Numerous Swiss companies will be subject to new requirements in the area of non-financial reporting and due diligence in the future. This will affect companies of public interest that have at least 500 employees and a balance sheet total of CHF 20 million or sales of CHF 40 million. Part of this non-financial report are, among others, environmental and CO₂-goals. Wilhelm Heckmann, Managing Director at the consulting firm CNT Management Consulting AG in Zurich, emphasizes the increasing importance of sustainability for companies: "Not only investors are increasingly paying attention to social responsibility in their investments, but customers are also placing more and more value on sustainable products and services when choosing a company." Numerous organizations are now taking these developments as an opportunity to prepare for the topic of sustainability on a digital level and thus arm themselves for future tasks.

The market is changing

Although government measures may not yet be as stringent everywhere, the impact of climate policy challenges on companies is already evident. "The market is constantly changing and the focus of change is clearly on climate measures. Consequently, consumer behavior and supply chains are also changing," Heckmann explains. In order to remain interesting for investors, companies today have to prove that they are able to cope with the increased demands in this area. In addition, the reputational risk should not be underestimated; a lack of climate protection measures could even destroy a company's reputation. According to Heckmann, it is also important to bring experts in this field into the team - and above all to be prepared in the software area. The right products make it much easier to comply with the new guidelines and also guarantee transparent corporate management.

Transparent CO₂-footprint

An innovative solution for transparent tracking of CO₂-The SAP Product Footprint Management system is available to companies that work with SAP: SAP Product Footprint Management. This allows CO₂-SAP Product Footprint Management calculates the environmental footprint of products and the entire value chain. "SAP Product Footprint Management takes into account the entire product lifecycle and helps companies disclose the environmental footprint of their products to regulators and make their products more sustainable," Heckmann explains. By integrating emissions data with underlying business processes, company executives can actively drive change by making conscious decisions across the value chain.

CO₂-Calculate emissions even before production

Product Footprint Management is also able to calculate the environmental impact of different production scenarios. "For example, it allows companies to choose the source of supply for their products based on both the cost of the raw material and its CO₂-footprint," Heckmann knows. In addition, the effects on the CO₂-emissions can be determined at the beginning of the product life cycle. Data exchange with customers, suppliers and business partners is also possible with the product solution.

More information and support for a switch to SAP Product Footprint Management: CNT Management Consulting. 

First of all, it is important to clarify what process optimization actually is. Basically, it is a method by which companies and economically independent decision-makers, but of course also private households, can optimize existing work, business, production and development processes in terms of Efficiency and effectiveness can improve. A more sustainable or cost-effective use of resources can also be one of the goals.

Process optimization: definition and methods

Over time, various approaches and methods have been established to optimize processes - for example, the following three:

• Portfolio Analysis: Normally, a company cannot improve all processes at the same time, so it makes sense to first filter out those areas that are most important. This can be achieved with a portfolio analysis including a process matrix, i.e. a kind of diagram that classifies processes and sub-areas in terms of priority. This involves analyzing the extent to which a particular process contributes to achieving the company's overall goals and what potential for improvement it still holds. This is exactly where a company should start with process optimization.
• SWOT analysisAnother way to find out where improvements are worthwhile is the so-called SWOT analysis. The four letters stand for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. All company processes are evaluated with regard to these four aspects, so that at the end it becomes clear where there may still be processes that do not function as desired, waste too many resources or still have some potential.
• Cause and effect diagram: This method is also called fishbone diagram, because the finished analysis resembles a fish skeleton. At the center here is a horizontal axis that represents the totality of all processes and ultimately leads to the desired effect in the optimum case. From there, like individual fish bones, various company aspects are analyzed with regard to five areas, namely man, machine, method, material and milieu, i.e. environment. Are there possibly sources of error that can be traced back precisely to a certain aspect, and where do weak points occur? This is exactly where we need to start.

No matter which method is chosen, every process optimization begins with a comprehensive analysis to create transparency. Through this complete representation and documentation of all processes, sources of error are often already uncovered. This is important, because no workflow improvement is possible without ruthless disclosure of the weak points.

Years ago, the motto of many companies was: the tried and true is always the best. However, growing competitive pressure and a stronger role for digitization have triggered a rethink, so that they are now steadily opening up to the process of change. This is also accompanied by an improvement in existing processes. For good reason, because an optimal workflow helps to save costs, exploit synergies and expand areas of activity.

Different industries, different goals

The goals and approaches of process optimization can vary greatly depending on the industry, as the following two examples illustrate.

Process optimization in industry, for example, is all about:

• Ensure optimal utilization of employee capacity
• to carry out resource-saving material planning
• Reduce production costs
• ensure short execution times
• Meet deadlines and prices

In the field of industry the principles of lean production are often applied in process optimization. Lean Production is part of Lean Management and originated in Japan. In Germany, the term Holistic Production Systems (GPS) has become established for the application of lean production methods. There are a total of eight design principles for this, including Waste avoidance or Continuous improvement process (CIP). The latter is about permanently analyzing not only major weaknesses but also smaller processes and identifying potential for improvement. Lean production includes numerous tools such as Kanban, SMED or Heijunka.

The situation is different when it comes to optimizing an agency's processes. Here, for example, it is a matter of:

• Structure data well and make it available to all
• Visually display the progress of projects
• ensure optimal cooperation between individual teams
• Improve the communication of the employees
• To be able to plan projects more long-term and better
• present the time recording in a more transparent way

In agencies, it is important to make the workflow as simple as possible. Individual areas must be perfectly coordinated. Special software is often introduced as part of digitization and process optimization, which combines planning, management and controlling and thus maps the most important processes of an agency.

Digitization often helps to rethink current processes and make them more efficient. A study by the School of Business at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, entitled "Strategy Development in the Digital Age" however, makes it clear that there is still a great need for improvement in terms of digitization. Accordingly, 56 % of SMEs stated that they still need to press ahead with digital transformation.

Conclusion

We live in extremely fast-moving times. What was good and useful yesterday is often outdated today. If you want to stay on the ball as a company, you have to keep an eye on all internal processes. This is the only way to identify and eliminate weaknesses or uncover hidden potential. Comprehensive process optimization with a sound analysis as a basis can help.

To the author:
Martin Seeger is currently in the 4th semester of his marketing studies. Besides his studies, he is a successful blogger in marketing and supports companies and online platforms in product and brand communication.

For the tenth time, the Prix SVC Nordschweiz was awarded in the Congress Center Basel in front of 1000 guests. This anniversary was taken as an opportunity to look back on past award ceremonies. Some of the previous winners and prize winners were also among the guests. For example, Willi Miesch of Medartis AG (winner in 2015). Asked about the significance of the Prix SVC Nordschweiz, he said, "At the beginning, I didn't even know what it was." But afterwards, he said, he now knows about the value of this award - as do many other SMEs in the region. Indeed, in the "Regio Basilensis, things are really happening economically," as presenter Dani von Wattenwyl quoted from a report in the Basler Zeitung about the first edition of the Prix SVC Nordschweiz.

Winner of the Prix SVC Northern Switzerland 2021: revendo AG

Proof of this was provided by the six finalists for the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2021, who prevailed in a multi-stage selection process from around 100 companies in the region and presented themselves to the public on November 25, 2021. In the end, revendo AG won the race. The concept of revendo focuses on the reuse of Apple and Android products in order to strengthen sustainable use and keep the devices in circulation longer. The company employs around 120 people and is led by Aurel Greiner, VRP, CEO and main shareholder, and Laurenz Ginat, CEO. The business model of revendo convinced the jury of experts headed by Willi Glaeser, Honorary President of Glaeser Wogg AG, in every respect. Bernhard B. Fischer, SVC Regional Manager Northern Switzerland and jury member since the very beginning, emphasized in his laudation: "The victory is above all an award for the fact that revendo is not just an ordinary smartphone and computer retailer. The company's motivation is not based solely on the size of its sales market, but rather on setting an example against the throwaway society." The success of the award-winning company depends on many factors, three of which Fischer highlighted: "The sustainability aspect is writ large at revendo. The two founders have decided to pursue a special kind of recycling, which has also gained notoriety in recent years under the term 'upcycling'. Upcycling conserves resources, reduces energy consumption and reduces our need for new products. The rapid growth of revendo ag is also worth highlighting: what started seven years ago as a two-man start-up with an online store has now grown into an impressive SME with over 120 employees and nine branches, establishing itself as an important employer - also beyond the region of northern Switzerland." Bernhard B. Fischer mentioned the shopping experience as another success factor: "revendo offers the perfect mix between online services and in-store service. The company has linked its online and offline trade with a suitable marketing strategy and is thus able to appeal to a broad customer base."

Robotec Solutions AG and alltech Installationen AG in second and third place

Second place goes to Robotec Solutions AG, a leading pace-setter in robot system construction with headquarters in Seon and subsidiaries in Germany and China. With the experience of more than 700 realized projects, the company is a highly specialized expert in automation solutions. Robotec offers the world's largest range of robots, employs 55 people and is led by owner and CEO Nick Koch. Bronze was won by alltech Installationen AG from Muttenz. The installation company with two locations in Switzerland carries out all construction phases from planning to construction. Owner Kurt Hersperger and CEO Mauro Fusco and their 200 employees offer their customers comprehensive services in the areas of sanitary installations, heating, industrial and refrigeration systems, energy systems and boiler service.

Diploma rank for ifa Institut für Arbeitsmedizin AG, Medgate and Monopol AG

The ifa Institut für Arbeitsmedizin AG, market leader in workplace health promotion, Medgate, leading provider in the field of telemedicine, and Monopol AG, which has been producing facade paints, industrial coatings and corrosion protection for steel, aluminum and plastics since its foundation in 1947, were awarded the diploma rank.

Especially in times of a pandemic, the healthcare sector should actually be booming, according to a question from Dani von Wattenwyl to Dieter Kissling, founder of ifa. "Six months ago, we had short-time work," was his answer. He pointed out, however, that at present prevention is becoming increasingly important in order to avoid mental illness. This must be done by working on the corporate culture. And Andy Fischer of Medgate noted that about half of patients can already be treated purely by telemedicine. Thanks to the further development of digital tools, this trend is likely to be unstoppable. Lionel Schlessinger of Monopol AG mentioned how important error culture is in his company. "Only learning from mistakes will take us further," Schlessinger said, to paraphrase.

Putting successful companies in the public eye

Once again, the awarding of the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2021 has succeeded in providing a stage for successful SMEs. The sponsor and initiator of the Prix SVC is the Swiss Venture Club (SVC), an independent, non-profit association of entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the aim of supporting and promoting SMEs as the driving force of the Swiss economy and contributing to the creation and preservation of jobs in Switzerland. The SVC is supported by its strategic partner Credit Suisse, its partners Emil Frey, EY, Mobiliar and Swisscom, and numerous other sponsors. The festive and exciting anniversary event, which could also be followed via livestream, allowed the pandemic to be forgotten for a few hours and showed itself to be an important meeting place for the business community in northern Switzerland. And with the winning company revendo AG, on November 25, 2021, perhaps even a sign could be set for how even a Black Friday consumer frenzy can be made more sustainable.

More information: Swiss Venture Club

For the tenth time, the IFZ Retail Banking Study of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts examines the core business of domestic-oriented banks. The anniversary edition of the study analyzes the satisfaction of bank customers. It also shows which banks are the best in the country from the point of view of financial ratios and how the corporate governance of the retail banks stands.

Only one in five people would recommend their bank to others

As part of the IFZ Retail Banking Study, 78 members of the management of Swiss banks and 694 bank customers were surveyed on their satisfaction with products and services. According to the survey, customers are very satisfied overall with their house banks. Only a few of those surveyed are willing to change their house bank, namely just over one percent. At the same time, however, only 18 percent of bank customers would recommend "their" bank to friends. Andreas Dietrich, Professor of Banking and Finance at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, says: "The banks deliver good quality. However, enthusiasm and recommendation factors, which are the basis for a recommendation, are almost completely missing."

Price before service: New banks win customers

The study thus identifies a large proportion of satisfied customers who do not have strong ties to their main bank. Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that new market participants in the financial sector - so-called neobanks - have also been able to win a very large number of new customers in Switzerland in a short time with low-cost offers. "Passively satisfied customers are often price-sensitive and correspondingly open to low-cost offers from neobanks," says Dietrich. Currently, only about one percent of Swiss people describe a neobank as their main bank. The authors of the study are certain that this will change in the coming years.

Who are the best retail banks in the country?

This year, the retail banking study also examined the annual financial statements of 90 institutions. Based on nine key figures, the best retail bank from a numerical perspective was determined. Due to the large differences between the banks (for example in terms of size or product range), the banks were divided into size categories for the first time. The Caisse d'Epargne d'Aubonne (balance sheet totals up to CHF 1.5 billion), Bank EEK (CHF 1.5-3.0 billion), and the cantonal banks from Nidwalden (CHF 3-12 billion), Schwyz (CHF 12-25 billion) and Graubünden (balance sheet totals over CHF 25 billion) performed best. The study also includes an analysis by major regions of Switzerland, revealing significant regional differences. For example, the average interest margin of retail banks in central Switzerland is 1.01 percent - whereas in the Lake Geneva region it is 1.26 percent.

Proportion of women: on the rise on boards of directors and executive boards

In the last part of the study, the corporate governance of 73 banks was analyzed. Among other things, it shows that the proportion of women on boards of directors and executive boards has risen once again - albeit only slightly. According to the study, the number of women on boards of directors increased from 130 to 132 within a year and now stands at 25 percent. Among newly elected board members, the proportion of women has been 34 percent for the past seven years. The number of women on management boards increased from 28 to 32. However, at ten percent, the proportion of women on management boards is still much lower than on boards of directors.

Source and further information: www.hslu.ch/retailbanking

A new highway stretches 330 kilometers from the Turkish capital Ankara to the southern province of Nigde. The freeway, which is part of the trans-European road network, was put into operation ahead of the expected completion of the project. This major project, worth a total of 1.5 billion euros, also involved Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV involved. This benefited both the project's Turkish EPC contractor (EPC) and Swiss exporters.

A sales channel for Swiss exporters

To meet SERV's requirements in terms of financing structure, the Turkish EPC ERG İnşaat Ticaret ve Sanayi A.Ş. reactivated its subsidiary in Switzerland, SSB Sauerwein & Schäfer Bau AG (SSB), and staffed it with experienced project managers. It also had to meet Swiss value-added requirements. To this end, SSB involved well-known Swiss companies as subcontractors for the project with various supplies and services.

With its insurance, SERV thus opens up an additional sales channel for Swiss exporters in the highway construction sector in various areas; be it for the provision of engineering services, the supply of construction machinery or the development of the toll collection system.

The thing with the financing

SERV has supported the project with a Buyer credit insurance for a loan in the amount of 130 million euros and a long term of 13 years. This has a major advantage for SSB: SERV benefits from Switzerland's AAA rating. Thanks to this rating, the lender has classified SERV's risk to a minimum. This has helped SSB to obtain extremely attractive financing with low interest rates.

SSB has now developed into a successful Swiss company and established itself in Switzerland. As a result, further orders have not been long in coming and in 2021 SSB has received a commitment from SERV to secure another export deal. Burak Sencer, General Manager at SSB, explains, "Following the success of this business and in line with our objective to become a global company, we are very happy to take advantage of the dynamic Swiss industry in close cooperation with SERV for future transactions around the world."

Insurance made to measure

As an active member of the international export financing community, SERV brings together EPCs such as SSB and Swiss exporters. In doing so, it is open to all countries, taking into account the principles of Swiss foreign policy. Based entirely on the EPC's needs, it arranges suitable suppliers in a variety of formats, ranging from bilateral negotiations to public matchmaking events. To this end, SERV's specialists have a good network of the Swiss export landscape and work closely with other players in the Swiss export industry. Carsten Böhler, Head of Acquisition at SERV, explains, "Switzerland has many and strong suppliers in various infrastructure sectors and has also been able to demonstrate that it is capable of implementing large infrastructure projects with high quality and on time."

A team of specialists in large-scale projects and project financing works with the parties involved to develop tailor-made, flexible and innovative solutions in the interests of strengthening Switzerland as a center of industry.

More information

SERV Swiss Export Risk Insurance
Geneva street 6
CH-8002 Zurich
+41 58 551 5555 | www.serv-ch.com | LinkedIn

In mid-2021, under the aegis of the OECD, 130 countries agreed on the broad outlines of new international tax rules. They are to be implemented from 2023 - including in Switzerland. This is currently fueling the discussion about Switzerland's attractiveness as a tax location. After all, an attractive business location is naturally very important to internationally active companies. When it comes to investments and location decisions, the tax managers of these companies have an important say.

Global minimum tax as a threat to competitiveness

In this context, the auditing firm Deloitte surveyed a total of 49 Head of Tax / Senior Tax Professionals of listed and private multinational companies with strong business ties to Switzerland between September and mid-October 2021. More than a quarter of the tax heads of these companies definitely see the introduction of a global minimum tax rate as a threat to the competitiveness of Switzerland as a business location. For half of the respondents, the reform tends to be a threat. Only 14 percent of respondents assume that competitiveness will not be impaired by a global minimum tax.

However, some tax officials would also see opportunities in the tax reform initiated by the international community, the study nevertheless notes. "A global minimum tax would reduce Switzerland's tax advantage over countries such as Germany, France or the USA by only a few percentage points. On the other hand, however, the tax advantage of countries such as Ireland, Hong Kong, Malta, Cyprus or Dubai will decrease or disappear," explains Reto Gerber, Head of Tax at Deloitte Switzerland. "This could lead to companies relocating tasks currently located in low-tax locations to Switzerland."

Taxes not the most important location factor

Deloitte also asked about the impact of a minimum tax rate on eight different corporate functions. According to the survey, financial functions, production, and research and development are under the most pressure: Around 40 percent of respondents anticipate a negative impact of the global minimum tax on these corporate functions in Switzerland.

This is all the more significant because the companies consistently see Switzerland as their preferred international location for all the corporate functions surveyed, the study authors write. "The respondents are very familiar with Switzerland as a business location. It is therefore a good sign that they consider it so attractive compared to other countries such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands or Ireland," says Gerber. However, the tax environment is by no means the most important location factor: According to the results of the Deloitte study, political stability, a functioning infrastructure and a high quality of life rank right at the top. But the business-friendly authorities and the geographical location are also apparently more important to internationally active companies than taxes, as the survey also shows.

Abolish withholding tax

Corporate tax executives would like to see the withholding tax on investments abolished in return for the introduction of the global minimum tax. With a rate of 35 percent, Switzerland has one of the highest taxes on dividend distributions and interest income in the world. There is also broad support for support for research activities or the reduction of social security contributions.

"The abolition of withholding tax would be a win-win solution and would give the economy an additional boost within a few years," explains Reto Gerber. On the one hand, this would make direct investments in Swiss companies easier and more favorable, and on the other hand, Switzerland would become more attractive as a marketplace for outside capital. "The Council of States has it in its hands and can pass the bill to abolish the withholding tax in the upcoming winter session," says Reto Gerber.

Digital companies in our sights

However, Switzerland is threatened with even more trouble as a tax location: While the global minimum tax increases the worldwide tax pie, it is to be distributed differently under the second pillar of the new OECD regulations. This would have a particularly negative impact on the subsidiaries of large corporations. "New businesses in Switzerland would be less attractive, and there would be a threat of further bloodletting among companies already based there," explains Reto Gerber.

"Taxes will remain a relevant location factor when it comes to locating corporate functions in Switzerland even after the introduction of the global minimum tax, even if not all companies emphasize this so openly," says Deloitte's CEO Reto Savoia. "Accordingly, there is a need for sensible compensations such as the abolition of withholding tax. At the same time, intercantonal tax competition must not be restricted under any circumstances, and we must also take care of the good relationship between taxpayers and tax authorities."

Source and further information: Deloitte

Boss Info, a provider of ICT and ERP solutions for SMEs with 8 locations in German-speaking Switzerland, is taking over e-support. The 11 employees of this company mean an addition of expertise in the areas of Office 365 and telephony, data center, network, security and agile working, according to Boss Info. The location of e-support in Muri BE will be abandoned and the move will take place to Boss Info's modern premises in Gümligen.

"Ideal complement"

Christian Zimmermann and the e-support team find their future in Boss Info: "The merger of e-support with Boss Info means a big step forward for my employees and me. We are looking forward to the common future and to jointly contributing our know-how for the benefit of our customers", says Christian Zimmermann about his motives for the merger with Boss Info. Like Christian Zimmermann, Simon Boss, founder, chairman and co-owner of Boss Info AG and CEO of bossinfo.ch AG, also attaches great importance to supporting his customers in their business challenges with state-of-the-art tools on a daily basis: "I am firmly convinced that the two product ranges of our companies complement each other ideally. Moreover, the corporate cultures of the two companies enrich each other - both in technical and cultural terms." The shareholders of e-support AG become co-owners of Boss Info AG.

Company founder takes over management of Boss Info AG

In addition to the acquisition of e-support, Boss Info also announces a change in the company's management: After many years of cooperation, the company and Daniel Arnold part ways. The role of CEO was defined on a rotating basis and taken over by Daniel Arnold about a year ago. The company founder and main shareholder Simon Boss will take over the role of CEO with immediate effect. He will take the company, which has grown strongly in the meantime, to the next level.

Source and further information

When it comes to the first young company in this program, it's almost inevitable to resort to a corny joke: "Money doesn't stink," the Roman Emperor Vespasian is said to have once said (it was about the taxation of public institutions of necessity...). But what does "Swiss Money Parfum" smell like, which Alain Chopard and Christoph Brötie from Cham presented? The answer: the unisex perfume smells like a freshly printed Swiss banknote. With the fragrance of the world's most valuable banknote, the founder wants to exude "the feeling of freedom and independence" - enriched with a "touch of sexiness." Only: in the noses of the lions, the scent of money smelled more like cardboard and printer's ink, but "there's a market for everything," said Jürg Schwarzenbach. In order to continue to take off with their product range, which has even been expanded in the meantime to include a bath ball, the two founders need 75,000 francs. They would be willing to cede 20 percent of the company shares in return. Despite professional presentation and the prospect of a huge perfume market, the five lions were merciless: no deal. Patrick Mollet thought it was a "funny idea," but nothing more. Roland Brack was particularly clear at the very end: "I have rarely seen such nonsense".

How to represent your cause with heart and soul

The presentation by Kay Keusen with his brand "Taucherli", from which the company "Taucherli" was named, was not about the scent of money but about the scent of fairly produced chocolate. in another context was already the talk. This is high-quality and fair chocolate with a sustainable value chain. The founder ensures this by following production from start to finish - from the moment the farmer delivers the beans until the consumer bites into the bar. "Bean-to-bar" is the name of this concept, which Kay Keusen has been pursuing with heart and soul since 2015. He is now on the verge of a major leap in growth and wants to be able to make the sales prices somewhat more favorable by scaling production. To do this, he said, he needs an investment of 400,000 Swiss francs in exchange for a five percent stake. All the lionesses and lions were very taken with the product, "an exciting taste experience," stated Bettina Hein, for example. But taste alone and the enthusiasm of the founder are not enough for an investment. For the lions, the company valuation was too high. Only Lukas Speiser made an offer: 400,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 20 percent of the company. But Kay Keusen declined, "20 percent is too much for me.

Lesson in influencer marketing

The lions were then allowed to dive into another world with "Finelli," a Zurich-based fashion and lifestyle brand represented by Khawar Awan and the influencer and Youtuber Cubanito. "Finelli" produces high-quality and yet affordable fashion. Thanks to targeted influencer marketing - in addition to Cubanito, the label also relies on influencer Gabirano and professional footballer Ruben Vargas as brand ambassadors - the 21-year-old founder has succeeded in generating five-figure sales with the very first collection. By the end of 2021, the target is 240,000 Swiss francs. In order to be able to finance further steps, "Finelli" would like an investment of 80,000 francs against a 15 percent company share. The lions showed interest, asked about pricing, margins and acquisition costs - and received convincing answers. They took the bait: Roland Brack and Jürg Schwarzenbach jointly offered 80,000 francs, but wanted 20 percent company shares in return. Bettina Hein, Lukas Speiser and Tobias Reichmuth made the same offer in threes. Khawar Awan and Cubanito then ultimately decided in favor of this trio. "Lukas Speiser was just always our lion of choice," said the young founder. Roland Brack regretted: "I could have learned a lot from these young gentlemen.

What the scent of money really consists of: Wise investing

Then, once again, fintech was the order of the day. Should there be a deal this time? Is it about the smell of money again? Or does money grow on trees, as the studio décor might suggest? In any case, Matthias Bryner and Nadine Hitz presented "Findependent," an investment app that, according to their own statements, offers investors without prior knowledge simple and understandable solutions. The presentation seemed convincing, Matthias Bryner showed himself as a professional who had a factual clear answer to all questions of ex-banker Lukas Speiser. The young entrepreneurs wanted 100,000 Swiss francs in exchange for a 5 percent stake, but the lions were reluctant for the time being. They put question marks behind the growth potential: the low fees for investors were considered positive, but with relatively small sums, which are usually invested at "Findependent", it takes a five-digit number of customers to get into the profit zone. So Matthias Bryner would have to manage at least 500 billion francs... Patrick Mollet nevertheless made an initial offer: 100,000 francs against 10 percent, Lukas Speiser made the same offer. Roland Brack remembered his good hand at his participation in "Neon" from an earlier season and offered 150,000 francs. The founders were spoilt for choice, discussed briefly and were then even lured with a double offer from Lukas Speiser and Patrick Mollet: 200,000 francs against a 15 percent stake. But Matthias Bryner and Nadine Hitz then decided in favor of their "dream lion" Roland Brack.

No deal for vegan crackers

Anne Richter from Küsnacht presented her vegan cracker called "Knecker". It contains over 30 percent vegetable proteins, mainly soy-based. The product is offered in resealable and refillable packaging in two sizes. The five lions found both presentation and product appealing. When it came to a deal - Anne Richter wanted 45,000 Swiss francs in exchange for a 5 percent stake - Lukas Speiser again complained that the company's valuation was too high at this early stage and dropped out. Jürg Schwarzenbach followed him. The three other lions were still considering. Finally, Bettina Hein and Tobias Reichmuth jointly offered 50,000 francs, but wanted a 20 percent share in the company in return. Roland Brack, in turn, offered 45,000 francs at 20 percent and would also have been willing to take out a loan to finance an increase in production. But Anne Richter knew her limits: She did not want to cede more than 10 percent of her company. Thus, no deal was struck.

With intelligent heating control to less CO2: The deal of the evening

Pietro Gagliardi with the self-learning heating system "Cleveron" addressed a highly topical issue: The waste of heating energy in buildings when their premises are not in constant use. The solution: "Cleveron" regulates the temperature for each room independently and individually. This ensures, for example, that a meeting room is only heated during a meeting. According to Gagliardi, "Cleveron" can save 30 percent of heating energy in just one day. What's actually clever about it is that intelligent thermostats, which can be installed in just one day, regulate the room temperature depending on the degree of use, sunlight, time of day, and so on. This costs less than 10,000 francs - in contrast to extensive renovation measures that would otherwise be necessary to reduce CO2 emissions. The market potential is enormous: based on 6 million buildings in the DACH region, this amounts to around 9 billion francs. Actually convincing arguments for the lions, in order to enter with 250,000 francs against 5 per cent company participation, particularly since with Anja count a real estate expert was present - it offered the chance for Investment and customer acquisition in one. But she of all people was the first to drop out. Roland Brack, on the other hand, offered 250,000 Swiss francs, but wanted an 8 percent stake. Bettina Hein, Lukas Speiser and Patrick Mollet jointly offered 250,000 francs against 7 percent. Now Pietro Gagliardi was faced with a difficult choice - it took consulting his co-founders by phone. Back in the Lion's Den, he made a counter-offer: accept the two offers, but with a 7.5 percent stake each. Bettina Hein and Roland Brack briefly exchanged glances and finally agreed - the deal was done.

Even without investment: Don't let it get you down

An altogether entertaining show - from the "scent of money" to sustainable chocolate and fashion to a clever energy-saving solution, everything was there to make both investors, founders and TV viewers ponder at times. It is sometimes admirable how much patience the lions have, even with the most abstruse product ideas, and do not tell the founders more quickly that they see no chance for an investment. In the case of the successful deals, we can once again look forward to hearing about them later on, such as "Yokoy," an app for expense management that now has 500 customers in its portfolio and has been able to expand abroad thanks to an investment from the lions. However, the two youngsters from Finelli have a tip for other young entrepreneurs: don't let them get you down and do what you believe in.

Interviews with two investors on "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" can be found at here, a review to the broadcast of November 16, 2021 there is here.

Information about the next shipments: https://www.3plus.tv/die-hoehle-der-loewen-schweiz

Returns are a burden on CO₂-The e-commerce companies' bottom line is hugely impacted. They also cost a lot of money and time for customers. So there's no question that reducing the number of returns is in the interest of everyone involved. But how can online retailers encourage their customers to shop in such a way that fewer returns are incurred? The consulting company elaboratum, together with behamics and the University of St. Gallen, conducted the world's largest field experiment with more than 100,000 online shoppers. Partners in the study were the Leaders for Climate Action initiative and the German Retail Association (HDE). The study empirically investigated the impact of behavioral psychological interventions on customers' return behavior. The study found that the use of behavioral design can save millions of returns and thousands of tons of CO₂ avoid

Agreement on the negative consequences of returns

Both retailers and customers want to reduce the number of returns. After all, retailers pay an average of around 20 euros per returned package. Customers usually pay nothing, but it takes them an average of over half an hour to return an order. Not to mention the CO₂-emissions: These amounted to 238,000 tons per year as a result of returns. This is equivalent to 125,000 car journeys from Hamburg to Cape Town - every year! In other words, returns make e-commerce a real CO₂-slinger. If returns could be effectively avoided, then online retailing could reduce its CO₂-balance sheet massively.

An intention is far from being an action

But if the facts should actually be known: Why, then, is so much still being sent back? One explanation is provided by the so-called "intention-action gap" (elaboratum, 2021). We all want to live more sustainably and help reduce the volume of parcels by avoiding unnecessary returns - so the "intention" is there. Nevertheless, the returns rate has not been falling significantly for years - the "action" is obviously lacking. Because at the moment of decision, there is a lack of effective impulses to convert one's own good intentions into concrete actions. To find out whether behavioral psychological interventions can influence the return behavior of customers, elaboratum (Dr. Philipp Spreer), behamics (Dr. Thilo Pfrang) and the University of St. Gallen (Dr. Marc Linzmajer) conducted a behavioral economic return experiment.

Experiment with Behavioral Design

Can a reduction in the return rate be achieved with the help of behavioral psychological interventions? The study aimed to clarify the question of whether behavioral psychological interventions can close the gap between "intention" and "action" and significantly influence the return behavior of customers. For this purpose, the real behavior of users in different online stores was analyzed and evaluated. The basis for this was randomized experimental designs: Visitors to the online stores were randomly presented with one of several stored interventions at a specific point of contact (e.g. order confirmation when completing a purchase) or triggered by a specific action (e.g. when several sizes of an item are placed in the shopping cart). Examples for such interventions are references to the behavior of other customers (social norms) or to the personal loss of time caused by a return (loss aversion). The reactions to the interventions were then compared with the behavior of customers who did not see a corresponding message. This procedure ensures that the measured differences can be attributed without doubt to the effect of the respective intervention. It was thus possible to determine which intervention had a return-reducing effect and how strong this effect was.

The result: the use of Behavior Patterns reduces the return rate by around 4%

The study results prove that behavioral psychology-based interventions can lead to significant behavioral changes - without any monetary or restrictive measures at all. Across four experiments conducted, it was evident that the rate of returns can be reduced by around 4 % even with the tools used in this study. Further conceptual refinement of the interventions, additional behavior patterns, and training of the intervention algorithm could increase this to at least 5 %, the authors said. However, in figures, 4 % fewer returns alone means 15.75 million fewer return parcels annually in Germany and thus around 13,000 t less CO₂ - to compensate for this amount, we would have to plant 13 million large trees.

Source and further information: elaboratum

A total of over 80 companies from the DACH countries applied for the Digital Award for SMEs. This award, presented for the first time this year, honored digital projects in the categories of customer experience, sales solutions, sustainability, and innovation. Due to the lively interest, there will be another award ceremony next year. This will also give Swiss SMEs that were unfortunately unable to pick up an award at the inaugural event a new chance. The Digital Award for SMEs - the official name is "Digitaler Mittelstands-Award", or DIMA for short - was launched by Visable, the provider of the online B2B platforms EUROPAGES and wlw (formerly "Wer liefert was").

Digital Award for SMEs: "Putting Hidden Champions in the Spotlight".

"With the Digital SME Award, we are putting the spotlight on the hidden champions of the B2B industry, because we are convinced that creative and digitally oriented SMEs are more future-proof than many of their large competitors," says Visable CEO and jury board member Peter F. Schmid. "Looking at the submissions we received confirms the impressive innovative power and expertise of the SMEs. To the award winners, DIMA provides the attention and recognition that each and every one of them deserves. We are already excited to see where the journey will take us next year. After all, the B2B industry is in a constant state of flux, becoming more efficient, increasingly digital, and constantly coming up with new solutions. We look forward to awarding these again on the DIMA stage in 2022."

Millimeter-accurate on-demand production

This year's winner in the "Customer Experience" category is FiMAB GmbH & Co. KG. The mechanical engineering company based in Neubulach, Baden-Württemberg, has developed a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that enables on-demand manufacturing of control cabinet housings with millimeter precision.

Dr. Dietrich Müller GmbH from Alhorn secured the win in the "Digital Sales Solutions" category with an automated online ordering process for 2D and 3D construction elements, including ad-hoc quotation generation.

Refillable oil containers protect the environment

The award in the sustainability category went to Tipp Oil Manufacturer Ltd. Co. KG in Bergkamen. Tipp Oil takes back its own empty oil containers, cleans them and returns them to the cycle when freshly filled.

CFD Schuck Ingenieurgesellschaft from Heidenheim has set up an artificial neural network for its customers in the field of fluid dynamic prototype development. This makes it possible to predict the service life, energy requirements or production duration of newly developed products. This achievement earned the company the award in the Innovation category.

Further information about the Digital Midmarket Award (DIMA) and all details about the ceremony can be found at www.visable.com/dima.

The SICHERHEITS Congress, as the most important B2B platform for security and fire protection, will accompany the Swissbau trade fair from January 18 to 21, 2022. A total of seven half-day modules will cover current topics in risk management, building and corporate security, and fire protection.

Most important meeting place for security experts

For the exchange of experience and knowledge transfer between practitioners in the field of security activities, the congress has become an indispensable fixed point. Qualified experts are happy to share their knowledge with new and well-known minds in the security community. Access to the congress, which takes place as a face-to-face event in compliance with Covid certification requirements, is subject to a fee and is only available by registration. The total of seven half-day modules can be booked individually or in any number, depending on personal interest. The individual modules are recognized by important institutions and industry associations as continuing education units. Lectures are given in German. In addition, modules 3 and 4 will be translated into French on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.

The 7 modules of the SECURITY Congress

• Module 1: Safety requirements: complex and changing
• Module 2: Healthy and safe planning, construction, assembly, maintenance ...
• Module 3: Security as a service - quo vadis?
• Module 4: Fire protection also reaches a new level thanks to BIM and digitalization
• Module 5: Building security: cleverly connected
• Module 6: Successfully avoid operational interruptions!
• Module 7: Innovative and sustainable in harmony with fire protection

Go directly to the details: https://save.ch/event/sicherheitskongress-01-2022
Registration: https://save.ch/event/sicherheitskongress-01-2022/?section=tickets

Managing information security is successful when responsible persons inform themselves and exchange ideas. SMIDEX Suisse 2021 offered this opportunity to its participants on November 17 and 18, 2021. Around 41 % of Swiss SMEs have already been victims of cyber attacks. Even if the data of smaller businesses is less interesting to cybercriminals, these companies remain attractive targets for them for two reasons: First, to extort ransomware using ransomware, and second, to use them as a gateway for attacks on larger companies that work with these SMEs. With this in mind, the SMIDEX Suisse Exposyum was launched, a live platform for physical security systems and cyber security.

Making life difficult for the hackers

The launch of the new platform for security has been a success. The opening by Rainer Maria Salzgeber (moderator), Nicolas Bürer (digitalswitzerland) and Nathalie Gratzer (project manager for the implementation of the National Strategy for the Protection of Switzerland against Cyber Risks (NCS) at the Federal Office for National Economic Supply), was well received. Nicolas Bürer spoke in his keynote about the opportunities and risks of digitalization. He also addressed the fear that digital transformation would destroy many jobs. But he was convinced: "There will be more jobs because of digitalization. Nathalie Gratzer, in turn, painted a realistic picture of the dangers that threaten us from cyberspace: "They are there, even if you don't see them." But with the right precautions, we still have a chance of making life more and more difficult for the hackers.

Field reports and best practice in IT security

In more than 30 presentations, participants were informed about the current state of cybersecurity not only by CISOs and CIOs, but also by C-level officers of SMEs. Using a recent survey, for example, Candid Wüest (VP Cyber Protection Research at Acronis) showed where companies are currently struggling the most and how this relates to merging cyberattacks. And of course, ethical hackers played an important role in the conference. Sandro Nafzger (CEO & Partner of Bug Bounty Switzerland GmbH) gave an exciting talk explaining why collaboration is key to the success of any digital transformation. There were also talks on best practice: Christoph Monigadon from Berner Kantonalbank showed the way to achieve a real security culture in companies - instead of prohibitions and threats of consequences with trust and a functioning error culture. Or Lukas Ruf from Migros explained how Switzerland's largest retailer ensures business continuity in the event of a cyber incident.

SMIDEX Suisse Exposyum again in autumn 2022

In addition to the speakers, 24 exhibitors entered into dialog with the interested trade visitors and supported them in their safety precautions with great experience.

According to the organizer DeltaBlue AG, there was a lot of positive feedback from the exhibitors and the partners involved. The next version of SMIDEX SUISSE Exposyum is planned for autumn 2022 in the international association.

More information