At the KMU Swiss Symposium, successful personalities from various sectors and industries will speak about their experiences in a practical and timely manner. They illuminate and discuss the topic from different perspectives on key words such as industry, trade, power, innovation, succession, etc.

Switzerland 4.0: Is it reaching its limits?

After the first successful Event from 17 March 2022 (actually the 2021 edition), a second KMU Swiss Symposium will take place on Thursday, September 8, 2022 in the CAMPUSSAAL Kultur + Kongresse in Brugg, the "real" edition of this year. The event deals in the broadest sense with perceptions and realities in business, society and politics. Are we after as good as we think? Are we reaching our limits? Are we in a state of upheaval and are we creating change with probable limitations? Questions about questions, which should be partially answered at the symposium. This also with inclusion of the actualities of the energy crisis coming up to us, world-political tensions and availabilities of production goods. 250-300 participants are expected with illustrious personalities from economy and politics. "In addition to the familiar atmosphere, the participants appreciate the high practical relevance of the presentations," says Armin Baumann, initiator of KMU Swiss.

Supply bottlenecks, energy problems and global political situation in upheaval

Is Switzerland as well positioned as we think? What needs to be done so that we can master tomorrow? This in an environment of shortages of skilled workers, supply problems, expected energy bottlenecks and in the event of armed conflicts. Currently, problems and crises are being replaced by others, and yet things will continue. But how? The facts are and remain that changes happen continuously and crises always reveal weak points. These require farsightedness and decisiveness! Actors who act instead of react are in demand. But unfortunately, people in such situations too often sink into lethargy. People still try to solve problems instead of recognizing the causes and deriving something new from them.

Self-responsibility instead of egoism and narcissism are needed to master the future. What concerns everyone can only be solved by everyone. In addition, political mills work more slowly than economic ones and, unfortunately, sometimes against each other.

Notable personalities

The following entrepreneurial personalities provide lasting impressions:

• Natalie Spross, Spross Group
• Carla Kaufmann, companymarket
• Raphael Gilgen, Vitra
• Dr. Christian Schaffner, ETH Zurich
• Christoph Brand, Axpo
• Dr. Thomas Borer, Dr. Borer Consulting
• Guio Honegger, entrepreneur
• Beat Flach, National Council
• Thomas Först, Switzerland Global Enterprise
• Moderator: Michael Sokoll

For more information on the speakers, please visit www.kmuswiss.ch/symposium

The "Aerogel Architecture Award" was launched in 2020 by Empa and the industry partners Fixit, Agitec, Haga AG Naturbaustoffe, Hasit and the AdvaPor association. For the 2022 elimination, eight offices from Germany, China and Switzerland had submitted their projects. A jury consisting of the five experts Matthias Koebel (Switzerland), Ralf Kilian (Germany), Michael O'Connor (France), Volker Herzog (Germany) and Manfred Wehdorn (Austria) evaluated the submitted projects with regard to the value in terms of monument protection, energy efficiency and originality of the chosen solution. In each case, the renovation uses so-called aerogels, highly porous solids in which up to 99.98 % of the volume consists of pores. They require little space and are very flexible. Aerogels are therefore used where conventional insulating materials are not possible, for example in listed buildings.

First prize for a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The award ceremony took place at NEST, the research and innovation building of Empa and Eawag. The winner was an impressive project from Darmstadt, which was designed by the architects' office schneider+schumacher is being realized. This is the refurbishment of the unique exhibition building on the Mathildenhöhe, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021. In addition to modern glass that allows controlled use of daylight, a new type of high-performance mineral insulating plaster made of aerogel granules is being used in the outer shell of this historic building. This will significantly improve the energy quality of the facade, according to the statement. In the future, better use will also be made of the site's conditions, for example by using the historic water reservoir under the exhibition building to store energy.

Reduce energy consumption step by step

In second place was the Heilig Geist parish in Zurich. The center includes a church, community rooms, offices and apartments and was opened in 1973. The fact that little attention was paid to building insulation at the time was evident from the parish's high energy consumption. Over the years, architect Beat Kämpfen of Fighting Zinke + Partner The company therefore implemented various measures to optimize the energy efficiency of the building. These include, among other things, several solar systems on the entire grounds, the use of aerogel in the façade, and a replacement of the gas heating system with a heat pump system including geothermal probes. It was always important that the external appearance of the parish remain as unchanged as possible. Thanks to the innovations, the center received the Minergie certificate in 2020.

Renovate historic buildings for energy efficiency while preserving their appearance

Third place on the podium goes to a building in Winterthur. The house on Lindberg was built in 1963 and has been systematically developed over the years without changing the basic structure. This was also the requirement that the client placed on the team around the architect for the renovation of the outer shell. Anne-Kathrin Halt. This meant that, among other things, the volume of the building could not be changed and various elements, such as a ceramic relief on the wall of the house, had to be preserved. For this reason, it was decided to insulate the villa using aerogel panels. To do this, the existing trowel cast, including the base plaster, was first stripped down to the masonry. The exposed volume was filled with 20 mm wide aerogel panels, the trowel throw was reapplied and the original exposed concrete structure was reconstructed.

Source and further information: Empa

Thousands of training companies offer around 250 apprenticeships every year. However, fewer and fewer companies are finding the dedicated apprentices they want. With the retirement of the baby boomers, the existing gaps in recruiting young talent are now becoming even more apparent. A little word-of-mouth, makeshift advertising, a presentation at the local school or a video on an online platform are no longer enough. The committed and talented apprentices, i.e. the urgently needed specialists and managers of tomorrow, will rarely be found by training companies in this way.

Young talent challenges training companies

Today's young talents want to be addressed professionally. They have expectations of the employer's style and appearance. They are looking for trainers they can trust. They have ideas about how the company should support them during their apprenticeship. They want to see perspectives on how they can make a career after the apprenticeship. They also need to convince their parents and their environment that an apprenticeship is the right path to a successful life and not a dead end.

Parents, family and friends are the most important decision-makers when it comes to choosing a career. The study "Career Choice Today" has made this clear. The total of 1,400 qualitative interviews among young people, parents, teachers, experts, vocational trainers, apprentices, politicians and the media showed that one-third of young people are interested in craft and technical professions. However, only 1 % of the respondents felt that success was possible along this path. Success was defined as work-life balance. There is also still far too little awareness among young people, parents and teachers of the good training, further education and career opportunities offered by skilled trades occupations. That is why the Career Apprenticeship project supports training companies in recruiting.

Filling apprenticeship positions: Project offers support for recruitment

Jeremias Wirz, project manager of Karriere-Lehre explains: "Many training companies would prefer to delegate the search for apprentices to their industry association. But as useful as such campaigns are, they cannot replace the concrete recruitment of the individual company. The ideal situation is when the company can tie in with industry communications. Many SMEs do not succeed in this, because employee marketing is rarely one of their strengths. Those who look for an apprentice in the same way every three years perhaps fail to realize how young people, parents and teachers now tick. This is where we at Karriere-Lehre can provide concrete help. We start with interviews in the training company and get to know the company well. If desired, we coach the responsible persons in the company, who thus acquire know-how and experience. Depending on requirements, we also carry out tailor-made projects with the training company."

Behind the Career Teaching project is a team with over 30 years of experience in communication for educational topics. The spectrum ranges from seminars for international executives to a school project for the environment and health, summer courses for children, and wage-relevant continuing education for unskilled workers to graduation ceremonies, open days, SwissSkills, and campaigns for young talent for entire industries. Career Teaching is a sister project of Bausinn, a long-standing initiative that draws attention to the attractiveness of construction professions.

Source and further information: Career Teaching
In a other articles (chargeable for non-subscribers) we asked companies about their experiences with hard-to-fill apprenticeships.

SAP used to be perceived essentially as a provider for large companies and the upper midmarket. The many systems available in the heterogeneous Swiss ERP market were better suited to the typical SME customer, it was said everywhere. However, the use of SAP cloud solutions in particular has changed the picture in recent years. In any case, one thing is certainly true: There are a considerable number of Swiss ERP solutions that are still used locally. They are installed in large numbers and definitely have their place in the market. In return, SAP and its partners, whose role for SMEs is still being discussed, have more in their portfolio than the powerful S/4HANA. However, SAP offers three ERP suites for different needs and company sizes:

• SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud: The solution is ideally suited for companies with very extensive process depth. Companies with up to exponential business and data growth continue to rely on this solution from the very beginning.
• SAP Business ByDesign: This unified cloud ERP is designed for midsize companies and is characterized by its simplicity and consistency of operation. It has been available on the market for more than 10 years, was developed from the ground up for the public cloud and accordingly brings with it all the advantages of a software-asa-service (SaaS) solution. This includes, for example, easy scalability, which is crucial for companies growing rapidly nationally or internationally. Suitable for companies with between five and an open-ended number of users, the service connects all of a company's business units, including global ones, on the basis of proven best practices and an integrated end-to-end analytics engine.
• SAP Business One Cloud: Hosted (private cloud) ERP is for micro companies of 1 to about 10 employees that want to say goodbye to Excel or non-end-to-end integrated solutions and manage all business units with one solution and consistent, end-to-end processes.

Audited industry processes and best practices

So while S/4HANA is now too powerful for most global Swiss companies, Business One Cloud is not scalable enough for many. This is because it cannot be scaled with it without migrating to the next higher level. The solution does rely consistently on standard processes - an important prerequisite for scalability. But apart from the SAP data, nothing can be transferred to a new system. Therefore, switching from Business One to Business ByDesign is tantamount to a new implementation with the corresponding migration effort. Business ByDesign, on the other hand, offers one of the decisive advantages of SaaS: A company can scale from five to several hundred or thousand users without having to introduce a new system. In addition, standardization provides transparency by working with industry processes that have been tested worldwide. Companies that want to grow and map new business models, on the other hand, cannot simply unlock additional functions with SAP Business One Cloud, as is the case with the true public cloud solution with modern architecture. In addition, there are a large number of useful add-on developments for SAP Business ByDesign. The midmarket customer can extend his business processes at any time in the standard or digitize them further beyond the standard using add-ons to open up additional business areas or customer segments. This can be crucial for production companies, for example, if they initially want to outsource service processes and offer them themselves at a later date. The processes are already created in the solution and only need to be activated. The ERP system grows with the company and thus represents an essential foundation for corporate growth. The "time to value" is reduced to a minimum.

Differentiation from ERP developed for on-premises

In this respect, the service differs significantly from most Swiss ERP solutions. Most of them were created around or after the turn of the millennium and were developed for on-premises. Accordingly, customer-specific adaptations are already hindering the path to the real cloud because of the architecture. In order to implement new business models, it is sometimes necessary to connect third-party solutions to the basis - including interface problems. Business byDesign can do much more than just generic processes such as those for marketing, sales, or finance and controlling. Most of what is contained in S/4HANA has already been implemented. This is important for project service providers, the life sciences industry, retail, and also for manufacturing companies with purchasing, production, and warehouse management.

Interesting for internationally active SMEs

The solution is particularly interesting for Swiss SMEs that are or want to be internationally active despite their small size. In addition to their Swiss headquarters, these innovative companies need to connect other companies, production sites or warehouses. Swiss ERP solutions usually only cover Swiss needs - for example in terms of processes or financial accounting. However, they reach their limits when it comes to intercompany accounting, distributed cash books and international accounting in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standard). Also of interest to international Swiss SMEs: SAP Business ByDesign can be integrated into the SAP S/4HANA Cloud network at the parent company in local branches or manufacturing sites. This is because in many locations, the companies do not need the full range of functions of the parent company, but still have access to the fully integrated and thus technically harmonized ERP data of the head office. In the branch offices, all business objects and processes can be easily accessed via hyperlinks. The solution is mainly distributed by partners and only implemented by partners. Within a worldwide network, the partners support each other with their local knowledge and industry skills. The focus on partners is a decisive selection criterion for many SMEs, as they work with a supplier at eye level.

Participation in global innovation

For a long time, the majority of medium-sized companies claimed to be unique in their processes. Accordingly, until not so long ago, the prevailing opinion in Switzerland was that an ERP had to reflect all of the company's peculiarities and habits that had been ingrained over many years. Inquiries from the market, on the other hand, now show a clear change of opinion: while only around 20 percent asked for a cloud ERP two or three years ago, according to our own observations, this figure has now risen to 70 to 80 percent. These companies have recognized the advantages of standard processes for their products, processes and IT. Today, Swiss SMEs also want to benefit from the innovative power of cloud providers who are constantly developing their solutions. And they appreciate the value of industry standards that have become established worldwide. Many have realized that they should no longer let individuality drive business decisions when procuring software. SaaS vendors deliver complete processes that can be adopted and activated as desired. Users of true cloud ERP free up resources in IT for new applications such as machine integration, artificial intelligence and more. In this way, SMEs remain innovative in their own business field and benefit from the innovative power of the provider and manufacturer when it comes to ERP.

Author:
Wolfgang Kröner is CEO and member of the board of all4cloud Switzerland. He has been accompanying SMEs on their way to cloud ERP for more than 20 years. www.all4cloudgroup.com/

Business transformations are processes in which the way a business unit or an entire company conducts its business is significantly changed. These changes usually include several elements and concern, for example, a company's offering, their processes, necessary competencies or qualifications of employees. These changes are critical to the future success of the business. Primary triggers for such business transformations are technological change, changes in customer needs and intensification of competition, as shown by the Business Transformation Survey 2022 of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. As part of the study, 338 questionnaires were analyzed. The study covers a comparable cross-section of industries in Switzerland and different company sizes. 38 percent of the participants come from companies with more than 1,000 employees, 36 percent from companies with 10 to 249 employees.

Changes happen slowly

The summary of the results shows that Swiss companies consider business transformations to be an important field of activity. The companies surveyed gave the relevance of business transformations for future success an average rating of 5.5 (1=not at all important, 6=very important). However, respondents are not yet satisfied with progress (average satisfaction score of 3.9). "The potential for improvement is particularly clear in the speed of business transformations," says Jan Schlüchter, study author and co-program director of CAS Business Transformation Management at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Almost 64 percent of all respondents feel that the transformation project is too slow, and for unsuccessful transformations, the figure is even over 88 percent. Decisive differences between successful and unsuccessful business transformations are also made up by the work of management and executives as well as a high level of fault tolerance (see Figure 1).

Three success factors for business transformations

The research team derived ten recommendations for action from the results, three of which are essential. "Leaders have a special role to play in successful business transformations. All leaders, above all the business and divisional management, should be personally and authentically committed to the transformation project," says Jan Schlüchter. The second thing to do before starting a business transformation is to ensure that a positive culture of making mistakes and learning exists in the company or division. Third, speed is the best strategy throughout the transformation, be it in developing, deciding or implementing new business models or strategies. "If in doubt, it is better to set a tighter pace; readjustment is still possible," specifies Schlüchter. As part of the study, the study authors developed detailed recommendations for holistic design and orchestration of transformation processes. "These results strengthen us in our work," says André Riedel, Head of Community of Practice Business Transformation at the Swiss Society for Organization and Development SGO, which supported the study.

Business Transformation Champions: Only one in ten companies is one of them

In the study, participants from the companies assessed various aspects of their own business transformation in addition to a general assessment. From this assessment, the research team determined a Business Transformation Maturity Score (BTMS). This covers the degree of preparation, the actual transformation process and the skills required for this. The results of the study show that only nine percent of the participating companies fall into the group of champions (with a BTMS of 4.8 out of 6 on average and satisfaction with transformation progress of 4.7 out of 6 on average). Forty-seven percent fall into the novice group (with a BTMS of 2.9 on average and a satisfaction average of 3.2). "These results illustrate the potential of such transformations that still needs to be realized, even among the champion group," Schlüchter said (see Figure 2). To be sure, he said, some industries are slightly more advanced (e.g., financial and insurance service providers with a BTMS of about 3.8 versus public administration with a score of about 3.2). "Overall, however, there is still a great need for action in the management of business transformations, and this applies to all sectors of the economy, as the distance between the current maturity scores and the maximum value shows," adds the HSLU expert. This is underscored by the fact that so far only 33 percent of respondents perceive an improvement in their company's market position as a result of the transformation.

Source and further information: Lucerne University

The medium-sized Swiss Internet service provider iWay prevails over 12 well-known competitors in an independent quality comparison conducted by the Swiss Institute for Quality Testing SIQT. iWay had already won the race in 2020.

In the current SIQT study "Internet Provider 2022", independent experts analyzed the rates, range of services, transparency and convenience. Secondly, tests of iWay's customer service were carried out by qualified testers. iWay achieved the best overall score of 5.3 points. This corresponds to a target achievement of 85.3 percent of the relevant criteria. In concrete terms, this means that iWay customers do not have to wait in line at the support hotline and always have a direct contact person on the phone immediately. In addition, unlike most other providers, iWay always automatically passes on price reductions to existing customers.

"The fact that we have been independently voted the best Internet provider for the second time in this independent study by the renowned quality institute SIQT is a great confirmation for our team of our efforts to provide customers with transparent and fair offers and outstanding service," says iWay CEO Markus Vetterli. "Fair offers and uncomplicated and fast support clearly pay off in terms of customer satisfaction. We are particularly pleased that this has now also been confirmed once again by an independent party."

Source: iWay

Shortly after the start of the armed conflict in Ukraine, the Federal Council decided to grant S protection status to the refugees. This decision was widely supported by the business community, including the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV). In the meantime, around 60,000 Ukraine refugees have been registered. Slightly more than half, about 33,000, are of working age. According to the State Secretariat for Migration, about 10 percent of those of working age are now in employment. At a media conference on August 18, 2022, the Swiss Employers Association welcomed the fact that companies are making an important contribution to the integration of people from Ukraine in Switzerland. Gainful employment enables a structured daily life, financial independence and participation in social life during their stay in Switzerland. In order to learn more about the interest, but also the challenges and needs of Swiss companies regarding the employment of Ukrainian refugees, the SAV commissioned the research institute Sotomo to conduct a representative company survey.

More than half of companies want to hire Ukraine refugees

The survey shows that 56 percent of the companies are generally interested in employing them and almost every tenth company has already employed people with protection status S. Companies that have hired Ukrainian refugees are satisfied with their performance. According to the survey, by employing people from Ukraine, companies are demonstrating their intention to make a contribution to solidarity. The quality of the Ukrainian workforce and their high motivation are also cited as important factors.

At the same time, there are factors that make employment more difficult. Inadequate language skills are cited particularly frequently in this context - they are a major reason for non-employment, especially in the case of catering companies and companies in the healthcare and social services sectors. These are also the sectors that generally see the most potential in hiring Ukrainian refugees. 62 percent of companies also call for greater commitment and increased efforts on the part of the federal government and cantons with regard to language course offerings.

Extension of the right of residence desired

The right of residence of persons with protection status S is currently limited to one year - the residence permit of the first persons will therefore already expire in about half a year. This lack of clarity about how to proceed with protection status S is unsettling for many companies. Thus, 81 percent of the companies surveyed that have already hired would welcome an extension of the right of residence for the duration of the employment. SAV President Valentin Vogt emphasized the relevance of planning security at the media conference: "A perspective regarding the stay of Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland would encourage companies to further promote or even intensify integration by means of internships and apprenticeships."

In part, however, the respondents also state that at present they simply lack applications from people from Ukraine. They therefore call for a more active role of the REOs in the registration and placement of persons with protection status S. Judith Bellaiche, Director of Swico, from the ICT sector also reported that there are difficulties in recruitment. According to her, it is extremely difficult for companies to get in touch with refugees directly, and this circumstance is made even more difficult by decentralized and small-scale responsibilities. In some cases, the refugees also had a lack of knowledge of the Swiss labor market, which made it difficult for them to position themselves in the market. "In this respect, support from the regional employment centers (RAV) would be very welcome. Thanks to their structures and knowledge of the labor market, they could offer assistance in finding a job," says Bellaiche.

Labor shortage: a drop in the bucket

And are Ukrainian refugees able to dampen the shortage of skilled workers somewhat? It seems that the immigration of refugees from Ukraine is only a drop in the bucket. However, according to a good one in two of the companies surveyed, people from Ukraine with S protection status can at least partially counteract the labor shortage. Companies that have had or still have a need for workers since March of this year are more likely to see persons with protection status S as a way to alleviate the current labor shortage in their respective industries. On the other hand, companies in the industrial sector see somewhat less potential for counteracting the labor shortage than do companies in the hospitality and healthcare sectors, for example.

Source: Swiss Employers' Association

The Thurgau Economic Forum (WFT) has been one of the most important and largest business and political conferences in Thurgau for 25 years. With the new orientation after the anniversary event last year, the Thurgauer Kantonalbank could be won as a new main sponsor. And now the patronage has been filled again: The Association of Employers Central Thurgau has decided to support the WFT, which will be held in Weinfelden, as the business association of the district.

Employers Mittelthurgau: Important business representation in Thurgau

The association Arbeitgeber Mittelthurgau represents the economy in the center of the canton Thurgau and connects 144 companies of the district Weinfelden with about 7200 employees. The association focuses on improving the economic framework conditions in the region and the canton. It also expresses itself wherever the freedom of entrepreneurial action is affected. Arbeitgeber Mittelthurgau is also an important contact for the public sector, namely the municipal authorities. The association was formed in 2014 from the merger of the Bischofszell Trade and Industry Association and the Mittelthurgau Employers' Association.

Same goals as the WFT

The protection of interests, in particular the improvement of the economic and political framework conditions in the canton, orientation on current topics in politics and business, promotion of the exchange of experience and network cultivation are - among other goals - in the foreground of Arbeitgeber Mittelthurgau. These are also the goals of the WFT, at which competent speakers always give lectures on current economic-political topics.

WFT with Federal Councillor Maurer and Hans-Werner Sinn

The 26th Thurgau Economic Forum will be attended by a member of the Swiss Federal Council: Ueli Maurer, Minister of Finance, is the first Federal Councilor to appear at the WFT. With the professors Hans-Werner Sinn, Monika Bütler and the RAUSCH CEO, Sandra Banholzer, the WFT has been able to engage further competent and prominent speakers. They will provide valuable impulses to the participants on the topic of "Finance & Global Economy in the Context of Crises".

Applications and further information: www.wft.ch

In the spring of 1942, Silac started producing plastic buttons in an old schoolhouse in Oberiberg. Only two years after its foundation, the company needed more space and moved to Euthal. After the end of the war, the company expanded its range of products with hydraulic presses, automatic presses and high-performance thermoplastic injection molding machines. From then on, it was possible to produce thermoset and thermoplastic products that were in demand, such as cans, lids, screw caps, bottle caps and furniture handles. Silac thus quickly developed into an important regional employer.

From a producer of plastic buttons to a high-tech company

The company recognized the potential of well-trained employees early on and was eager to recruit young people from the very beginning. As early as 1960, the first mechanic apprentices could be taken on in the company. This was an important and logical step for the permanent quality assurance. Apprentice training is still an important principle in the company philosophy today. A lot of time and energy is invested in an exemplary apprentice training. Today, Silac trains not only prospective production mechanics, but also plastics technologists, polymechanics and business people.

Under the second generation, the family business developed into a progressive company with an excellent reputation. Herbert Birchler deliberately placed the emphasis on state-of-the-art technology. He continuously invested in machinery to keep up with the competition. The push for automation was necessary to guarantee the company's continued existence and thus the preservation of jobs in the long term. At the end of the 1980s, Silac dared to take the step forward and started planning a complete new building. In 1990, the move to the new building at the current headquarters in Euthal took place.

Expansion of the company building in 2020

In 1998, Peter Birchler was drawn to the family business. The then 27-year-old managing director skilfully set the course and developed Silac into a modern high-tech company that continues to consciously focus on Swiss quality despite international price pressure. Peter Birchler was and is convinced that Silac scores with its customers through speed, flexibility and quality. With the focus on always guaranteeing the highest quality to the customer, Silac, in contrast to many other injection molding companies, still operates its own tool shop today. Here, specially trained polymechanics build injection molds true to plan and with precision. Like his predecessors, Peter Birchler knows that people are behind Silac's success. A good next generation of professionals and motivated, highly qualified employees form the foundation of long-term success.

Another highlight in the history of Silac took place in 2020 with the opening of the new production hall. With a new total of 3,000 square meters of production space, the company is ready for the future. The new hall is equipped with state-of-the-art, fully automated production facilities. High-quality plastic solutions are manufactured here under maximum hygiene standards for the food industry. In addition, storage capacities have been expanded so that Silac can continue to meet increasing customer needs in the future.

Silac connects two plastic worlds

Silac combines the world of packaging and the world of technology in what it describes as a unique way. Stable and high-quality molds, which are created in the company's own tool shop, enable large production volumes for sophisticated packaging solutions. One of the top products is the Flex-Spring hinge for flap closures with an above-average load capacity at the largest opening angle. The company is a leader in the production of sophisticated plastic closures. Even complex parts for the electrical industry or machine and apparatus construction are produced quickly and in small or large volumes according to customer requirements thanks to state-of-the-art technology and many years of know-how. Using innovative 2-component technology, Silac can also process solid and soft materials in a single step. The result is tighter packaging, new design options, shorter production times and lower manufacturing costs. Another plus point for the company is the wide range of printing options for the plastic parts, which give customers an individual look.

Equipped for the future

The company is also committed to the responsible use of materials. Especially as a family-owned company, Silac is aware of its responsibility towards the next generation. It is committed to a closed, environmentally friendly plastics cycle in its own operations and recycles its own plastic waste. Furthermore, Silac has the following certifications that reinforce the company's high quality standards: FSSC 22000 (version 5.1), ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015.

"The recent FSSC 22000 certification, the continuous expansion of the technology and printing range, and the innovative use of bio-based plastics are further stages in the 80-year success story of Silac AG. Moreover, with Luca and Olivier Birchler, the fourth generation is already working in the company. I am very happy that with them we can continue the family tradition and continue to offer our customers outstanding plastics solutions in the future," adds Managing Director Peter Birchler.

On Saturday, September 10, 2022, Silac invites interested parties to an open house. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can take a look behind the scenes on a tour and immerse themselves in the fascinating world of plastics. Guests will also be treated to culinary delights on this day. www.silac.ch

Showing up late to the office, working deliberately slowly or handing in substandard work: the opportunities for employees to take revenge on their employer for a breach of trust and unkept promises are many and varied. In fact, a large proportion of employees take the opportunity to exact revenge on their employer from time to time. A new study by WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, the University of Liverpool, Singapore Management University and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad has shown that companies can counteract this behavior with the help of mindfulness training.

When employees take revenge

An astonishing 90 percent of employees in the USA admit to taking revenge on their employer from time to time. The authors of the study "Mindfulness attenuates both emotional and behavioral reactions following psychological contract breach: A two-stage moderated mediation model" assume that this magnitude can also be transferred to European and German-speaking countries. The triggers are considered to be breaches of trust on the part of the employer in the form of unfulfilled promises, which unfortunately occur again and again in modern everyday working life. They manifest themselves, for example, when an employer withholds from employees promised professional development opportunities (for example, interesting tasks, promotions), work arrangements (for example, flexitime or home office) or compensation (for example, salary increases or bonuses). This leads to hostile behavior on the part of employees toward their company, which causes billions of euros in damage to companies every year. Employees want to "get even" with the company and show less commitment, spend significantly more time on their tasks or no longer follow instructions from superiors. As the study shows, however, this effect can be prevented or at least greatly mitigated: The solution is mindfulness.

Mindfulness prevents revenge

About 22 percent of all employers in the United States already offer mindfulness training to their employees - with very good results and a decline in hostile behavior after a breach of trust. Mindfulness is a form of concentration that involves consciously noticing thoughts and feelings without judging them. Through the method, people learn to control themselves better and react less emotionally. Two mindfulness processes are critical to responding more flexibly at both the emotional and behavioral levels: the decoupling of lived experiences from the self and less automaticity in reactions. By decoupling, the self is less involved in one's own perceptions and the person is able to mentally distance themselves from events and experiences. Mindful people can therefore deal with negative experiences in a more neutral way and debunk their emotional impact. As a result, they react more consciously and less impulsively. In this way, they are able to look at an unfulfilled promise from different perspectives, consider mitigating factors, and be open to alternatives for resolving the conflict. Mindfulness training is therefore equally useful for employees and companies and helps to avert high economic damage from companies.

Source: www.whu.edu

Switzerland saw a historic increase in SME corporate transactions in the first half of 2022. A total of 133 transactions were executed - clearly the highest half-year figure since the Deloitte MidCap M&A Study was first published in 2013, which is conducted every six months. Swiss-directed M&A activity increased by a quarter to a new high of 59 transactions. And the number of all cross-border activities (99 transactions) also corresponds to the highest value since the studies began. Already a year ago a peak in SME corporate transactions was reported.

There are several reasons for the brisk M&A activity: "Lower stock market valuations for acquisition candidates, financing costs that remain favorable in Switzerland, and the strong Swiss franc have made the acquisition of foreign companies attractive and fueled transaction fever among Swiss SMEs," explains Anthony West, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance Switzerland at Deloitte. Purely domestic transactions, on the other hand, declined again slightly, by just under 11 percent.

Buyers of Swiss SMEs come mainly from Europe

In Switzerland, a total of 93 SMEs were purchased in the first half of the year. The majority of foreign buyers were European (61%) and North American (29%) companies. The U.S. and Germany have long been the most important countries investing in Switzerland; in terms of numbers, 34 percent of investments come from neighboring countries. Deloitte M&A expert Anthony West sees the robust Swiss economy and the strong specialization of Swiss SMEs as the main reasons for this development.

At the same time, Swiss SMEs most frequently acquired businesses in Europe (85%). The remaining transactions mainly involve North American companies. Around 40 percent of acquisitions involve companies in neighboring countries, with Germany alone accounting for 27 percent of transactions. Many Swiss SMEs prefer foreign companies in the industrial sector. Also still very popular are companies in the healthcare and TMT sectors, both of which have benefited from the COVID 19 crisis.

M&A activity continues despite headwinds

Global M&A activity has already slowed sharply this year due to rampant inflation and rising interest rates, higher financing costs, the Ukraine war and growing fears of a recession. Globally, the great optimism has therefore faded, as Anthony West makes clear.

For Switzerland, he assesses the general outlook as more positive across the board, albeit less optimistic than at the beginning of the year. Since then, he said, there have been many new risks surrounding the Ukraine war and its manifold effects on the global economy. "Uncertainty is poison for corporate transactions: Stock market slumps, supply chain bottlenecks and the rise in costs for raw materials, primary goods and services are weighing on many companies - worldwide even more than in Switzerland. These are all reasons for lower global M&A activity and also a somewhat weaker appetite among Swiss SMEs for acquisitions in the second half of the year," explains Anthony West.

Lower company valuations as a favorable prerequisite for SME company transactions

Now that many central banks have raised interest rates in the fight against inflation, financing acquisitions has become fundamentally more expensive and riskier. However, the rising cost of capital has also caused many company valuations to fall: these are exciting takeover opportunities both for investment funds with large cash reserves and for financially strong companies with a strategic focus. The decline in the value of many currencies such as the euro or the British pound against the Swiss franc makes foreign companies additionally attractive for Swiss companies.

Source and further information: Deloitte