "There is great potential to increase efficiency in the greater use of smartphones for administrative processes - companies should take advantage of this to save costs and stay competitive. It also relieves employees of tedious paperwork," says Myriam Denk, Partner and Head of Future of Work at Deloitte Switzerland.

With a simple and intuitive user interface on the smartphone, it is possible to completely integrate and digitize process steps that are separate and time-consuming from one another. For example, the personal trainer can not only manage her client appointments more easily or invoice regularly in an automated manner, but also continuously measure the vital data of her clients and send individual progress graphically processed directly after the training - without having to return to the office.

Project instructions on work surface

Further, by integrating new technologies such as augmented reality (AR), the smartphone can also completely transform the way we work. AR can be applied in various sectors, such as education, medicine or industry. For example, the assembler then projects instructions or information directly over his work surface, allowing him to work more precisely and quickly. During maintenance work, material weak points are highlighted or complex work steps are displayed step by step directly on the device.
"The world of work is increasingly geared toward flexibilization, collaboration and connectivity. The new digital technologies are placing the relationship between employees and the company on a completely new footing; they are also changing the workplace and the tasks themselves. Mobile devices and their flexible, self-determined use are an essential element in realizing the new world of work. However, companies and employees still have a lot of catching up to do," says Myriam Denk. For example, 42% of the respondents to the Deloitte study on the future of the workplace said they were not provided with any mobile digital devices by their employer.

Data security and data protection

The increased use of digital mobile technology also means that investments must be made in cyber security. IT departments and external IT service providers will have to deal accordingly more with the new possibilities and potential vulnerabilities of mobile digital systems. Networked databases and real-time information sharing bring additional challenges: Incorrect entries could quickly spread far and wide or unauthorized persons could gain access to data and systems. In addition to data security, data protection must also be ensured and it must be precisely defined and verified which customer information may be used how and for what purpose.

Keeping an eye on health

In addition, the individual risks of further flexibilization of work should not be forgotten. In the survey, 66% say that they are distracted from their work by the private use of their smartphones, and for 19% this is even often or very often the case. In addition, a lack of rest periods and constant availability can have a negative impact on employees' health. In the professional environment, too, it is therefore important to use smartphones consciously and responsibly. Employers must sensitize their employees to this and, if necessary, issue rules.

Source: Deloitte