If you want to be successful in today's fast-paced world, you shouldn't wait and drink tea, but rather reach for an espresso. The Espresso Principle - The Idea Kick for Entrepreneurial and Private Success is the latest book by "The Keynote Speaker" (www.die-keynote-speaker.com). The keynote speakers are an association of 19 experts from very different fields:

• Ariane Bertz, expert for the success principle Good Mood
• Benjamin Butscher, Expert for Strategy
• Kai Dase, Expert for Opinion CLARITY
• Vivienne Dübbert, Keynote Speaker & Mindset Expert
• Nils-Peter Hey, expert in strategy development for marketing and communication
• Gabriele Horcher, Expert for Change in Marketing and Sales
• Oliver Huitema, expert for business trends, digital thinking and dreams of success
• Timo Klösch, expert for work motivation
• Stefan Schubart, expert for physical and mental strength
• Iris Seng, expert for authentic visibility
• Jochen Sperber, Expert for Modern Leadership and Empowering Leadership
• Tanja Stöcker, expert for vitality
• Boris Thomas, Leadership, Marketing, Communication and Sales
• Marcel Weber, Swiss visionary, cross and lateral thinker
• Dr. Gundolf Wende, Expert for Business Excellence
• Rüdiger Westphal, expert for digital disruption in retail and services
• Marco Wiebelt, expert for sales
• Thomas Wipprecht, expert for change of perspective, lateral thinking and intuition
• Angelika Zengler, expert for the harmony between body and mind

Following the motto "knowledge-to-go", the contributions of these 19 authors provide practical idea kicks on topics such as motivation, physical and mental fitness, self-reflection, authenticity, mental training, business management, marketing, digital strategy and crisis management. The stimulating articles are based on actual events from the respective environment and are vividly presented. In this way, every reader can find out for himself where his own professional or private challenges lie. At the same time, they receive the inspiration they need to successfully master the challenges.

The book The Espresso Principle - The Idea Kick for Entrepreneurial and Private Success is at Amazon available for 9.90 euros. On the first day of sale, December 6, 2017, the book can be purchased for just 99 cents - as a kind of St. Nicholas gift.

Those who have a bright idea for self-employment, but not enough financial resources to implement it, are increasingly turning to associations such as GO! Ziel selbstständig. Organizations like these provide access to a microloan for setting up their own business. Even those who are already self-employed can apply for an investment loan from GO! Since the association was founded in 2009, such microloans have been granted to 247 people. More than half of the microloans disbursed went to women.

Microcredits as start-up aid

People who are not creditworthy enough for financial institutions and who do not fit the classic image are also at the right address at GO! 26 percent of all borrowers were previously unemployed or unemployable and were able to be reintegrated into the labor market with support from GO! 87 percent of all companies founded are still active today. The repayment rate is 95 percent. "The demand for microloans is constantly high," says Ruedi Winkler, President of the Board of Directors of GO! "Our business model, the mediation of microloans, is unique. Every day we receive new requests with business ideas. Many of them are looking for financial support, as they cannot get financing through a financial institution and are also not eligible for crowdlending platforms. By brokering microloans, we close a gap in the credit or investment market and thus set ourselves apart from the numerous advisory centers that provide information but do not provide financing. Our mentors, who all support borrowers voluntarily and free of charge, are an important part of our offering," explains Ruedi Winkler.

Record allocation in 2017

Never before have so many business ideas been submitted for review as in the current year. Since the start of business in 2009, the amount of loans disbursed has also increased annually. This year, a new record was set with a total of CHF 1.1 million in loans disbursed.

More information

Just in time for the start of the Advent season, the season for Christmas mail also begins. In addition to the classic analog Christmas greetings, virtual greeting cards are also becoming increasingly popular. No wonder: they are practical, cost no postage and can be sent with just a few clicks. However, the European security manufacturer ESET warns against too careless handling, because cybercriminals have also discovered electronic postcards for themselves.

Sender unknown

In the flood of digital Christmas greetings, spam and phishing emails are unfortunately hiding more and more frequently, trying to lure their victims with harmful attachments or links. Once clicked, the PC is quickly infected with malware. "If you don't know the sender of a greeting card, you should definitely not open any attachments or links and delete the email without hesitation," recommends Thomas Uhlemann, Security Specialist at ESET. In case of doubt, this is a fraud attempt, as is known all year round in the form of fake invoices from online retailers or service providers. Even if the greeting card contains spelling mistakes or an anonymous salutation such as "Dear friend" or "Dear customer", caution is advised. If in doubt, it is always worth taking a closer look at the sender's e-mail address or the address of the linked website.

However, infiltrated Christmas greetings can also come from known senders. With an up-to-date antivirus solution, however, unwanted damage from e-mails can usually be prevented. "Regular updates are important so that the virus protection can work reliably and protect the user from such threats," adds Uhlemann.

Rely on well-known providers

If you want to send e-cards yourself, you should definitely rely on reputable providers. Many large e-mail providers offer their users this service free of charge. Otherwise, you can quickly end up on the list of an address collector who uses virtual greeting cards to quickly and easily obtain e-mail addresses that he can sell for profit.

If you have fallen for dubious providers and entered additional personal data or even passwords in addition to your e-mail address, you are quickly threatened with countless advertising e-mails and data misuse instead of a quiet Christmas holiday. In this case, quick action is called for: change passwords and be more careful with new emails. After all, malicious file attachments or links may be lurking in them as well.

Simple precautions for safe Christmas mail

Only the classic, analog Christmas greeting offers one hundred percent security. But with these simple precautions, you can minimize the risk of an unwanted holiday surprise:

• only use e-cards from reputable, well-known providers
• do not open emails from unknown senders
• Be careful even with known senders and, if in doubt, check the sender's address and links more closely.
• Do not open file attachments
• use an up-to-date antivirus solution.

Source: ESET

The study on digital transformation was first announced at the Digital Summit for SMEs at the end of August. The first results were already presented at that time. According to the study authors, this is the largest Swiss study on this topic to date. The study was supported by well-known sponsors and partners such as PostFinance, Abacus, AECS Swisscard, Die Post, Dreamlab Technologies, Gewerbezeitung, GS1, KMU Next, Mobiliar and Nemuk. Around 2500 participants took part in the survey. The study deliberately focused on SMEs. There, a high relevance of this topic is determined. As a consequence of the study results, the FHNW School of Business has developed a practical guide to support SMEs in implementing the digital transformation.

Effects at different levels

Digitalization in SMEs is driven by technological developments and new digital ecosystems that have an impact on society, politics and the economy, according to the report. Nevertheless, many companies still forget what digitization is supposed to be about for them in the first place: Namely, finding a competitive position in the digital age, as Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter already expressed on the occasion of the Digital Summit for SMEs. The results of the study now show that the transformation of companies is driven by the need for optimized processes (82 percent of SMEs), changes in customer requirements (59 percent) and newly available technology (53 percent).

According to the study, the effects of the transformation are perceptible at various levels:

• For 85% of the SMEs, digital transformation has an impact on the business model and internal collaboration.
• In just under 70% of SMEs, digital transformation has an impact on corporate culture.
• 63% of SMEs have already adopted new technologies.
• 62% of SMEs have adjusted their market positioning.
• But only 30% of SMEs are satisfied with their own digitization efforts.

Digitization in SMEs: Seven fields of action

The large amount of time required and the lack of knowledge among managers and employees continue to prove to be barriers to successful digitization in SMEs. The study identified the following seven fields of action for digitization:

• Constant customer orientation
• New strategies and business models
• New approaches to leadership and culture
• Optimized workflows
• Digital marketing
• New technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT)
• Cloud & data, i.e. a modern IT infrastructure

"With these fields of action now available, we have created an important orientation aid to support these important projects," says Marc K. Peter. The published practical guide includes checklists, short case studies, a process model for transformation, and specialist articles for practitioners by well-known authors. Both the study and the practical guide can be downloaded from the website www.kmu-transformation.ch be obtained.

Every second Swiss manager accepts applications without a cover letter. This is shown by a current labor market study for which the personnel service provider Robert Half surveyed 200 managers in Switzerland.

Cover letters provide too little added value

Of those respondents who can do without cover letters, just under half (48 %) criticize their lack of expressiveness. 40 % consider cover letters to be very subjective. One in three respondents misses supplementary details on the resume. Nearly one in five doesn't have time to read the cover letter. "HR decision-makers expect a cover letter to provide a more comprehensive picture of the candidate, as well as demonstrate personal strengths and motivation," explains Yeng Chow, senior manager at Robert Half in Zurich. "From our experience, the interview is better suited for this. That's why we ourselves don't ask for a cover letter and get a personal impression in individual get-to-know-you interviews. That may sound time-consuming. In the end, it speeds up the recruiting process and avoids unnecessary productivity losses."

What really matters in the cover letter

Despite declining relevance, 40 % of respondents still consider a cover letter relevant. More than half (53 %) of those in favor believe cover letters convey a more comprehensive picture of the applicant. 38 % see it as a demonstration of the candidate's creativity, and the same number appreciate in the cover letter that motivation and interest emerge from it.

Tips for the right cover letter for job applications

"As a general rule, applicants should carefully craft cover letters and include information that complements the resume. References from former employers are also very welcome," says Yeng Chow. The following tips help to showcase your skills in the best possible way:

1. Don't simply list your professional stations - you've already done that in your resume. Instead, you should go into the job's requirements profile and show why you are suitable. List specific competencies that you have acquired in your career to date and that will help you master upcoming tasks.
2. Have your achievements confirmed by former superiors or even former colleagues (who ideally are now managers themselves) instead of just using work references. These references underpin the credibility of your statements and thus also counteract the frequently voiced criticism that cover letters are too subjective.
3. Recruiters have little time. Therefore, do not write more than one page and use an individual introduction to arouse interest. The best thing to do is to call the responsible HR manager in advance and find out more about the job requirements. This shows commitment and can be used as a hook in the cover letter.

Source: Robert Half

"Our aim is to make the members of TREUHAND|SUISSE fit for the digital transformation and to accompany them in the process," says central president Daniela Schneeberger. This is how Central President Daniela Schneeberger describes the goal of the Institute Treuhand 4.0. Many clients would be in a digitization process themselves and expect their trustees to be state-of-the-art in terms of technology and efficiency of work processes. For small and medium-sized fiduciary companies in particular, it is difficult to assess the concrete impact that technological developments will have. This is where the support of the Institute Fiduciary 4.0 comes in, as Daniela Schneeberger continues: "With strategic consulting and industry-specific services, we help our members to orient themselves in the field of digital transformation, to recognize their scope for action, and to actively shape the digital transformation of their company."

Orientation, decision bases, tools

The Institute Fiduciary 4.0 provides interested fiduciary companies with a modular service package. Step 1 is a personal assessment of the situation, which is carried out under www.treuhand40.ch is now generally accessible and allows companies to sound out their attitude toward digitization in a fun way. Step 2 in the Institute's consulting offering is an analysis at the company level (available from July 2018): a screening accompanied by the Institute team that results in a customized evaluation. For the selection of the appropriate implementation partner, the Institute Fiduciary 4.0 is building a community platform as a third component. It leads to qualified technology and consulting companies but also to selected members of the association who share their digitization expertise. As a fourth step, successful implementation is confirmed with a certificate and linked to a recertification process.

A team that combines trust and technology

The technical professionalism of the Institute Fiduciary 4.0 is guaranteed by a team of five experienced professionals who have training and professional experience in both technical and fiduciary aspects.

Source and further information: www.treuhandsuisse.ch

At the Continuing Education Center of the UAS St.Gallen, specialists and managers from a wide range of professions and industries continue their education. The continuing education program includes continuing education masters (EMBA, MAS) as well as certificate courses (CAS) and seminars. All courses can be attended in conjunction with professional and career development. Now Rubén Rodriguez Startz, who earned his doctorate at the University of St.Gallen on the topic of "Ethical Content in Executive Education," will succeed Prof. Dr. Reto Eugster there, who will retire at the end of April 2018 after more than 28 years of leadership and teaching at the FHS St.Gallen. With Rodriguez Startz, an expert in the Swiss and international continuing education industry will take over the leadership at the Center for Continuing Education. Alongside him, Martina Baerlocher Walser and Prof. Dr. José Gomez will continue to be members of the Executive Board of the Center for Continuing Education at the UAS St.Gallen.

Rubén Rodriguez Startz studied political science, philosophy and Ibero-Latin American history at the University of Cologne. In the context of his dissertation, he dealt with questions of a socially responsible orientation of management training. Currently, Rodriguez Startz is Business Development Manager at the Executive School of Management, Technology and Law at the University of St.Gallen. In this role, he is the central point of contact for advising those interested in continuing education, as well as being responsible for various marketing tasks. Previously, Rodriguez Startz was a management consultant for various SMEs and worked as an account manager and managing director in the Internet industry and for industrial groups.

Information: www.fhsg.ch/weiterbildung

The digitalization of purchasing poses new challenges for Swiss companies, according to a finding of the study by procure.ch and ETH. According to the study, more than 65% of all companies surveyed see fundamental potential in a transition to "Purchasing 4.0", but only 10% have already successfully completed projects. A further 15% have made at least initial investments. The focus of these investments is mainly on the digitization of individual processes and workflows; only around 15% have not yet become active here at all, the study continues. This is associated with the increasing integration of suppliers and customers into purchasing processes. In these areas, initial cost savings can be achieved quickly. A second wave of investment to open up new business areas made possible by "Purchasing 4.0" is already on the horizon.

Basic salaries and bonuses

The survey also revealed that base salaries and bonus payments remain stable. The average base salary of the buyers surveyed was CHF 112,000, a slight increase on the CHF 108,300 in 2014. The proportion of people in higher pay grades (12%), with a base salary of over CHF 151,000, was increasing slightly. The amount of bonuses averaged CHF 7300, slightly more than the CHF 7200 in 2014, but only about 66% of buyers receive bonuses at all, a slight decrease. The study cites cell phones for private use (42%), discounted lunches (40%) and paid training and development (39%) as the most common additional fringe benefits.

Differences still exist depending on gender and industry, as the results of the survey show. For example, the basic salary for men (CHF 116 100) is higher than for women (CHF 93 750), but the gap seems to be closing slowly. In 2014, the difference between the genders was still CHF 25 800. Larger companies, with over 250 employees, pay 10% more than small and medium-sized companies.

The most money can be earned in the service sector, with an average income of around CHF 122,000, while trade lags well behind, with a comparatively modest CHF 105,300. Some sectors pay significantly higher basic salaries than others. The most popular here are "financial and insurance services" (CHF 135 100) and "information technology and telecommunications, broadcasting" (CHF 132 200); "automotive and other vehicle manufacturing" lags behind at an average of CHF 97 400.

In 2014, the median income in French-speaking Switzerland was slightly higher than in German-speaking Switzerland. This ratio reversed in 2017. In German-speaking Switzerland, the average base salary of CHF 112 700 is about 6.5% higher than in French-speaking Switzerland (CHF 105 700). The best salaries are paid in Geneva (CHF 133 800) and Basel (CHF 124 100).

Education and training in purchasing

Clear differences can also be seen with regard to professional qualifications. On average, buyers with a university degree earn around CHF 136,600, which is about 50% more than those with a federal certificate (CHF 90,700). A higher technical examination and a degree from a university of applied sciences also bring significant salary jumps. The level of education and training is also reflected in the function level achieved within purchasing. Significant salary differences can be seen between the functions of purchasing clerk (CHF 74,800), purchasing specialist (CHF 95,800), purchasing manager (CHF 124,800) and chief procurement officer (CHF 151,100).

The requirements profile of the buyer is changing toward more IT knowledge and analytical skills. Driven in part by advancing digitization, 96% of survey participants see significant changes in the requirements profile of the buyer. Swiss companies continue to consider reliable and independent work (98%), communication skills (97%), especially in higher positions, and the ability to work in a team (91%) to be the core competencies in purchasing. Solution-oriented work (97%) and analytical thinking skills (94%) have become more important compared to 2014. Specifically, more IT skills (54%) and technical expertise and industry knowledge (53%) are required. Buyers can no longer advance professionally without a good understanding of digitization.

Consequently, more than 80% of companies also attach great importance to further training in purchasing. For most purchasers (88%), further training pays off, for example in the form of a salary increase, better promotion prospects or simply job security.

Source and further information: www.procure.ch

Close your eyes and get through it: This is how people behave when they come across general terms and conditions in everyday business. The majority only skim them or don't read them at all. Companies often do without them altogether, with the consequence that they often come away empty-handed in the event of a payment default. However, general terms and conditions can protect a company from the total loss of its own receivables. When companies enter into a business transaction with a customer, they should therefore first think about the Receivables management and think about their own protection. "We recommend companies to regulate the payment modalities and the consequences of possible reminders in the GTC," says Jason Glanzmann, Director Serviced Portfolios at Intrum Justitia.

Lawyer and book author Regula Heinzelmann also knows how important general terms and conditions are for receivables management: "General terms and conditions are always a good PR tool. The key is to formulate them in such a way that customers understand them immediately. In this way, you avoid annoying and costly lawsuits." The expert recommends not simply adopting prefabricated GTCs or those of the competition, but always adapting the GTCs to the individual circumstances in the company, if necessary by experts. "Depending on the industry, there are corresponding guidelines that must be observed."

GTCs are part of risk management

With general terms and conditions, companies regulate their business relationship as comprehensively as possible and they do not have to specify each modality of a contract individually. In particular, GTCs serve the author to pass on the risk, especially in matters of liability and warranty. GTCs are binding if they are accepted by the companies involved as an integral part of the contract. Regula Heinzelmann advises to always include this wording in an individual contract. "If both partners refer to GTCs, the concurring clauses apply. Agreements that deviate from the general terms and conditions are, in principle, best set out in writing," says the lawyer.

Ten tips for secure GTC in receivables management

If you have changed your general terms and conditions in the Collection want to formulate effectively, you should follow these tips:

1. Observe the applicable laws so that you make the formulations within this framework. Illegal clauses are void; however, the parts of the GTC that comply with the law still apply. "According to the Federal Court, the entire contract is void if this legal consequence is expressly provided for in the relevant law or results from the meaning and purpose of the violated norm," says Regula Heinzelmann.
2. Pursuant to Article 8 of the Federal Act against Unfair Competition, it is unfair to use general terms and conditions which, to the detriment of consumers, provide for a significant and unjustified imbalance between contractual rights and contractual obligations in a manner that violates good faith.
3. Ensure transparency. Refrain from unusual, surprising clauses that severely disadvantage the contractual partner.
4. Use simple language. After all, clauses should not be open to ambiguous interpretation or contradict each other. The structure should also be clear.
5. Unusual clauses should be printed in bold and it should be pointed out that they deviate from the rule.
6. Always draft the GTC before sealing the contract. The contracting party must be aware of them and agree to their validity before the contract is concluded.
7. Clearly refer to the GTC in the contract.
8. Place the T&Cs in a generally easily accessible place, such as on your website. Preferably in such a way that customers can print them out as a PDF.
9. Liability for slight negligence can be limited and set at a certain amount or waived. However, there are exceptions. The exclusion of gross negligence or fault is void (Article 100 of the Swiss Code of Obligations).
10. Determining the applicable law and the place of jurisdiction is central for companies. It is advantageous to choose Swiss law and the court at your own company headquarters. You can also define extrajudicial variants of dispute resolution, such as arbitration or mediation. Regula Heinzelmann: "It's best to regulate the allocation of costs in the GTC."

If the contractual partner does not pay after all

What do you do as a managing director if the contractual partner does not pay the invoice after all? What options are available? Intrum Justitia shows you how to master this challenge in the third part of this continuation story.

Contact for more information:

Intrum Justitia AG, sales.ch@intrum.ch, +41 44 806 85 57

Part 1 read here.

Around 35,500 new companies were entered in the cantonal commercial registers in the first ten months of this year. This is roughly as many as were registered in 12 months in each of the years 2007 - 2009, as calculated by the Creditreform creditors' association. These figures can be read as a sign of how robust and expansive the Swiss economy is at present. On the other hand, the number of deletions has remained relatively stable for years, hovering between 28,000 and 29,000 companies. It follows that a new record in net growth is very likely to result this year.

It is striking that more than half of the new companies are created in the service sector, most of them in the area of "provision of professional, scientific and technical services". This group includes, for example, business and tax consultants, advertising agencies, architectural offices, etc. Wholesale and retail trade follows in second place with a share of 15.5 % and the construction industry with 10.4 %.

From the production to the service economy

The hospitality industry recorded significant negative growth. Here, new registrations are offset by more deletions from the commercial register. This seems surprising, as fast-food chains in particular are setting up many new establishments. However, these are not necessarily new businesses but merely new locations. The construction sector is another industry that ranks fifth among all industries in terms of net growth, with a share of 8.5 % or 991 companies.

The trend from a production economy to a service economy thus continues. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 75 % of all market economy companies in 2015 were from the tertiary sector and only around 16 % from the secondary sector. Viewed individually, the construction sector is also in fifth place among market economy companies with a share of 8.2 %.

Increase in insolvencies

The number of corporate insolvencies rose by 3.5 % to 3,962 in the first ten months. By the end of the year, Creditreform expects companies to have filed for bankruptcy almost 4,800 times. This would be the second-highest figure ever measured; only in 2004 were significantly more bankruptcies recorded, at 4,955. Most insolvencies also occur in the services sector, followed by the construction industry. Although only 8.2 % of all market-economy companies are in the construction sector, the share in corporate insolvencies is shockingly high at 23.5 %, Creditreform notes. The insolvency share of firms from the trade sector is also significantly higher than their share among companies (18.8 % compared to 13.1 %). The share of insolvencies in the hospitality sector is 13.7 % in the first 10 months. This is also significantly higher than the share of total companies, which is only 5 %.

Source and further information: Creditreform

The staffing services provider Randstad regularly surveys employees about their career plans and job satisfaction. The results of this latest work barometer show that only 63 % of Swiss employees believe they can develop their full potential in their current job. This puts Switzerland well below the global average (74 %) and in last place in Europe, according to the verdict. Young women aged 25-34 in particular feel underchallenged in the workplace, with only 49 % realizing their full potential, according to further findings of the survey, which was conducted in the third quarter.

Everyone is responsible for their own employability

However, with 94 % agreement, the Swiss are unanimous: It is the responsibility of every individual to keep their professional competencies and skills up to date. With this result, Switzerland - together with Italy, Norway and Austria - leads the ranking in Europe.

Swiss reach into their pockets for their own continuing education

A good three-quarters (76 %) of respondents believe they need more training and education to stay on top of developments. At 77 %, an overwhelming majority of Swiss employees are even prepared to pay for this themselves. In Europe, Switzerland ranks second behind Greece with this result. Worldwide, an average of 67 % would pay for training themselves.

Source and further information: Randstad

Companies are increasingly trying to position themselves in a similar way. They are investing in technologies such as customer relationship management solutions, for example, to use data to create a 360-degree customer picture. But this requires more than just technology. It needs a Vision.

Example from practice

Industrial companies in particular are stocking up on technologies for CRM and marketing automation. The challenge here is that often only the corporate management is aware of the purpose of these tools. The benefits are often not clear to the specialist departments that have to implement the solutions. In addition, companies define their vision, for example for the transformation of the sales department, using a technology. However, this usually ignores the needs of the employees, who have specific requirements for the tool.

The result: divisions such as sales cannot deliver the desired results in a timely manner. To explain the purpose of the software to the departments, a click dummy is a good way to make the possibilities of the new software comprehensible. This can then be used to define new requirements, such as mobile retrieval of customer data for sales colleagues.

CRM needs a vision

The example shows: The vision defines the purchased software. Not the other way around. If the 360-degree customer image is the vision, the program must fit this specification. In addition, flexibility plays a major role. Only in this way can the personal requirements of the departments be integrated and continuously adapted.

CRM and the role of the customer journey

Experience shows that product owners of CRM systems often spend little time with customers. However, it is essential to know one's customers and to understand the current customer journey in detail. To do this, all employees in the field must be involved and all requirements of intermediaries and end customers must be recorded.

Define goal

The analysis makes all potential for improvement obvious. At this point, it is important to define the goal with which the customer journey is to be improved: Best customer experience in the market? What does that mean exactly? Fast delivery times? Personal advice? Cost reduction?

Develop target state

Once the goals are clear, the target journey is defined. If the goal is more personal support, we focus on resources and tools. If the focus is on costs, we design the journey with an emphasis on process efficiency.

The target journey highlights the discrepancies between the current customer experience and the target journey. It shows the concrete requirements for processes and tools, especially those for the CRM system. With this knowledge, companies can now create new structures and use tailored technology.

What makes a good CRM system

In an era of generically high product quality, customer processes are the primary differentiator in the market. The goal of market differentiation cannot be achieved through a CRM system with standard processes or as a simple extension of the ERP for the sales force. A CRM tool must be customizable as a platform. In this way, it is possible to design unique customer processes and modify backend systems accordingly.

Artificial intelligence

Historically, CRMs have been big data pots. With the increasing flood of data, they are becoming more and more full - and thus more and more valuable. Anyone who buys a CRM system today should therefore make sure that they not only buy a data pot - but also suitable tools for evaluating the data and recognizing new patterns in it.

Making the best possible use of development potential

With optimized CRM, companies can not only increase their efficiency enormously. They can also see at a glance which of their customers have the highest development potential. Of course, the customers benefit as well: Ideal CRM goes hand in hand with the best possible service. From our point of view, this is an absolute win-win situation and therefore the step of digital transformation is worth considering for every company.

The author is a senior consultant and CRM expert at Namics 

Furthermore read the Interview with Namics CEO Bernd Schopp in the current issue of the ORGANIZER.