The other day a funny incident went through the net: In Berlin, a bike lane was built in such a way that it is almost impossible to follow the lane and avoid pedestrians (see the picture). We find this kind of thing fun, because it doesn't fit in at all with the perfectionism we see elsewhere, especially in Germany and Switzerland. And because it also excuses us for our own shortcomings.

How could this happen, despite the many rules and regulations? Or is it perhaps just therefore happening? Here's my point: you probably have various such metaphorical cycle paths in your company (and in yourself, too). And that doesn't even have to be a bad thing, quite the opposite. Here are three reasons to even actively enable such outcomes:

1. Risk culture. It is positive that action was taken at all. Otherwise, such plans can often languish in the offices for years because some guidelines get in the way. This is the reflection of a risk culture in companies: If you take action, you're going to make mistakes. We learn from this. That's a good thing! Many innovative companies even reward the biggest failures.
2. Ausbaden. I see time and again that those who come up with great processes never apply them themselves. Most companies could become much more productive if the managers really experienced what is going on "out in the trenches" (not only on bicycle paths). "Get out to the front" is the motto, at least from time to time.
3. Zigzagging. Sometimes the zigzag course is better than none at all. Many stay so long in the starting blocks that the others are already at the finish even with headwind and zigzagging. And at least they provide a funny example for the world, like here with the bike path.

Here's a hint: In the next meeting, let your team draw their own conclusions from the zigzag velo path. Let's see if they also come up with such positive ideas as mentioned above - or if they rather talk about it with amusement.

It is clear which of these behaviors enable greater openness and performance. A true winning team culture reliably delivers top performance, even when zigzagging.

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

The Hays Fachkräfte Index (FKI) is based on a quarterly evaluation by index Internet und Mediaforschung GmbH for Hays. It includes job advertisements from the busiest online job exchanges, daily newspapers, and the XING business network. The index has been established in Switzerland since 2011 and was relaunched this year. In addition to the individual sector evaluations, it now offers an overarching index for overall demand twice a year. The reference value is the first quarter of 2015. On average, demand in Switzerland has since doubled in the areas covered. This strong growth is unique internationally. In the current year, for example, the index in Germany fell from 154 in Q1 to 149 in Q2, while in Switzerland it rose from 181 to 197.

Implementation of the mass immigration initiative shows effects

One reason for the increased shortage of skilled workers could be that vacancies in this country are no longer so easy to fill following the adoption of the mass immigration initiative. Although the popular initiative was only implemented in a weakened form, the psychological barrier to moving to Switzerland from abroad rose. At the same time, earning and promotion opportunities in Switzerland's neighboring countries have become much better, and the Swiss franc has lost value against the euro. A move to Switzerland is therefore less worthwhile today from a financial perspective than it was a few years ago.

Shortage of skilled workers in almost all industries

The often cited shortage of skilled workers can be quantified and visualized in the FKI. In the engineering sector, the index rose from 186 points previously to 192 points in Q2. In absolute figures, this means that 4429 engineers were sought in Switzerland in the second quarter of 2018. This includes 931 development engineers (e.g. for drive technology, automation, electrical engineering, hardware, mechanical engineering and mechatronics) and 939 electrical engineers. The effects of digitalization are reflected here.

 In the FKI, the term finance refers to academic employees in corporate and bank accounting, but not to the banking sector as such. Demand has also risen in this skill segment, almost doubling over the three-year period. Digitalization has apparently not yet made itself felt in this segment in the form of major job cuts.

Specialists for IT and life science particularly in demand

IT specialization is the most sought-after professional group. In Q2 2018, 18,715 open graduate positions were registered. Here, the demand for database developers and security specialists has increased the most in the last three years (factor 2.7), reflecting the importance of the currently particularly topical issues of big data and security.

There has also been a doubling of demand in the life science sector over the last three years. This index is the smallest in absolute terms. The qualifications of chemists and life scientists are also newly reported, with the latter seeing a 323 percent growth in demand since 2015.

Hays recorded the demand for qualified employees in Sales & Marketing for Switzerland for the first time. Analogous to the development of the overall index, the demand for specialists has almost doubled here as well. Due to digitalization and new sales channels, the number of online marketing managers sought has even almost tripled since 2015.

More information: www.hays.ch

 

This year's IT procurement conference focused on the digital transformation from the perspective of the legislative, judiciary and practice. The revision of the Federal Public Procurement Act as well as innovative solutions for ticketing systems in public transport were the topics of expert presentations. The IT Procurement Conference is aimed at procurers, bidders, consultants and lawyers who are active in the field of public procurement. It is organized by the Digital Sustainability Research Center of the University of Bern, the Federal IT Steering Committee ISB, the Swiss IT Conference SIK, swissICT and CH Open.

The BöB in the mills of the law

National Councilor Kathrin Bertschy gave the plenum a look behind the legislative scenes. The principle "cheap is not always cheap" guided the consultations on the revision of the Procurement Act so far. The proposed mandatory provisions on sustainability and transparency (life cycle costs and the principle of public access) have so far been accepted by the National Council. The discussions in the Council of States are still pending, in which these and other controversial points, such as the subordination of public undertakings and the exclusion rule, will be put to the test. The timetable shows: The new law is not expected before 2020.

Judge Marc Steiner also emphasized the importance of transparency as a guiding principle of revision. Using federal administrative court decisions, he showed how case law affects legislative efforts and vice versa. One focus of the presentation was on good governance aspects. IT procurement in particular, he said, is vulnerable to shoddy contracting and abuse. Anti-corruption would be newly enshrined as a legislative objective. This is a strong signal, but there is still a lack of detail: the provision proposed by the Federal Council on the exclusion of third parties (Art. 13), for example, is "a scandal". He concluded by pointing out that the paradigm shift from price to quality competition is not only part of the revision, but also a subject of case law.

Digital transformation for the public

Innovation is driven not only by the legislature and the judiciary, but also by practice. For example, the start-up FAIRTIQ is revolutionizing the ticketing system in public transport. Founder Gian-Mattia Schucan is the former person in charge of ticketing at SBB, and with the new app he is proving how previous processes can be fundamentally turned upside down through digital transformation. Another revolution is promised by the Digital Sustainability Research Center's launched www.intelliprocure.ch. This platform offers more intelligence in the procurement process by analyzing simap data. Innovations are also coming from simap.ch. Thomas Fischer, member of the board of simap.ch and head of the procurement conference of the canton of Bern, presented the simap2019 project. The modular, open-source-based e-procurement platform is scheduled to go live on May 1, 2019. In addition, the conference offered participants the opportunity to delve into further IT and procurement topics with eight specialist sessions.

More information

 

 

 

At this year's Forum Service Management, practical presentations and panel discussions will offer companies possible solutions and innovative impetus to tap the potential of the service business for themselves. Best practices and discussion material will be provided by Sandra Lienhart (CEO, Bank Cler), Dr. Suzanne Thoma (CEO, BKW), Reinhard Ahlborn (Head of New Services and E-Mobility, BMW), Christoph Lang (Global Product Manager Software Solutions, Hilti) and Professor Manfred Bruhn (University of Basel). "In the course of digitalization, systematic business development often comes up short. The result is digitized processes that don't work or digital services that don't benefit the customer. This is where professional service business development is needed to examine existing business models and develop new offerings with new business models," says Forum DLM initiator Professor Manfred Bruhn, summing up the current situation surrounding the service business.

It will be all the more enlightening to learn more about success factors and stumbling blocks from first-hand experience on September 7. "I am very much looking forward to Sandra Lienhart's presentation and her experiences to date with Bank Cler as a smartphone bank," comments Dr. Mareike Ahlers, moderator of the event and Managing Director of Professor Bruhn & Partner AG. Also, how BKW AG manages to successfully play in the first league in the service business, as well as the other presentations offer participants plenty of practical input for their own business success.

The DLM Forum was initiated by the marketing and strategy consultancy Prof. Bruhn & Partner AG, the MAS Marketing Management of the University of Basel and the two professors Manfred Bruhn (University of Basel) and Karsten Hadwich (University of Hohenheim) in order to specifically promote the exchange between science and practice.

More information: forum-dlm.ch

"The people, not the houses, make the town." This is how a novella about Bad Mergentheim could begin. In this town of around 24,000 inhabitants in the northeast of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Muller Martini runs a competence center for the hardcover sector. The group, which is internationally known for print finishing systems, wanted to renew its structures, build a new SAPsystem and associated processes in order to optimally coordinate and standardize the Group-wide interaction of all sites. The project goal for the production plant in Bad Mergentheim was to transfer the adjusted structures to the new system landscape as of January 1, 2018.

SAP project from a single source

"We're talking about a rollout here, which means we're adapting the logic and definition of a template to all the other plants in the group. Everything has to be from a single source," says Roger Wiederkehr, SAP project manager at GIA Informatik AG in Oftringen. "We deployed the template live at two companies at the headquarters in Zofingen in September 2015 after around 18 months of intensive preparation. This formed the starting signal for the further rollouts we are working on - such as in Bad Mergentheim. With our project team, we are adapting one plant per year to the new structure."

What are the reasons for choosing GIA Informatik AG?

During the restructuring, GIA covered the SAP area, firstly because it has a lot of experience and good results as a Gold Partner of SAP - both in outsourcing and in application consulting and system implementation - and secondly because it is a subsidiary of the Muller Martini Group. Beat Tanner, ERP specialist at Muller Martini AG in Zofingen, who pulled the strings between the sites and GIA during the project: "GIA is the group's internal competence center for SAP. It has a great deal of knowledge, also has an overall understanding of the structures, and has a strong project team. Some long-standing team members started their professional careers at Muller Martini and therefore know the business and its characteristics particularly well."

The milestones

The project partners attended a workshop at the end of January 2017 to discuss the next steps. "In February and March, we developed the Delta functional concepts, and in April we carried out the implementation," Beat Tanner explains. The first migration took place in May and the second migration at the end of September. The go live took place on time for the planned date of January 1, 2018. Just one month later, aftercare was discontinued and the system went into normal operating mode.

Hurdle successfully overcome

As expertly as GIA handled the project, there were also individual difficulties to overcome. "The defined processes were to be followed and the organizational changes were to be made as planned, so that the standard would remain guaranteed," explains Roger Wiederkehr. "However, the system and process-related changes posed a major challenge for the on-site organization. With clarification work and a lot of understanding, we created a sensible solution."

Synchronized structures bring great advantages

By synchronizing the structures, the efficiency gain from this project is great. With the SAP migration - a cleanup back to a standard - many legacy issues were thrown off that had accumulated over some 20 years in the previous SAP system. "Now the Bad Mergentheim site can work with the new conditions, is fully integrated into the Group and can use its structures at any time," says Roger Wiederkehr. Thanks to these clean SAP processes and master data, the foundation has also been laid for the subsequent migration to SAP S/4HANA.

Tips to other companies

Do you run a large company or an SME, do you want to clean up your structures and also introduce or renew SAP? Roger Wiederkehr and Beat Tanner give you the following advice:

• Make sure that you have a clear overview and define the principles right at the beginning.
• Jump into the project with enough resources to make quick progress.
• Define a clear division of tasks and responsibilities.
• Consider and incorporate the interests and frameworks of all stakeholders.
• Communicate the milestones to everyone involved and work to meet them day by day.
• Track the processes before you implement the system.
• Define clear contact persons and maintain level-appropriate, open communication.
• To ensure that the project proceeds cleanly, make sure that the technical and planning understanding is at eye level at all stages.
• Create structures through regular meetings. Focus on regularity and routine.
• Perform integrative tests. If you do this comprehensively, you will avoid unnecessary work steps.

Future activities

The project in Bad Mergentheim was successfully completed and everything is running smoothly. But even after a new rollout, there is still a need for optimization at certain points; primarily from ideas from the business to increase efficiency. While Roger Wiederkehr supports this project with his team, Beat Tanner is responsible for ensuring that the improvements are meaningful and beneficial. The rollout is progressing: GIA will implement the SAP system at further Müller Martini sites.

Information: GIA Informatics

 

Implementation at Muller Martini: The Facts
Objectives:

• The existing Group SAP (GRPSAP) sets the framework and system boundaries.
• Transfer to existing GRPSAP with a "back to standard" premise.
• Adherence to the project budget (a mid-six figure amount).
• cutover without any negative impact on the delivery capability of Muller Martini Bad Mergentheim (MMBM) and subsequently also of the other sales organizations of the MM Group.
• Fast and flawless startup of MMBM in the new GRPSAP.
• Simplification of the authorization concept.
• Standardization of master data and its maintenance.
• Upon project acceptance, current system documentation in the form of tracked detailed concepts should be available from GIA.

Timing:

• Workshop: End of January 2017
• Delta professional concepts: February and March 2017
• Realization: April 2017
• Migration and integration test 1: May 2017
• Migration and integration test 2: End of September 2017
• Go Live: January 1, 2018
• Handover to regular operation: February 1, 2018

Effort:

• Personnel at GIA: seven different technical specialists
• Number of man hours for the project: in the low four-digit range

Achieved goals:

• The framework of the GRPSAP has been complied with.
• The target "back to standard" was achieved.
• The overall budget was adhered to. Overall, GIA even undercut the budget by around 20 percent.
• MMBM managed the cutover phase without any significant problems thanks to good planning and a manageable effort.
• GIA adapted the authorization concept to the GRPSAP standard.
• In its basic structure, MMBM now also works with the group-wide Mat/PPS set of rules. Supplementary/missing processes are implemented subsequently.
• GIA handed over the tracked IT and process documentation at the end of the project of the new sales organization.

Just a moment ago, I was working on a sentence, entering a formula in Excel, updating the database - suddenly the screen goes dark. Not only that, there's no more light, the phone line is dead, the radio is off, and not even the coffee machine makes a sound. Mail gone, spreadsheet gone, database entries gone. And from the IT room come the agonizing alarm sounds of the UPS - power failure. In Switzerland, unlike in many other countries, this is fortunately a rare occurrence. And yet, according to data from utilities, the power in our country is interrupted unplanned for an average of 15 minutes per year. An improperly shut down server can lose data. The loss of business-critical data can have drastic, even catastrophic, consequences for an SMB. One might not even think of a fire or a flood, because in such serious events the damage is far from being limited to the data. And yet - what do you do if the data that is so central to the company is lost and the IT landscape is destroyed?

Costs and reputational damage

In addition to the likelihood of these risks, which fortunately rarely occur, SMEs in general are faced with the question of whether operating their own infrastructure is still appropriate and cost-efficient today. Maintaining one's own IT environment is costly in every respect. In addition to the associated hardware, space must also be available for a server room - space that could actually be put to better use in most cases. Ideally, such a room is air-conditioned, protected against fires and water ingress, and protected against unauthorized access. In addition to the high investment, electricity and maintenance costs, a specialist is also needed in the company to ensure trouble-free and uninterrupted operation. Actually, at least two are needed - because one of them also wants to go on vacation. Today, hardly any company can function without IT. Just a few hours without running systems, applications and data can cost a fortune, not to mention damage to the company's reputation.

Highly secure data center

This is where services such as co-location, virtual data centers and virtual servers come into play. Co-location describes the accommodation of a server or an IT landscape in a highly secure data center, ideally in Switzerland. A Tier 3 data center guarantees maximum power availability, fire protection and access security. Co-location enables maximum scalability, service and support. Customers can rent dedicated rack space that is exactly the size they want and need. This can be a whole rack, half or a quarter. The space is used by the customer alone, so they don't have to share it with other companies, and they have 24/7 access to the data center and their rack. Unlike having their own server room or even data center, this way they only incur costs for the space that a company really needs.

Power availability of 99.999 percent

As already mentioned, data storage is ideally located in Switzerland, as this is the only way companies can enjoy the corresponding legal security. Other advantages of co-location are a fast connectivity connection, high-availability connections to the company site, the Internet and cloud providers; climate control, emergency power (redundant UPS and N+1 diesel generators), fire monitoring with extinguishing device and round-the-clock monitored and secured access via personalized badge. Each rack in the data center is connected to two completely separate power circuits. Overall, a monthly power availability of 99.999 percent is guaranteed, which corresponds to a maximum interruption of 26 seconds. Tier 3 data centers use redundant components and multiple active and passive supply paths. This makes the system fault-tolerant, and uninterrupted maintenance is also possible during operation.

No more physical infrastructure needed for mission-critical data

An SME can also operate a virtual data center (VDC) with virtual servers in a highly secure Tier 3 data center. This is a scalable, fully automated SDDC solution (Software Defined Data Center). The VDC can be integrated directly into a company's IT infrastructure and provides on-demand computing and storage for an SME's applications. The integrated solution eliminates the need to purchase, manage and maintain a physical infrastructure - this is known as an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution. It can be deployed quickly and easily, is scalable and cost-effective. Ideally, a virtual data center is operated geo-redundantly in tier 3 data centers in Switzerland under the highest security precautions.

Advice and support

In most cases, the IT landscape in a company has grown organically over the years. There are dependencies that you may not even know about (anymore). Possibly different departments use data at the same time and there are applications that are already very outdated. A reputable managed service provider that offers co-location and virtual environments will also support its customers during the move or transition. The existing IT landscape is scrutinized, the inventory is taken, inventoried and a detailed plan is drawn up. The project is accompanied and, in the case of a (new) installation, the customer receives the necessary support from the experts.

Concentration on actual competencies

With co-location or virtual data centers, SMEs can be sure that their data and applications are in an extremely secure location that is monitored 24 hours a day. In addition, there is no need for the maintenance and space requirements that would be associated with a corresponding infrastructure of one's own. And this at significantly lower costs. At the same time, the company retains full control over its systems. Having your data and servers in a secure location frees up your mind for strategic decisions and allows you to concentrate on your core business competencies.

Author Information:
Thomas Knüsel is COO at Cyberlink AG. Cyberlink has been an independent Swiss Internet Service Provider (ISP) since 1995. In 2012, the focus on the provision of high-quality managed services for business customers followed and thus the change from ISP to MSP (Managed Service Provider). The portfolio includes solutions in the area of connectivity (internet access and site networking), managed security and data center. Cyberlink employs around 30 people in Zurich, who look after over 1500 business customers throughout Switzerland. These are mainly customers with high data volumes. In addition, only high-end devices are used, which can guarantee a high level of reliability, according to the company. One SME customer that already relies on a virtual datacenter from Cyberlink is eyeVIP AG, developer and operator of intuitive event management software. eyeVIP uses the geo-redundant Virtual Datacenter (VDC) Premium as well as the connection of the office via Business Internet. Here, too, the advantages of the scalable, fully automated SDDC solution (Software Defined Data Center) are used, which has been directly integrated into eyeVIP's IT infrastructure. Alina Klaus, Managing Director of eye- VIP AG, sees further advantages in the VDC solution: "The VDC could be built according to our wishes, the services are freely configurable by us and our customers as well as we benefit from the high availability. " Thanks to the Cyberlink business Internet connection in combination with the VDC, even performance-intensive functions, such as uploading photos after an event, would be fast and efficient, as the customer further confirms. Other companies using Cyberlink's services include BSI Business Systems Integration AG, Post CH AG, Tremegisto Consulting, invest.ch Services GmbH, mhs @ internet AG, Brust-Zentrum AG, Zubler & Partner AG and Halter AG.

www.cyberlink.ch

Switzerland ranks 8th in a study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network (an alliance of leading online job portals, of which JobCloud is a member) on the most popular destination countries for employees from abroad. Compared to the last edition of the study in 2014, this means a loss of three places for Switzerland. Switzerland has become less attractive, particularly for Russians, Chinese and US Americans, but also for Italians and Germans. Still the most popular destination for Germans in 2014, Switzerland is now behind the USA. The most popular countries overall are the USA, Germany and Canada. The UK is the big loser in the top 10 (from 2nd place in 2014 to 5th place in 2018). The reason for this may not least be the Brexit. The biggest leaps forward in the top 10 are made by Spain and Australia (Australia from 7th to 4th place, Spain from 8th to 6th place).

Swiss would prefer to go to the USA - or stay in Switzerland

The desire of employees in Switzerland to work abroad has decreased drastically: While 77% expressed the desire to work abroad in 2014, the figure was 60% in 2018. However, this figure is still above the international average of 58%. Young and well-educated people in particular can imagine working abroad (64% and 71%).

"The work-life balance and a good working relationship are of above-average importance to employees in Switzerland, according to the study," says Renato Profico, CEO of JobCloud (jobs.ch / jobup.ch), the leading company in the digital job market in Switzerland and "The Network" member. "Apparently, fewer and fewer want to put these factors at risk for a job abroad. A move abroad is also usually associated with establishing a new environment and a different working climate." Those who take the leap to work abroad do so primarily to broaden their personal horizons, gain work experience or experience a different culture. Very few people go abroad for a higher standard of living or a higher salary. However, these factors are particularly important for employees in other countries when deciding whether or not to take a job abroad.

Switzerland particularly popular in France, USA number 1 in Switzerland

Where do employees from Switzerland go? It is not the neighboring countries that are particularly popular, but the USA and Canada - followed by Germany as the only neighboring country, and then Australia, another overseas destination. The English-speaking world thus seems to be much more popular than countries where Swiss national languages are spoken.

Some of our neighbors, on the other hand, would move to Switzerland: Switzerland is particularly popular with employees from France, Bosnia, Serbia, Italy and Tunisia. For people with skills in IT, engineering, sales, digitization and management, the dream of a job in Switzerland can come true particularly quickly: Jobs in Switzerland in these areas are particularly difficult to fill - whether with candidates from Switzerland or abroad. Some 46% of the recruiters surveyed even say that it has become even more difficult to fill positions in these areas over the past three years. So it seems all the more important to have a functioning international labor market.

Source: Jobcloud

The Swiss economy is running solidly - and our SMEs are partly responsible for this. What they do every day for our economy and society deserves respect.

Once a year, we take the pulse of SMEs in the form of an online survey. In addition to questions about the current economic and entrepreneurial outlook, this year's survey also focuses on the topic of Working World 4.0. Does the Digitization really progresses for the organization of work? Are flexible working arrangements an advantage or a disadvantage? And how digitally positioned do you see your own company? Tell us in a short survey for the SME Monitor 2018, a special publication of the ORGANISATOR. The answers from this online survey are once again intended to provide a "flash light" on current and upcoming challenges facing SMEs.

So feel free to take a few minutes and answer our questions. Also spread the word about the survey in your network. The results will be compiled in the special publication "KMU-Monitor" mentioned above. The special publication will be published as a supplement to the October issue of ORGANISATOR and will also be distributed to participants at the Swiss SME Day on October 26, 2018.

>>> Click here for the survey.

Thank you very much for your participation.

Switzerland regularly occupies top positions in international innovation studies and rankings and is one of the most innovative countries in the world. However, such studies assess the entire national economy, including all framework conditions, and say little about the innovative strength of individual industrial classes. The Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) therefore took a closer look at innovative strength and discovered something disturbing. Swiss industrial companies, especially SMEs, appear to be increasingly losing innovative strength and competitiveness. This is bad news for a country that depends on an internationally competitive export industry.

Fewer companies, less research, less domestic

The study is based on data from the innovation survey conducted by the KOF economic research institute, which is currently available up to and including 2014. It is striking that there are fewer and fewer Swiss industrial companies. This development is also shown by the Swiss Engineering Index: Switzerland has been losing around 4,000 full-time jobs in the industrial sector every year for the past six years. Worryingly, from 1997-2014, many SMEs reduced their R&D efforts at home and abroad (see chart 1). The NOGA1 classes of chemicals, machinery, metal products, textiles/clothing and watches were particularly hard hit. In some cases, a migration of R&D activities abroad is also evident, for example among SMEs in the electrical engineering and metal manufacturing classes.

Some particularly required industrial classes

The study shows how successful the R&D efforts of Swiss industrial companies are with regard to new products. The results for the observed period (2001-2014) are presented in a portfolio representation (see chart 2). The x-axis shows the change in the share of sales accounted for by R&D spending, while the y-axis shows the change in sales of new products. While R&D efforts by SMEs paid off in some classes such as pharmaceuticals, wood or metal products (yellow and green areas), things looked less good in the electronics/instruments, machinery or chemicals classes. There, SME sales of new products fell, despite higher R&D spending in percentage terms - so the efforts were all for naught, as it were. The findings for SMEs in the textile/clothing class are disturbing: they have reduced R&D spending in percentage terms and their sales of new products have fallen. Changed framework conditions, stronger competition or disappearing markets are possible causes.

Strengthening applied research and development

The public sector finances university research in Switzerland. Industrial companies bear their own research costs. This model seems to have reached its limits. The results of the study suggest that SMEs in Swiss industry in particular are finding it increasingly difficult to bear the high costs of R&D. Those that nevertheless take the risk are increasingly less successful. Those that do take the risk are less likely to be successful. Larger companies outsource research to countries that offer more government incentives to do so.

These developments must give pause for thought. In view of the state support for industry that the majority of the leading industrialized countries provide, the political debate must be conducted: Does the federal government need to provide greater support for domestic industrial companies in their innovation efforts and set appropriate incentives?

Source: www.satw.ch

Dangers lurk everywhere in everyday working life: in the workshop, outside on the construction site and even inside in the office. Recently, various young people have been drawing the attention of colleagues of the same age to the dangers in different industries and showing them how to protect themselves against them. Leisure time is not neglected either. The BSWS Influencers know why they pay attention to their safety at work. So they can fully enjoy their free time. Great pictures are taken in the process: For example, of Lena, who knows all about the dangers in the office.

More safety at work via Instagram

With the new Instagram account, BE SMART WORK SAFE is also using a new online channel after five successful years of campaigning: Young career starters communicate directly with their peers and show how they deal with the topic of occupational safety in everyday life. The new Instagram account complements the Facebook presence of BE SMART WORK SAFE, which is used by more than 12,000 young people to discuss the topic of safety in the workplace. With the new strategy, the campaign picks up young people even more specifically in their digital lifeworlds and communicates the messages in an authentic way. The campaign runs under the label SAFE AT WORK by EKAS, Seco and the cantons for more safety at work.

Interactive platform - Important information packaged in an entertaining way

The social media presence is complemented by a completely new website. Since mid-July, the bs-ws.ch site has had a fresh look. Young people are encouraged to engage with the topic of occupational safety in an interactive and entertaining way. The wealth of important information and tips for greater safety at work are presented in an age-appropriate way. They consist of cool video clips and pictures as well as an exciting quiz. Young people also have the opportunity to help design the website. Selected posts with the hashtag #besmartworksafe are integrated into the content of the page. The design has also been completely redesigned - giving the appealing site a fresh and trendy look.

More information:
instagram.com/bsws_ch
facebook.com/besmart.worksafe
bs-ws.ch
www.safeatwork.ch

Today more than ever, companies are required to provide their customers with all relevant services in real time and across all end devices and channels. This is currently one of the biggest challenges for SMEs, because they often do not have the necessary human resources. For digitization to succeed, however, companies need a central platform that collects all data about customers and links it in a meaningful way. Only in this way can they create relevant experiences for their customers. IT-PEAK-Networks, a developer of service management software, names five reasons why digitized service management will be indispensable in the future.

1. permanent risk of data loss

Even today, service in many companies is still handled via Excel spreadsheets or Word documents that go on for ages. However, such documents are not only very tedious to maintain, they also represent a high risk because companies always have to fear losing data. With service management software, this danger is averted: Employees can effortlessly work in parallel, enter data as needed, and access it without any problems.

2. more free space for value-adding activities

If companies decide to implement service management software, they have significantly more time for more meaningful activities because the time-consuming maintenance of Excel lists and Word documents is no longer necessary. Employees can, for example, set about improving service management and meeting the needs of the customer in an even more targeted manner.

3. stronger customer satisfaction and loyalty

Every company knows that it is significantly more cost-intensive to acquire new customers than to satisfy existing ones. Retaining customers in the long term through optimized, digitized service management pays off in many ways: They spend significantly more money and react less sensitively to price if quality and trust are right in return. In addition, satisfied customers act as positive brand ambassadors, as they are happy to share positive experiences with a company with those around them. Last but not least, existing customers spend less on advertising and make fewer complaints - which also reduces service costs.

Reduced costs through process automation

If companies have not yet implemented a service management solution, they have to contend with inefficient, time-consuming processes, which in turn leads to poor service. Manual processes eat up an enormous amount of time. For example, employees have to laboriously switch between different tools (Excel, Word or ERP system) during their work. It is much more efficient to automate service processes. With service management software, companies can coordinate processes much better and map service history in detail. This creates greater efficiency and effectiveness in service.

Service as a unique selling proposition

Today, a company's success or failure is no longer determined by price or product alone. Rather, it must positively distinguish itself from the competition through unique selling points. If companies decide to give service a higher priority and focus on the wishes and needs of their customers, this will have a positive impact on their image thanks to word-of-mouth recommendation. For this to succeed, companies should identify their customers' wishes at an early stage and fulfill them in the best possible way. If companies want to be successful in the long term, service digitization must be their top priority.

 

Information:

For more help and tips on how companies can successfully digitize their service - to generate more revenue, retain existing customers for the long term and win new customers - interested parties can read the free e-book from IT-PEAK-Networks "Digitizing service management - opportunities and challenges" at https://www.peak-networks.de/de/e-book-zur-service-optimierung.

Over the past decade, there has been a growing understanding that IT spending is a critical item. Now, the only thing that needs to grow is the understanding that IT security unfortunately does not come free of charge, but that much can be made more secure even with a small budget.

Risk awareness in place, but contingency plan not...

As part of his CAS certificate thesis, Christian Heimann evaluated various methods and approaches for an "Affordable Digital Security Audit of SMEs" and found that SMEs are very aware of the digital transformation. However, it is worrying that many small companies are overwhelmed by the multitude of technical IT security tools available on the market. For this reason, they often neither budget for nor do anything about IT security. If something is done, they are mainly concerned with the technical aspects. They are aware of the value of their data, but they forget the human component. Employees are not trained or insufficiently trained and sensitized, which increases the risk of a successful attack. Only just under one-third of small companies have an emergency plan; in the event of a successful attack, such a plan would defuse the associated crisis situation by not wasting any time.

New devices - new points of attack

Among the two-thirds of SMEs for which IT security is highly important, only 20 percent have reviewed their IT security to date. This gives pause for thought. According to leading research and consulting firm Gartner (2017), the number of IoT devices will increase to 20,000,000,000 by 2020! IoT devices are not only attack targets, but can also become attackers themselves (e.g. misuse as part of a botnet). Therefore, protecting IoT is not only about your own security, but also about the security of the general public. Gartner projects that by 2020, 25% of all identifiable cyber attacks on enterprises will have an IoT component, but less than 10% of IT security budgets will be invested in IoT.

Vulnerability Management

Over the past decade, there has been a growing understanding that IT spending is a crucial item. Now the understanding that IT security is unfortunately not free, but that a lot can be made more secure with a small budget, has to grow. A key element is to know your inventory so that you always have an overview of your systems (network, devices, access rights, cloud services).

Christian Heimann talked to Pascal Mittner, CEO of First Security Technology AG, about their vulnerability management solution. Vulnerability Scan or Automated Testing is the detection of vulnerabilities by analyzing endpoints. A good vulnerability management solution not only provides indications of the vulnerabilities, but also direct recommendations for action to eliminate the vulnerabilities. Pascal Mittner clarified in the interview that vulnerability management should function as an early warning system and provide for the analysis of the assigned area. Measures cannot and should not be implemented by the same system. The principle of "separation of powers" is to be observed.

38 new vulnerabilities per day

In the field of cyber security, when people ask IT managers how often a security audit should take place, they often ask for an interval of between three and five years. They forget that the IT infrastructure is dynamic and even one year is far too long for a technical environment, plus there are 38 new vulnerabilities every day. Small companies also lose track of the systems that are on the network. Often devices like routers, switches, IoT or test systems are simply forgotten, missing from the inventory and therefore not integrated into the IT security concept. Pascal Mittner mentions that "In addition to the documentation of the infrastructure, vulnerability management serves as a tool to detect problems at an early stage and to counteract them. This increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the company, frees up resources, helps prevent major damage and invests in the right measures."

With FS Cyber Control - the Swiss Made vulnerability management solution for SMEs, the above mentioned steps are implemented among others. The IT infrastructure is inventoried, then the systems (IPs) are scanned and a report is generated with recommended measures to eliminate the vulnerabilities found. The reports are easy to understand, regardless of IT knowledge. "Based on a traffic light system red, yellow, green, they can quickly see how their IT is doing and the solution is also affordable for SMEs," says Pascal Mittner and adds, "FS Cyber Control is easy to integrate into the existing environment and fully automatic. In this sense, there is no longer any excuse for SMEs to neglect their cyber security due to excessive demands."

More information: First Security AG