As one of the most important recruitment and young talent events in the hospitality industry, the International Recruitment Forum (IRF) has been held twice a year in Montreux since 2009. It is reserved for students of the Swiss Education Group and welcomes over one hundred renowned companies in the industry over two days. At this event, students can discuss with industry experts on the topic of careers and market needs. In March 2017, 1,300 students from the seven campuses participated and over 1,500 application interviews were conducted during the event. Around 3,500 students also took part in a study over the past three months, conducted by Alexandra Broennimann, an expert in consumer behavior. Over one hundred personal interviews were conducted for this purpose.

Hyperconnected and champion of the value of work

Generation Z includes those born after 1995 who grew up in an ultra-connected environment and tend to be more realistic in their approach. They know they have to work hard to get ahead. Among their handicaps is the fact that they find it difficult to concentrate on one thing for a long period of time.

A first result from the study: These young people experience technology and their mobile devices as an extended part of their body. Therefore, 2/3 of them declare that they are less productive and less happy without their cell phones. And second, for Gen Z, things that exist online are real. Gen Z posts 60 % of their social life on social networks: meals with friends, professional events, celebrations. Alexandra Broennimann explains, "It's as if a real event didn't happen until it was posted online and confirmed by the online community." The same is true when it comes to dealing with labels: 3/4 of Gen Z has no trust in a brand name if it does not exist on social networks. Other findings: Professional success is very important to Gen Z. 70 % consider a lot of money to be the best indicator of success, with success coming only through hard work. 80 % prefer a good job to a good relationship.

In projects, the Gen Z powerful

Passively, Gen Z has an attention span of about 8 seconds. If their representatives enjoy an activity, they can maintain concentration for up to a maximum of 12 minutes. Future employers must therefore come up with a balance between a suitable working framework and sufficiently stimulating challenges. Alexandra Broennimann therefore recommends that employers offer these young adults the opportunity for involvement in projects and challenges that specifically appeal to their age group.

On the subject of education and training, Florent Rondez, CEO of the Swiss Education Group, explains: "We have restructured our study programs to counter the boredom perceived by Gen Z. We are now offering a range of new courses. For example, our teachers change topics every 20 minutes in class. The new pedagogy is evolutionary and very dynamic."

Source: Swiss Education Group

In early March 2017, the value of Bitcoins, the mother of all cryptocurrencies, traded higher than the value of gold for the first time. There is much speculation about the reason. The most likely is speculation that an index fund (ETF) is expected to be launched soon. This would ensure institutional investors access to the cryptocurrency. On the one hand, this step would enormously strengthen confidence in these modern currencies, but on the other hand, it would open the door to high-risk speculation. After the negative decision of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the price fell by 17% within hours!

Susceptible to fluctuations

Further massive fluctuations are the logical consequence. These are strongly criticized again and again. For example, the leading analyst at BayernLB, Manuel Andersch, says: "A big problem with Bitcoin is its susceptibility to fluctuations. Price gains or losses of 40 percent in a few hours are quite normal." Positive for speculators, extremely bad for the large mass of owners of such currencies. Due to the soaring prices, many dubious trading platforms with Bitcoins are also emerging, which operate outside of any legal control mechanisms and thus involve a high risk of total loss. The development shows that the in itself innovative idea of cryptocurrencies (independence from politics and central banks) leans too much on the current financial system and ignores the positive experiences of the currency systems up to the 1970s (time of the detachments of currencies from real values).

Hybrid currency as an alternative

According to its own information, this phenomenon is being countered by the Swiss association Quid pro Quo, based in Zurich, which has been developing a hybrid currency as an alternative to "classic" cryptocurrencies since the end of 2015. Its currency, E-Coins, is also independent of central banks. A very large portion of the E-Coins issued by Quid pro Quo are backed by a basket of values based on major reserve currencies and precious metals. In other words, there are substantial, not virtual, values behind e-coins. In the beginning, E-Coins were also only available in digital form. In the meantime, however, e-coins also exist as minted silver coins, which represent the silver value.

The investment policy is continuously defined and adjusted by experts. Thus, the price has developed from originally 0.1 € to currently just over 1.5 €, and this without major price fluctuations with negative developments. The value is calculated solely according to supply and demand.

Already 6000 users

What about the control and the seriousness? The association Quid pro Quo gives E-Coins the legal basis and also the security for customers and is responsible for maintaining the value of the "Value Basket". They say that they voluntarily submit to the valid laws of Switzerland. Of course, this also serves to protect the users, who are also members of this non-profit association. Quid pro Quo emphasizes that money laundering, high-risk speculation and dubious transactions are thus effectively curbed. The next service will be launched shortly: the marketplace. Various companies that accept e-coins as a means of payment will be presented there at the start. As a user of e-coins, this opens up the possibility of being able to shop easily around the clock without having to transfer sensitive data such as credit card or bank details. In addition, there are no fees. In return, companies would be given the opportunity to attract new customers and present themselves to a growing number of participants, the creators behind E-Coins are convinced. According to Quid pro Quo, E-Coins has grown strongly since its launch and now counts more than 6,000 registered users; the association puts the total volume of E-Coins at € 71 million.

More information: www.e-coins.com

More and more people are willing to provide their insurance companies with specific, personalized behavioral data if it means they can benefit as a customer from more favorable rates. As many as 66 percent of the Swiss believe that they would give their car insurance company access to their personal driving data if it meant that responsible driving would be financially rewarded. And a clear 85 percent of respondents believe that they would trust insurance companies more than Google or Facebook to handle this personal data responsibly. These are the key findings of an online survey conducted by global brand consultancy Prophet on the topic of "How important is transparency about your insurance contracts to you?", for which 250 adults in Switzerland were questioned in February of this year.

Insurers have a hard time with digitization

Insurers, however, are still having a hard time with the digital transformation. In the opinion of many customers, for example, insurers have so far failed to consistently implement the digitization of the insurance business. 73 percent of respondents complain about the poor quality of insurers' online presences. Consumers therefore prefer to obtain information about rates and prices in the industry on comparison portals. 55 percent of the Swiss also complain that they do not have an adequate overview of their personal insurance cover.

A lot of trust in insurance

In addition to the technical aspects, it is also about a profound organizational and cultural transformation of the industry. "If you want to survive in the future competitive environment, you have to use the advancing digitalization in customer interaction, process integration and product offering to create a modern, consistent customer experience," is how new Prophet partner Wolfgang Jacob assesses the results of the survey. Jacob, who will lead the "Financial Services" division for Prophet in Switzerland and Germany in the future, previously held leading positions at Credit Suisse, Commerzbank and the Gerling Group (now HDI).

Successful insurers would take advantage of the fact that people trust them much more than Google or Facebook when it comes to data security, says insurance expert Jacob: "Young people in particular are used to having their data collected all the time." The technical and legal possibilities for personalized rates are mostly there, he says. "The only thing that remains to be seen is which company will be the first to network the elements in a truly intelligent and customer-oriented way in order to generate a competitive advantage," says Jacob.

Source: www.prophet.com

Messer Schweiz AG, one of Switzerland's leading industrial gases companies, is opening the most modern Swiss filling plant for liquid medical oxygen in Lenzburg. By concentrating on one building, the entire handling process is significantly simplified and patient safety is increased. Construction of the new filling plant took just eight months. Almost one million Swiss francs were invested in the most modern filling plant in Switzerland. Thanks to the good cooperation with the town of Lenzburg, this ambitious expansion was possible. "We would like to thank the authorities for their constructive and efficient cooperation," says Dr. Hans Michael Kellner, CEO Messer Schweiz AG.

Centralization makes everything easier

Until now, maintenance, filling and storage of the stationary and mobile containers for liquid medical oxygen were carried out at different locations, which was not very efficient from a logistical point of view. Centralization primarily enables simpler handling. The entire handling process, from delivery to cleaning, maintenance, filling, final inspection and delivery of the containers, takes place in a 400 m2 facility. All containers as well as all required spare parts are also stored there. From now on, full stationary containers will be delivered to the patients and the empty ones will be taken away. This replaces the old delivery system, where the containers were filled on site at the patient. This change significantly increases patient safety, as the containers are cleaned each time they are changed and additional, elaborate quality controls are possible.

At the service of patients

Messer Switzerland supplies patients who require permanent oxygen with containers of liquid oxygen. In this way, the company is helping to ensure that patients can be independent and mobile, which significantly improves their quality of life. Patients can refill the portable containers independently at the stationary container at any time. This enables patients to be mobile outside their own homes. They can go for walks, go shopping, meet up with acquaintances or friends and thus move around freely. In a standard container with 45 liters of liquid oxygen, more than 38,000 liters of gaseous oxygen are available to the patient. By comparison, a 10-liter steel cylinder at 200 bar contains 2,100 liters of gaseous oxygen. The use of liquid medical oxygen significantly increases the security of supply for patients.

Where does the oxygen come from?

Oxygen is obtained from the air. The proportion of oxygen in the air is approx. 21 %. The colorless, odorless and tasteless but also fire-promoting gas is cooled down to -183 °C and thus liquefied. Since one liter of liquid oxygen is equivalent to about 853 liters of gaseous oxygen, much larger quantities can be stored and transported.

More information

Abacus was once again able to maintain its leading position in the Swiss market for business software last year, according to a media release sent out on March 9. The solutions are in demand as never before, even in "times of digitalization". Last year, more than 4,600 subscriptions were sold for the latest products for mobile applications alone, such as the app for recording working hours and benefits, as well as expense reporting, which allows business processes to be handled electronically from A to Z without media discontinuity, according to Abacus.

The use of Abacus software from the cloud continues to be highly popular. Sales of web subscriptions for the corresponding rental programs increased by 24.5 percent last year compared to the previous year. Since its launch ten years ago, a total of over 15,600 program subscriptions have been purchased by SMEs. There has also been a marked increase in the business with new program licenses. This segment had grown by 43 percent compared to 2015. In total, 350 SMEs decided to use Abacus Business Software for the first time last year. The various industry solutions contributed significantly to this increase in sales, the report continues. In the "Public Sector" segment alone, 35 municipalities switched to the financial software of this Swiss software manufacturer.

As has been the case since its beginnings more than 30 years ago, sales of the business software continue to be handled by partner companies. The "best list" for the sale of new software licenses is headed by Axept Business Software, ahead of BDO and All Consulting. Claudio Hintermann, CEO of Abacus Research, comments with satisfaction on the good business performance: "The investments we have made in new technologies for mobile and cloud-based applications are beginning to bear fruit. However, this is only an intermediate step, as there are currently many other developments in the pipeline."

Source

The INTES Academy is considered the market leader and first point of contact for cross-generational qualification, networking and owner-strategic consulting for family businesses and entrepreneurial families. INTES has been a company of the German PwC Group since 2013. Due to this successful cooperation and shared passion, PwC Switzerland and INTES are now also going down the same path and developing sustainable structures for Swiss companies and families. INTES brings the experience of almost two decades of advising owner families. PwC can now enrich this with high-quality expertise in auditing as well as strategy, management, legal and tax consulting, according to the two companies.

"Family-run companies shape the Swiss economy. We are pleased to join INTES in supporting their success in Switzerland. Our joint mission is to make such companies more successful and entrepreneurial families stronger," says Norbert Kühnis, Head of Family Business and SMEs at PwC Switzerland. Dr. Dominik von Au, Managing Director of the INTES Academy for Family Businesses, adds: "INTES supports family businesses in achieving sustainable family and corporate governance through a clear owner strategy. PwC makes family businesses even better. INTES makes owner families even stronger. We are very much looking forward to working with PwC Switzerland and their experts to develop sustainable solutions for businesses and families in Switzerland."

Source: www.pwc.ch

Nine out of ten employees in Germany want the option of returning from part-time work to a full-time position. This makes such a right the most important measure for skilled workers in Germany to reconcile family and career. This is what the online job exchange StepStone found out in a survey of around 5,000 professionals and managers. The study also shows that 28 percent of the women surveyed have firm plans to take on a management role in the future. Just under 60 percent of all part-time employees believe that they can adequately fill a responsible management position even with reduced hours.

Up to 1.5 million part-time workers would work full time

"Highly qualified women in particular want to make a difference at work - even if they want or have to work part-time temporarily. Our market research has shown that four out of ten women would switch to full-time if childcare could be organized optimally. The willingness to work more has thus increased again by ten percentage points compared to our previous year's survey," says Simone Reif, Managing Director at StepStone.de. "For the economy this is good news, because in times of scarce skilled workers companies are dependent on these women." According to StepStone estimates, the number of women who would work full time under the right conditions is up to 1.5 million among specialists and managers alone.

Ways out of the part-time trap

Flexible working hours are a must for 95 percent of all respondents. Women would like to receive support from their employer in the form of training to prepare them for a management position and measures to specifically promote part-time employees. Almost two-thirds of female professionals were confronted with other tasks after returning from family leave - 28 percent have since taken on less demanding jobs. More than half of the women believe that the career break has damaged their career. This also has financial consequences: 60 percent expect negative effects on their salary in the long term.

In Switzerland: More female managers

In Switzerland, on the other hand, the business community is succeeding in filling significantly more vacancies on its executive boards with women. The proportion of women on the management boards of the 100 largest Swiss employers jumped from 6 % to 8 %, and of all new appointments to management boards, 21 % were female - compared with only 4 % in the previous year. On company boards of directors, 21% of the open mandates were also filled by a woman, bringing the proportion of women there to 17%. This is shown by the latest "schillingreport" of the executive search specialist Guido Schilling AG. However, if the Swiss economy does not want to lose touch with the other countries in Western Europe, it must consistently continue on the path it has taken. In the public sector, the comparative body of 24 % female government councillors and 14 % female top executives is significantly further ahead than the private sector.

Sources: www.stepstone.de, www.schillingreport.ch

The Swiss cloud software provider jacando recently produced the study "Digitization of HR in Europe" as part of a status quo analysis. More than 1000 career sites of SMEs (50-499 employees) and corporates (500+ employees) from 12 European countries on recruitment topics were examined. One key finding: a lack of digitization leads to a great waste of money in HR departments.

Apply like in the past

But let's start from the beginning. The study "Digitization of HR in Europe" has revealed that despite a wide range of digital options, recruitment processes in European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often still handled as they used to be: For example, more than every 3rd SME still asks for applications in postal form and in 54% of all cases, emails come into play. However, these are then not processed efficiently with an applicant management system, but mainly still manually. Such a system is only used in 14% of the cases - despite a time saving of around 30 minutes per application.

Immense waste of money

It is obvious that this costs companies dearly. With an average of 50 applications per vacancy, this means that 60 million applications are handled inefficiently every year. In man-hours, this amounts to 30 million. And the costs caused by a lack of digitization are immense: In the DACH region alone, 1 billion euros are lost due to a lack of digital application processes - every year!

E-Recruiting in general? Hardly widespread!

A look at other efficient e-recruiting methods, such as the one-click application with the social media profile or mobile recruiting, does not bode well either. With 10% (one-click), respectively 6% (mobile recruiting), these two forms are virtually non-existent. And speaking of mobile: the fact that only 66% of the websites examined are mobile-responsive at all shows that mobile measures are already failing to meet the basic requirements. And what about social recruiting? Social recruiting also suffers from the same problem, because not even every 2nd SME has its own social media account. And thus the most important prerequisite for a successful implementation is missing here as well.

Even the big players still have potential

On the one hand, corporates have significantly more resources and, on the other hand, are virtually forced to digitize due to the large number of vacancies (and corresponding number of applications) for capacity reasons. It is therefore not surprising that they are further ahead than SMEs when it comes to e-recruiting. But even among corporates, there is still potential for digitization: although 99% of career pages are mobile-optimized, applicant management systems are only used in 77% of cases, and social media could also be more widespread at 80%. A deeper look also shows that corporates are only just scratching the surface when it comes to digitalization: The one-click application with the social media profile is only possible in 14% of the cases and the number of companies that enable an application via mobile app can only be counted on one hand.

Digitization? Basic stage

Although digitization is not a new term and it is promoted and supported by numerous programs, it does not yet seem to have arrived in European HR departments, at least in recruitment matters. "Backward" or "basic stage" thus best summarize the current level of digitization in the SMEs studied. Whether this is due to the will to digitize, the knowledge about it, or a lack of resources can only be speculated on for the time being, and further investigation is required for this. However, the fact that digitization of individual subareas would already bring considerable cost savings should be reason enough for all companies to at least give digitization a chance.

In order to learn more about the background and causes of the hesitant digitization, jacando is currently conducting another, larger-scale study together with various partners. The results will be published in spring 2017.   

Source and information: jacando AG

Globalization, digitization and knowledge transfer: the world of work is changing. And with it, the demands of employees and entrepreneurs on their working or office worlds are changing. "Current developments are not fundamentally different from ten years ago. But: Their interpretation goes much further. Digitization or mobility permeate the working world in a new dimension. This accelerates and changes processes sustainably. A sustainably designed office must adapt to this. What is interesting here is that currently it is rather the large companies that are learning from the small companies to do this," says Sven Bietau, Managing Director of conceptsued gmbh. The consulting firm from Munich supports companies in the selection and redesign of commercial properties. One key observation: small, inexperienced companies in particular are the driving force behind current developments. They try out more, also allow ideas to fail. Sven Bietau uses seven trends to explain what the workplace of the future will look like.

Megatrend: Individualization of work

New technologies and digitization are making it possible to live an increasingly individualized life. The car can be tailored to one's own needs. When shopping, consumers are no longer tied to cities or stores. Even if older generations find this more difficult: Generations Y and Z, born in 1980 and later, are digital natives. For them, certain freedoms are normal. This also affects their demands on the workplace. "In the past, there were workplaces filled with people. Today, the office is all about people and new ways of working. 'Srcum Working' and agile working are just two trends there that are taking hold in many companies," says Sven Bietau. According to the expert, there is no one right office. Rather, certain basic requirements must be met, such as fixed locations for clerical work. Beyond that, however, areas are created that can be used individually and flexibly. There are no longer any fixed rules or places.

The office as an emotional bonding agent to the company

The location of the workplace was hardly important to employees in the past. Pride was taken in the corporate brand. Today, the location, concept and furnishings of the office are the focus of appreciation. Sven Bietau: "Many experts say that location is more important today than salary. I am convinced that both are now so important to young professionals that the much-described 'war of talents' cannot be won with a good location or an appropriate salary alone."

The office as a place of well-being

What is true for one's own home is now increasingly true for one's job as well: People want to feel good at their workplace. Forward-looking entrepreneurs know that office environments that employees enjoy are important prerequisites for motivation and performance. The same applies here as in one's own four walls: The furnishings should be multifunctional and flexible. In this way, entire rooms can be rethought again and again and adjusted to different work situations at any time.

The office as a social hub

Within the office, teamwork is becoming more important - but for limited periods of time. According to the so-called 'Scrum Working' model, colleagues work together on a topic for two weeks, for example. The work is started in the group. This is where everyone's knowledge is pooled. This is followed by the individual implementation of the necessary individual tasks and discussions in small teams. These teams then present their results to their colleagues in the larger team. The goal is the rapid and creative development of ideas within short time intervals. In this way, workspaces develop into 'hubs' that can be quickly enlarged for joint brainstorming. Retreats allow concentrated work alone. Lounges invite casual conversations, sports areas invite exercise.

The office as a knowledge broker

The individualization of the employee is also accompanied by increasing demands on the employer in terms of further training. Sven Bietau: "Employees today want to develop their own skills or reduce deficits. At the same time, they also have to do this because technical progress is becoming ever faster. For this, too, employers must create space in their own companies and offer appropriate technologies."

The office as a technology laboratory

Formerly reserved for the boss or department head, the cordless telephone is now part of the office standard. With it, employees can be reached at their fixed workstation, in the meeting room or in the lounge. Increasingly important, however, are software and technology: employees in companies write programs themselves and share them with colleagues via screens; infinite whiteboards can be shared by everyone and filled with information. "Screens are alive today: The computer-aided drafting program can be open on one screen, and next to it, simultaneously, a website on the Internet, a video screen, and a hand sketch. This is increasingly important for communicating with customers and colleagues who are not in the same location, for developing products, and for solving increasingly complex tasks," says Bietau.

Trust vs. control

Sofa, park, lake or 'home office': Today's employees want to decide for themselves from where they start their laptop or make a phone call to the supplier. This, too, is leading to changes within the office worlds. Sven Bietau: "The basis and prerequisite for the success of the new ways of working and the office worlds designed for them is trust. It is no longer presence that is the proof of performance, but the work result."

Source and further information: http://www.conceptsued.com/

European workers have a strong appetite for international work or careers. Nearly three-quarters (74%) would consider working in another country to pursue career opportunities, according to research from ADP®. For the study, titled "The Employee View in Europe 2017," nearly 10,000 employees across Europe were asked what they thought about the future of work, international competitiveness and talent management.

Switzerland in 4th place

Germany (21%), the UK (15%) and France (12%) top the list of most desirable places to work, while North America is surprisingly much further down the list at number 12.

1. Germany
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Switzerland
5. Austria
6. Belgium
7. Spain
8. Norway
9. Netherlands
10. Italy
11. Sweden
12. North America
13. Ireland
14. Denmark
15. Luxembourg
16. Finland
17. Portugal
18. Russia
19. Asia Pacific
20. Iceland

What makes the top countries so appealing?

 Despite their popularity for international careers, Germany, the United Kingdom and France are not particularly strong in the areas the study asked about, such as skills and development, flexible work opportunities and workplace stress. In fact, workers may have more balanced lives and more interesting opportunities in countries that don't top the list, according to the study. Instead, pre-existing perceptions of the country, economic stability, distance from home and language skills have a greater impact on preference. Employees who are most interested in working abroad (Poland, Spain and Italy) are also the ones who say it is important to improve one's language skills.

Does any talent want to cross borders?

Despite the overwhelming interest across the continent in international work, over a quarter of employees (26%) would never work abroad. Significantly, there is a marked difference in opinion between men and women, with 18% and 36% respectively not wanting to work abroad. Interestingly, French (46%) and British (43%) employees are the least interested in working abroad. The results also show an expected trend of younger workers who would be more likely to work abroad. An astonishing 87% of 16- to 24-year-olds would be interested in pursuing career opportunities abroad, compared to only 56% of those 55 and older.

International battle for talent

Sebastien Moyon, Service Delivery Director at ADP Switzerland, says: "It is clear that Europe has an appetite for international work. The battle for talent and widening skills gaps are challenges that span the continent. It is essential that companies consider adapting to a more international workforce. Encouraging the cross-border development of talent and employing people from diverse backgrounds, is important to keep up with global competition. If companies consider the needs of their employees and potential talent, they will be able to reap the benefits of an engaged and optimistic workforce.

For more information visit www.adp.ch

Digitization at Swiss companies is advancing in leaps and bounds. However, according to a recent survey of 700 Swiss companies with 30 to 2,000 employees conducted by the consulting firm EY, SMEs are threatened by a digital two-tier society: a gap is opening up between successful and less successful companies. The importance of digital technologies has increased significantly compared to the previous year. Well over half of them already use digital technologies: 60 percent attach medium to great importance to them - in the previous year, the proportion was still 45 percent.

However, successful companies rely significantly more on digitization than companies with a poor business situation and negative business prospects. For 62 percent of the "top performers," it plays a very large or a medium role. By contrast, only 30 percent of the less successful companies say that digital technologies are fundamental to their business model.

No investment due to lack of funds

More than two-thirds of respondents see no fundamental obstacles to investing in digital technologies. However, more than twice as many as last year (15 percent) have too little money, 9 percent lack qualified employees and 8 percent have too little know-how. "Many medium-sized companies are at a crossroads," is the finding of Marcel Stalder, CEO of EY Switzerland. "Some of the companies are adapting flexibly to new developments. These manage to further develop their business model through innovative products and services. Others, however, will lose out: They do not invest enough in the transition to digital technologies, do not look specifically enough for suitable employees, or neglect cultural development. The Swiss economy is threatened by a digital two-tier society."

Digital advocates on the rise

The companies themselves know that they have to face up to digitization: The proportion of companies that are open to this megatrend has risen to 83 percent. Only 17 percent (previous year: 36 percent) say that the importance of digital technologies for their business model will not increase in the next five years. However, many companies still find it difficult to implement this realization in their day-to-day business. For Martin Ceccon, EY Digital Strategy Leader Switzerland, one thing is certain: "Many companies will still experience serious upheavals. They need an agile strategy for digitization, innovative products, services and new business models. Provided the leadership understands and promotes digitization as an opportunity, new exciting growth opportunities will arise. On the other hand, those who hold on to an outdated business model for too long will be among the losers."

Against digital two-tier society

"Size matters" - at least when it comes to using new technologies for their own business: Almost three-quarters of companies (73 percent) with sales of over CHF 100 million use digital technologies. By contrast, only just under one in five (21 percent) of companies with sales of less than CHF 30 million say digital technologies are very important.

Martin Ceccon also calls on smaller companies to be open to digitization, to acquire new skills and knowledge, and to invest in appropriate technologies, because otherwise there is a risk of a dangerous downward spiral. "Even companies with 100 or 200 employees can optimize supply chains, intensify customer relationships or individualize products. They become more flexible and save money, time and resources. Cooperations are important, not only if the company lacks the money or knowledge for its own digital solutions. Companies need to build a digital ecosystem with partners. This means more and more inorganic growth as well." In addition to an increase in collaborations, Martin Ceccon also expects the number of specialized digital solution providers to increase massively in the coming years. "There is still a lot of room to grow for digital solutions as modular systems. For example, smaller companies that do not need their own solution can make use of open platforms and incorporate them into their processes. We will see more of these types of services for small and medium-sized companies on the market in the future."

Switzerland evenly digitized - Germany split

The digital two-tier society has no clear boundaries. There is no discernible divide in Switzerland when it comes to digitization. The survey shows that digitization is accorded almost the same importance from Geneva to Romanshorn. The location initiative for digitization and innovation, digitalswitzerland, which is supported by EY Switzerland and many other organizations, also aims to ensure that digital strategies, business models and technologies are disseminated throughout Switzerland, especially by promoting startups. A comparatively unbalanced picture in terms of regional distribution emerges from the survey conducted in Germany at the same time: In the northeast of the country, the proportion of companies that describe digitization as very important for their business is six times lower than in the southwest.

According to the survey, the importance of the individual technologies and application areas has increased across the board in Switzerland. Above all, customer relationships are now organized digitally by the companies surveyed. 69 percent of the companies use digital technologies for this purpose. Mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets are now used by 54 percent of companies, whether for the work of their employees or for product sales. More than half of the companies also sell products online, with the proportion rising from 44 to 52 percent.

You can also find more information in a Expert interview in EY's annual report.

The history of Stans-based Maschinenfabrik Schilter leaves nothing to be desired in terms of drama. Between 1959 and 1972, the company developed from a 3-man operation in Stans' Schmiedgasse into an internationally active SME with 270 employees. Its product: all-terrain vans for mountain farming. At the best of times, Schilter produces and sells 1000 vehicles per year. The Stans-based company is considered a pioneer of mechanized mountain farming. But the impressive rise is followed by a thunderous collapse, in which the Nidwaldner Kantonalbank (NKB) is also thrown into turmoil: a fascinating piece of Nidwalden technology and economic history.

The exhibition will be accompanied by various side events:

• Spotlight Tour: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 6:30 p.m. Eva-Maria Knüsel, Head of Mediation, will lead a tour of the exhibition in dialogue with experts.
• Engine noise and oil smell. A spoken word evening at the museum in cooperation with lit.z: Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 6:30 p.m. (event details to follow).
• Public tour: Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 6:30 p.m. Fabian Hodel, curator, will guide through the exhibition.
• Schilter stories. Contemporary witnesses tell. Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 6:30 p.m., Chäslager Stans (event details to follow).

The exhibition in the Nidwaldner Museum Salzmagazin lasts until October 29, 2017.

More information: www.nidwaldner-museum.ch