The search platforms AutoScout24, MotoScout24, ImmoScout24 and FinanceScout24, which until last year belonged to Scout24 Schweiz AG and are now part of SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG (SMG for short), are demonstrating their courage to break new ground with the completely redesigned appearance of their brands and portals, which was launched on July 1. Gilles Despas, CEO of SMG Swiss Marketplace Group, comments on the new design: "SMG's primary goal is to simplify people's lives with pioneering products. The new look of ImmoScout24, MotoScout24, AutoScout24 and FinanceScout24 will make them even more attractive and clearer for our users, so the new design is the next important step in achieving our goals." The former Scout24 platforms transferred advertising from the analog to the digital world over twenty years ago and made it possible to do more than just publish classified ads. With the new design, this pioneering work should now also be reflected in the brand and portal appearance: bright highlighter stripes are a reminder of the moments when searchers discovered interesting advertisements in the newspaper and crossed them out or circled them. Overall, the new design is fresher and more modern, and with its clear contrast between white space and fresh color accents, it is also clearer than ever. This should make it even easier to find cars, motorcycles, apartments, insurance and financing.

Campaign for the launch of the new color worlds

In order to make it easier for the many users of the four Scout24 platforms to switch to the new color worlds, the introduction of the new design is accompanied by a extensive campaign along with it. This applies to all online and offline channels under the guiding principle "Live the way you want" as well as dedicated to the individual marketplaces: Car ("Drive what you want"), motorcycle ("As free as you want"), real estate ("Live how you want") and finance and insurance ("Insure how you want"). The campaign was created in collaboration with the Sir Mary agency from Zurich.  

Faigle reorganizes as of July 4, 2022. In addition to Faigle Solutions AG and René Faigle AG, the subsidiaries Couvertic AG and CM First AG will now also be managed under the Faigle umbrella brand. The subsidiaries Tibo SA, PWS Cardinaux SA and Print & More Logistics AG will remain independent. With this step, the Swiss family-owned company is responding to the needs of its customers and the digital transformation. With the new brand structure, Faigle aims to unite even more expertise under one roof. "We can now offer our customers relevant core services from a single source, develop customized solutions and do even more justice to our high level of service," says Simeon Roth, CEO of Faigle. "This will enable us to support companies even better in exploiting the potential of digital transformation." The Swiss family business Faigle has been constantly evolving for almost 90 years. "We are a company that has continuously developed its product range from mechanical calculators and office copiers to professional printing systems and intelligent data and document management solutions," says Dr. Andres Iten, owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Faigle. Future-oriented thinking and action has been an important driver since the company's beginnings, adds Iten. With the continuous expansion of its expertise in the areas of document management, process management and ECM, Faigle is now one of the most important total solution providers on the Swiss market.

New appearance: close, personal and Swiss

Faigle was supported by the Jung von Matt/Brand Identity agency for the redevelopment of the brand architecture, positioning and appearance. "The one-brand strategy is based on the strong trust placed in the family-owned Faigle company and at the same time makes visible the comprehensive range of services unique in the industry," says brand expert Dominique von Matt. The core elements for the tonality of the new Faigle brand were defined as the attributes close, personal and Swiss, which are reflected in the positioning as well as in the appearance.  

The Equal Salary Foundation has awarded watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen the Equal Salary certificate, a symbol of excellence in the area of equal pay, according to a statement. The certification process took place in two phases: First, IWC Schaffhausen had to have its salaries statistically analyzed. The decisive factor is that the gender pay gap is less than five percent. The company was able to meet this requirement. This was followed by an internal audit carried out by PwC to prove the conformity of the processes, i.e. to confirm that equal pay between women and men is actually applied. Both the company's general commitment to equal pay and its implementation in the HR department's processes are reviewed. The Equal Salary certification is valid for three years, during which the company undergoes two monitoring audits. After three years, the company must renew the certification process with a new salary analysis and a full on-site audit. "Such a commitment to equal pay and equal opportunities is a pledge for gender equality in the workplace. With the Equal Salary certification, IWC is leading by example and bringing even more trust and transparency to Swiss fine watchmaking," commented Lisa Rubli, Co-CEO of the Equal Salary Foundation. "At IWC, we stand for an inclusive working environment that offers equal opportunities to all our employees. Equal work deserves equal pay. Achieving Equal Salary certification as one of our strategic corporate goals shows us that our efforts have been successful. It underlines our honest and open communication flow. We listen to and value feedback from our employees. We are proud that, thanks to the contribution of all our colleagues, we have taken another step towards a fair and transparent workplace culture," adds Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. Equal pay certification is now an established tool that companies can use to prove and communicate that they pay women and men fairly. It is a practical and scientific solution for creating transparency while maintaining confidentiality. The companies SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA (Geneva), Hyposwiss Private Bank (Geneva) and Rehab Basel were also recently re-certified. Source: Equal Salary Foundation

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/iwc-schaffhausen-erhaelt-equal-salary-zertifizierung/

Fuel cell stacks are the heart of fuel cell vehicles. These fuel cell stacks consist of two end plates with several bipolar plates sandwiched between them. These are each separated by membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The electrically conducting bipolar plates have the task of connecting the anode of one cell to the cathode of the other cell. Each bipolar plate contains two cavities for the process gases hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen, and usually an internal cooling loop. Starting from the process gas flow cavities, the process gases hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen are fed over a large area to the membrane of the membrane electrode unit via the so-called flow field. The corresponding high-temperature cooling circuit has the function of maintaining an optimum process temperature for the entire fuel cell system. Essentially, this results in four failure modes for a fuel cell:

1. Hydrogen loss in general.
2. Crossover leaks between anode and cathode or overboard leaks at seals - with an uncontrolled reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
3. Loss of coolant, which reduces the efficiency of the fuel cell stack and leads to damage.
4. Hydrogen leakage into the cooling circuit has a corrosive effect, impairs the efficiency of liquid cooling because of the gas bubbles and can even damage the pump.

Fuel cell stacks and the tightness of the individual cells

The failure scenarios result in specific requirements for the leakage rate. Against hydrogen leakage - both to the outside and into the cooling channel - the overall system must be protected against leakage rates in the range of 10^-3 Until 10^-5 mbar∙l/s to be tested. Hydrogen is known to be highly flammable and ignitable in the wide concentration range between 4 and 73 percent hydrogen in air. Some fuel cell manufacturers refer to the DIN EN IEC 62282-2 standard, the latest version of which was published in April 2021. The standard deals with the safety of fuel cell modules, but it does not deal with fuel cell applications in road vehicles. DIN EN IEC 62282-2 specifies a hydrogen limiting leakage rate of 5 cm³/min for an entire fuel cell stack and requires the user to ensure good ventilation of the fuel cell. However, since this cannot always be guaranteed when installed in a road vehicle - think of a vehicle parked in a single-car garage - automotive applications often have more stringent leakage requirements. But regardless of which leakage rate is applied to the entire stack, the following applies: Because a complete stack consists of several hundred individual cells whose leakage rates must be considered in total, these individual components must be tested against limit leakage rates that are two decades smaller again. If, for example, the fuel cell stack consists of 350 cells and the individual cells are to be tested for leak tightness using helium test gas, a helium limit leak rate of approx. 10^-4 mbar∙l/s. For more stringent specifications in automotive applications, individual bipolar plates can also have limiting leakage rates up to the range of 10^-6 mbar∙l/s may be necessary. However, in the context of development projects and in scientific research, it is already being discussed whether in the future even smaller limiting leakage rates down to 10^-7 mbar∙l/s would be more reasonable.

The vacuum method for line production

To avoid short circuits, the cooling medium in the high-temperature cooling circuit of the bipolar plates must have a low conductivity. As a rule, deionized water with an antifreeze additive is therefore used as the cooling liquid. To prevent this liquid from leaking out of the cooling channel, a leakage test against leakage rates in the range of 10^-3 Until 10^-4 mbar∙l/s is reasonable. This is the usual order of magnitude for liquid tightness, because water itself seals leaks of this size. For this and other leak testing tasks in manufacturing, the test gas-based vacuum method is recommended. It combines high reliability with short cycle times and is therefore particularly suitable for testing tasks in the production line. The test part is placed in a vacuum chamber, first evacuated and then pressurized with helium. The leak rate of the test part is determined on the basis of the test gas that escapes from any leaks into the vacuum of the chamber. In addition to the high-temperature cooling circuit that flows through the bipolar plates, FCEV vehicles also have one or more low-temperature cooling circuits that keep electrical components such as the powertrain, converters, and power electronics within temperature ranges of less than 60°C. They are operated with a conventional water-glycol mixture and must also be tested against liquid tightness.

Testing the bipolar plate for hydrogen leaks

The vacuum method is also used to test the bipolar plates themselves for hydrogen leakage. In this process, the hydrogen cavity of the bipolar plate is sealed, evacuated and filled with helium. In an evacuated vacuum chamber, a leak detector can then be tested against limiting leak rates of 10^-4 Until 10^-5 mbar∙l/s test. If no helium can be detected in the vacuum of the chamber, no leaks exist - neither from the hydrogen cavity to the outside nor into the cooling channel. However, if the instrument detects a leak, further investigation of the cause is possible. This is done by taking advantage of the fact that the hydrogen cavity of the bipolar plate is still filled with helium and sealed after the test in the vacuum chamber. However, only the cooling channel itself is now connected to a vacuum pump. In this way, it can be verified whether helium penetrates the vacuum of the cooling channel. Otherwise, it is certain that the originally identified leak leads to the outside.

Tests of assembled fuel cell stacks

After the bipolar plates have been assembled into complete fuel cell stacks, end-of-line tests are required - although tests can also be useful after preceding intermediate steps. For all these tests on assembled fuel cell stacks, helium is also used as the test gas. If hydrogen were used instead, there would be a risk that the fuel cell would already be producing electricity unintentionally. Hydrogen is also prohibited as a test gas for safety reasons, because major leaks in the hydrogen circuit could quickly lead to ignitable hydrogen concentrations of more than 4 percent in air. Typical helium boundary leak rates for leak testing of assembled fuel cell stacks in practice are in the range of about 10^-3 Until 10^-5 mbar∙l/s. The tolerable leakage rate for the complete fuel cell stack also depends decisively on the specific installation situation in the vehicle. The leakage rate at which an ignitable hydrogen concentration of 4 percent can occur in air is not only a question of the leak tightness of the fuel cell stack, but also of the volume surrounding it in the vehicle and the air exchange in this environment. These factors must also be taken into account when determining a reasonable leakage rate.

Tightness of the hydrogen recirculation

Further leak tests are required on components such as a fuel cell's media distribution plate (which conducts hydrogen, air and coolant), its various valves, pumps and its hydrogen recirculation. Fuel cells supply hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen superstoichiometrically to the membrane electrode units of their bipolar plates. This means that residues of each of the two gases remain when they react to form water. For this reason, fuel cells require hydrogen recirculation. The process gases first pass through a water separator, and the hydrogen fraction is then recirculated and used again. It is also advisable to test the hydrogen-carrying components of the hydrogen recirculation system against leakage rates in the range of 10^-4 Until 10^-6 mbar∙l/s.

Permeation limits for hydrogen tanks

The hydrogen tanks installed in FCEVs are mostly so-called Type IV tanks, made of composite materials. Such tanks for passenger cars are usually designed to withstand operating pressures of up to 700 bar. The much larger hydrogen tanks for buses are expected to withstand operating pressures of 350 bar. The leak tightness requirements for hydrogen tanks arise from a set of international standards that define maximum permissible permeation rates. For a passenger car hydrogen tank with a capacity of 30 l and a pressure of 700 bar, for example, the permeation limits of ISO 15869 B.16 translate into a helium boundary leakage rate of 2.3 ∙ 10^-2 mbar∙l/s. In practice, however, hydrogen tanks are often not merely tested according to the standards, but against leakage rates in the range 10^-3 mbar∙l/s. This is because any measured leakage rate that exceeds the unavoidable permeation of the material itself is necessarily indicative of a real leak.

Accumulation test on the hydrogen tank

When the necessary fittings and valves are attached to a hydrogen tank, the original tank body becomes the so-called tank module. Both the vacuum method with helium and the accumulation method with forming gas are suitable for preliminary testing of the tank body. In the latter case, the test part is exposed to a non-flammable mixture of 5 percent hydrogen and 95 percent nitrogen, the commercially available forming gas. The leakage rate is calculated from the quantity of test gas that then escapes from the test part in a simple test chamber and accumulates there over a defined period of time. Because production figures are not yet high enough to make vacuum testing worthwhile because of its shorter cycle times, this accumulation method is often still used. The large hydrogen tanks of buses in particular, which have volumes of up to 1,700 l, are tested in accumulation chambers with up to 4,000 l chamber volume. Because of the lower test gas costs, the test specimen is filled with the less expensive forming gas. However, at a pressure of 700 bar, because the otherwise much smaller leak rates would not be detectable in the very large accumulation chamber. Because of the high test pressure, there is also an emergency outlet in the accumulation chamber in this special case, which opens in the event of overpressure.

Sniffer leak detection on complete tanks with all fittings

Leak tests are still required even after the tank body has been assembled with all fittings - filling and outlet valves as well as pressure sensors. However, the so-called sniffer leak test is usually used here. The finished tank is filled with either helium or forming gas as the test gas and sealed. A sniffer tip is then moved along the surface of the tank. The focus is on the neuralgic points, i.e. the connection points to the fittings. Automated, dynamic sniffer leak detection, in which a robotic arm guides the sniffer tip, avoids any errors made by a human inspector and guarantees maximum throughput. However, this requires leak detectors that have a particularly high gas flow. Otherwise, the robotic arm would not be able to move the sniffer tip across the test part fast enough or with the required safety distance. Typical limit leak rates for these end-of-line tests on finished hydrogen tanks are in the range 5∙10^-2 mbar∙l/s.

Tightness of electric and hydrogen components

Ultimately, it is electric motors that move a fuel cell vehicle. The lithium-ion batteries that feed the motors are also the same in principle as in electric vehicles - although the traction battery in the FCEV is far smaller and acts only as a buffer. Leakage testing tasks exist here as well. No electrolyte may leak from lithium-ion cells, for example, and no humidity may penetrate the cells. Otherwise, the electrolyte could react with the water to form hydrofluoric acid. The testing tasks for the batteries, control modules and electric motors of FCEVs are the same as for electric vehicles. But the specific components of fuel cell vehicles also require very reliable leak testing. Especially since the term hydrogen is quickly associated with the word danger in the public's mind. Consistent quality assurance is therefore indispensable. Test gas-based methods are the way to go. Author: Sandra Seitz is Market Manager Automotive Leak Detection Tools at Inficon. Further information can be found in the e-book "E-Mobility: Leak Testing for Alternative Drive Vehicles". It covers the wide range of testing tasks involved in the industrial production of components for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV). The e-book is available for free download here: https://www.inficon.com/de/maerkte/automobilindustrie/dichtheitspruefung-emobilitaet-elektroauto-brennstoffzelle

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/brennstoffzellen-dichtheitspruefaufgaben-bei-der-fertigung-von-fcev-komponenten/

By winter 2024/25, a new type of hotel will be built in the middle of Arosa - ten chalets united under one roof, to be precise. The BelArosa Chalet combines the homely chalet feeling with exceptional infrastructure and needs-oriented service. Down-to-earthness, freedom, space and time are all part of the very personal luxury. The hotel is already set to be staged today and will have a Website arouse desire. However, apart from a 22-meter-deep excavation pit, nothing is currently visible. How is it still possible to arouse emotions and not just communicate facts, figures and the status quo? Inspired by traditional Arosa tourism posters, which were able to lure mountain air and winter sports enthusiasts to the idyllic mountain village more than 50 years ago, the agency opted for an emotional introduction with illustrations in a modern art deco style. By scrolling, the user dives into the world of the chalet and is guided through various rooms with gentle animations. The illustrations are intended to convey the desirable moods that can be experienced in the BelArosa Chalet in the future. The development of the purpose played an important role in the positioning of the hotel: "We rethink luxury". Away from golden taps and towards the staging of nature and the four elements that run through the unique hotel. Away from "Is there anything else we can do for you?" to "We only disturb on request". The following pages contain philosophy, highlights, insights into the individual chalets and a blog in which construction progress can be observed and stories about the spectacular building are told. It is also possible to make a reservation in advance. The launch of the website created with Webflow.com will be followed in a first phase by a local poster campaign aimed at summer guests in Arosa, accompanied by postcards, beach towels and other giveaways featuring the illustrations.

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Client: Urs Kasper (Kasper & Son). Responsible at Clou advertising agency: Albi Christen (Strategy & Creative Direction), Marcel Huwiler (Art Direction), Fabian Gubelmann (Web Design & Development). External partners: Mads Berg (illustration), Jessica Heller (text).

Digitization is accelerating: Insurers Helsana, TCS and Groupe Mutuel, which dominate the ranking, are making more progress on average than the other market players. This is because customer relationships have evolved and interactions are more frequent with more digital services (scanning and sending invoices, changing deductibles, applying for new add-on products, asking about product coverage, etc.). This is the conclusion of Colombus Consulting's study on the digitalization of the Swiss insurance industry. Furthermore, budgets allocated to digital media have increased significantly (+31%), especially among health insurers, who invest more than property and casualty insurers (10 points difference lies in the growth of digital media budgets between the two types of insurance).

Insurers develop their target groups and services

According to the study, the trend is moving in the following directions: The insurance industry is looking to embrace instant messaging, chatbots and better integration of social networks into customer service, as well as develop differentiated interaction services. "The goal for insurers today is to make customer relationships more fluid on digital channels, without forgetting that agencies and advisors remain the main point of contact for customers. We're talking about a digitally enhanced advisor," says Rémi Chadel, associate director of Colombus Consulting.

Mobile apps are at the heart of innovation in the industry

While mobile apps have in the past offered functions that covered basic needs (claims management, scanning of bills, contact with the insurance company), this offering is evolving: SWICA, CSS, Sanitas and Helsana now offer digital health coaching via more advanced mobile apps. The new Twint+ service, in partnership with Würth Financial Services, offers travel insurance or insurance for everyday items in the "app only" market, while Revolut travel insurance is only available in Europe and not in Switzerland.

Continued growth of InsurTech drives the insurance industry

Despite a slowdown in fundraising, InsurTech players are experiencing sustained growth in 2022. At the European level, the sector is divided into two families: on the one hand, companies positioning themselves as direct competitors of traditional insurers (e.g., the German company Wefox and the French companies Alan and +Simple), and on the other hand, providers of specialized services and solutions (e.g., the French company Shift Technology, specialized in fraud detection, and the English company Envelop Risk, specialized in reinsurance). Similar to AXA Switzerland, which bought the start-up Kinastic in 2022, acquisitions or partnerships between insurers and InsurTech continue.

New ecosystems take shape

The dynamism of InsurTech players has pushed insurance companies to innovate, leading to the emergence of a new trend: Business ecosystems that allow players from the same sector to join forces to create new services. Thus, we note the arrival of Well, a merger of CSS Insurance, Visana, the telemedicine provider Medi24 and the online pharmacy Zur Rose, which offers new integrated services between companies. In the same dynamic, insurers Groupe Mutuel, Helsana and Swica are joining forces in Compensana, along with healthcare groups Medbase and Hirslanden. They are expected to launch services that will also be closely scrutinized by the market. "Customer expectations in the insurance sector are indeed high, as the digital customer experience often lags behind other sectors," says Rémi Chadel.

Should digitalization be achieved through "Open Insurance"?

Through the integration of new services, partnerships and the creation of ecosystems, the insurance market is becoming increasingly open. While in the past, collaboration between companies was aimed at expanding the range of services offered, today Open Insurance should provide the opportunity to offer new end-to-end services or even integrate players from outside the industry. "Excellent experiences for customers and employees remain a powerful driver for innovation in a market that is constantly looking for new ways to do things," concludes Rémi Chadel. Source and further information: Colombus Consulting

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/versicherungsbranche-digitale-investitionen-nehmen-zu/

It's appropriate to describe things as ubiquitous, because it just sounds so lofty and clever. Metaverse, Bitcoin, NFT and other terms from the digital wonderland are: ubiquitous or omnipresent. The former just seems a bit outdated and the latter feels firmly in the noughties. And since "all-or-nothing" currently applies everywhere in communication and marketing, i.e. something either works properly or not at all, the adjective is also perfectly suited here. Even if its original areas of application are actually biological or theological contexts: Our industry is used to stealing terms from other specialist fields and appreciating them. Biology calls the characteristic of living beings not being bound to one location ubiquitous, in theology it means the omnipresence of a god. In business, and therefore in marketing, something is called ubiquitous if it is used everywhere (campaigns) or is available everywhere (products).

Important in the age of omnichannel

The origin of the word lies in Latin. This is reason enough to make those who use it seem more academic. It derives from the Latin adverb ubique which can be easily controlled with everywhere can be translated. Even the Duden dictionary says that in its general meaning it is part of the elevated language. So anyone who uses it receives a kind of accolade from the very top. But what are we trying to say? Everyone would like to be present everywhere: omnipresent. But it's the noughties and omnichannel marketing is almost impossible to win a flower pot with small talk. If you believe the Omni-Channel Maturity Index (ORI) published for the third time by Swiss bricks-and-mortar retailers, then we're not doing too badly in Switzerland. Thanks to the near-duopoly of Migros and Coop and all their subsidiaries and sisters, that is. They are by far the best at making goods (soon also alcoholic beverages) available everywhere and for everyone. However, the need is not a purely Swiss one. The tech giants in the USA in particular are increasingly going back to brick-and-mortar (physical/stationary points of sale): Amazon and Tripadvisor are leading the way with their stores. However, very few people can afford to be present everywhere. That's why the word is also used where things are "only" widespread, which seems to be the case even more quickly in the increasingly narrow bubbles of social media.

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* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.

Companies are wasting potential in software development: less than half have a comprehensive DevOps culture. This is shown by the State of Developer Experience Survey 2022 from LeanIX. According to this study, most respondents apply the methods characteristic of DevOps only sporadically and complain more frequently that obstacles become a challenge in their daily work. Considering the importance of software development for achieving business goals, it is alarming that the majority of development teams have little insight into the immediate customer benefits of their work, the study concludes. Few metrics are available, and software development efficiency is also poorly measured. A quarter of the respondents do not identify one of the four recognized DORA metrics. The lack of such metrics on customer value and efficiency makes communication difficult: for example, only 42 percent of respondents say that IT and business speak the same language in their company. The LeanIX State of Developer Experience Survey, conducted for the first time in 2022, makes it clear: A little DevOps is not enough - and a stronger focus on it can decisively improve software development.

Potential of DevOps is not exploited in daily work

The study participants were asked about the use of five characteristic working methods for DevOps - with sobering results: Nearly 60 percent of the respondents state that they can react flexibly to changing customer requirements and that they have CI/CD pipelines. However, flexibility with regard to the customer and the ability to execute and test changes to the code automatically via CI/CD pipelines is central to DevOps initiatives. It is therefore notable that for more than 40 percent of teams, this basic requirement is only partially met or not met at all. The picture is even worse when it comes to the "build-ship-own your code" principle typical of DevOps, team organization based on team topologies or the free choice of tech stack. In summary, DevOps initiatives can be expanded in international companies.

DevOps maturity level influences perception of obstacles at work

If we look at the five working methods queried, we see that the majority of developer teams (53 percent) use only up to three of these methods. This low DevOps maturity level has an influence on the assessment of obstacles in daily work. Respondents from such teams consistently rate these as a greater challenge: Reducing manual effort due to lack of automation - this is at the top of the list of obstacles described as a "major challenge" for all respondents. However, teams with a lower DevOps maturity level perceive this significantly more strongly, at 41 percent versus 25 percent. Whether breaking down silos or the difficulty of focusing on one's tasks due to frequent changes in context, whether uncovering bottlenecks, the challenge of prioritizing projects or allocating resources efficiently: in theory, agile ways of working lead to the elimination or significant reduction of these obstacles. The fact that the majority of respondents describe these issues as challenging is another indication that DevOps teams are still on a journey. This is where those responsible can start to further improve and accelerate software development in the company.

There is a lack of a common language between IT and business

Successful DevOps initiatives require collaboration with all stakeholders in the company - as the analysts at Gartner point out. They note that many initiatives also fail because the expectations associated with them are not clearly defined within the company. In order to manage these expectations, IT and business should agree on common goals and metrics - and thus on a common language, according to the experts. However, it is precisely this common language that is lacking in companies: Only 42 percent of respondents in this study say that IT and business understand each other. If you look at which metrics are actually recorded and examined in detail, the lack of a basis for understanding becomes obvious.

Little insight into customer value and software development efficiency

About 70 percent of developer teams look at two metrics in relation to the customer and their work: open support tickets and monthly active users - easily accessible metrics that hold the most potential for frustration and don't directly relate to the software delivered and its value to the customer: Whether feature adoption, churn rate, return on investment or net promoter score as an expression of satisfaction: each of these metrics is considered by less than half of software development teams. Most teams therefore have little insight into the actual success and customer benefit of their specific work performance - and are unable to share this with the business. The possibility of measuring the performance of software development using the four recognized DORA metrics (Deployment Frequency, Failure Rate, Lead Time for Changes, Mean Time to Recovery) is also not perceived comprehensively. A quarter of respondents do not even consider one of these key figures. However, measuring performance in this way would also contribute to a common language that makes mutual appreciation possible in the first place.

Different data sources complicate the overview

The information required for relevant customer key figures or DORA metrics is often distributed across various sources. Collecting them often involves a great deal of manual effort - and in almost 40 percent of cases even Excel spreadsheets. Modern value stream management platforms could help. However, only 20 percent of respondents already use them to automatically link data streams with each other and establish a direct link to business results.

Expand agile ways of working despite predominantly positive developer experience

No comprehensive DevOps implementation, hurdles in daily work, little insight into the direct customer benefit of the developed software - despite this situation in the developer teams, the slight majority of respondents generally rate the developer experience rather positively: What sounds good at first, however, a closer look also shows that almost half of the respondents cannot decide on a positive assessment. Against the backdrop of a massive shortage of skilled IT staff and the increasing importance of software as a differentiator on the market, companies should do everything in their power to retain their software development teams.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/vielen-unternehmen-fehlt-umfassende-devops-kultur/

As the national grid company that operates Switzerland's extra-high-voltage grid, Swissgrid is in dialog with numerous people in different situations and roles: with political representatives, authorities, the economy, industry partners, the media and interested members of the public - including residents living near grid projects. For this dialog, the lead agency Aroma and CRK designed Swissgrid's new brand identity in line with a clear promise: "We are here! For the people and for the companies in Switzerland. And we maintain the connection to Europe." Swissgrid makes this promise with many atmospheric and emotional everyday scenes in which the reliable supply of electricity sometimes plays a small role, sometimes a large one. The new appearance also shows the people at Swissgrid with their various tasks in order to keep this promise. This is visible in new signature images and in the new corporate film, which frames these moments with impressive landscapes and infrastructures. These are used in various channels: in print and online media, at consumer trade shows and trade conferences, and at the company's own events and visitor centers.

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Responsible at SwissgridMichelle Roth (Head of Communication & Stakeholder Management), Kaspar Haffner (Head of Content & Digital Communication), Silvia Zuber (Senior Communication Manager), Melanie Ciapponi (Digital Media Manager). Mandate Management: Oliver Wimmer (CRK), Philipp Hänggli (Aroma). Film: Moritz Stähelin (CD). Production: L'Project Media Production. Signature images: Louise Riis Ruggaber (AD). Photographer: Dean Jaggi (Luxwerk).

Christian Stucki, René Schudel, Anita Buri, Samuel Giger and Sina Frei are already working as brand ambassadors for Lidl Switzerland. They are now joined by the Bernese start-up entrepreneur and chef Fabian Zbinden. The 33-year-old is now a brand ambassador for Lidl Switzerland and is being sponsored by Lidl Switzerland. Fabian Zbinden discovered his passion for cooking during his cooking apprenticeship, which he completed, like his friend René Schudel, at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. He then worked for several years as a chef in Hollywood at Robert De Niro's restaurant Nobu. He has been a start-up entrepreneur and chef since 2014. Fabian, who has been vegan himself for several years, focuses on a plant-based diet. For Lidl Switzerland, this makes him an enrichment in the area of plant-based nutrition and an ideal addition to the long-standing partnership with René Schudel. The founding of his food truck "La Ribolitta" and the co-founding of the vegan start-up "Feel Food", which offers vegan ready meals such as "Chili sin Carne", "Red Lentil Dal" and "Pasta Bolo Vegan", were important milestones in his career. The dishes are made from 100% plant-based organic ingredients. Fabian has also been a TV chef on "SRF bi de Lüt" since 2021. "Plant-based nutrition and sustainable action are close to my heart. With Lidl Switzerland, I have a partner who shares the same values. That's what connects us," says Fabian Zbinden, "we both strive to take these issues seriously and I'm sure that this mindset will also be evident in our collaboration."

Vegan and vegetarian products in focus

Raphael Werner, Head of Marketing at Lidl Switzerland, warmly welcomes Fabian Zbinden and his commitment: "Fabian fits wonderfully into our existing efforts to offer the best quality at the best price across the entire range - also in the vegan and vegetarian area. We already offer a wide selection with over 80 vegan and vegetarian products and also over 150 fresh fruit and vegetable items every day."

Switzerland has several internationally leading research institutions in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) spread throughout the country. Independently of this, the importance and use of AI as an enabling technology is steadily increasing in more and more research fields and application areas. For the first time, the Swiss Artificial Intelligence Research Overview Platform SAIROP now presents a detailed overview of AI competencies in Switzerland's dispersed research landscape.

High level of detail

For this purpose, the ten partner organizations involved surveyed the various research institutions in Switzerland and compiled information on current research projects from various publicly accessible data sources. Data preparation and curation is time-consuming due to the great diversity. However, thanks to the new platform, the information is more accessible and the level of detail is probably unique in Europe.

SAIROP: Online since June 23, 2022

The Platform is online and was presented to an audience of industry representatives and researchers on June 23 at the Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS2022) in the KKL Luzern. Data on research institutions, current projects with a start year of 2021 and experts conducting research on and with AI in Switzerland are currently presented. The data is continuously supplemented and updated. In addition, the platform will be enriched with further relevant information in the future to provide an even better overview of the research field and its impact on society.

Improve visibility of Swiss AI partners

In the longer term, SAIROP is intended to network the AI research community even more closely, improve the visibility of Swiss AI research partners, and offer local as well as international companies and research institutions new access for initiating innovation projects. Dedicated events and further communication measures are planned for this purpose. Source: satw

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/swiss-artificial-intelligence-research-overview-platform-sairop-lanciert/

We live in a VUCA world - characterized by volatilities, uncertainties, complexities and ambiguities. The influences on corporate risk management have increased and become even more multi-layered, more complex. The fact that the improbable can probably occur is part of it. Business disruptions, or prolonged interruptions, are no longer all that rare events. Recent events of high tragedy and scope, however, place entirely new demands on operational safety, emergency and crisis management as well as on organizational resilience.

Power supply insecurity increases risk of operational failures

The increasing networking and penetration of virtually all areas of life with information technology and the networking of logistics and supply chains opens up economic and social potential that a highly developed and industrialized country like Switzerland cannot do without. At the same time, however, increasing digitization and uncertainty about the future security of electricity supply are creating new risk situations that must be responded to quickly and consistently. The particular danger of targeted cyber attacks on ICT infrastructure affects government agencies as well as operators of critical infrastructures and other companies or organizations.

Approaches for successful crisis management

Those who have seriously identified the risks for their company and planned measures better protect themselves against events and the resulting potential disruptions, losses and business interruptions. Has the awareness of business interruptions and the potential vulnerabilities reached everywhere and is it sufficient? Is the necessary resilience of companies in place? The presentations on October 27 will deal with latent top business risks in Switzerland and provide approaches on how to manage them and with which measures to counteract them. Information about the symposium

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/betriebsstoerungen-alles-aus-muss-nicht-sein/