Recognition for outstanding ethical performance in business: this is the Swiss Ethics Award, which will be presented by the Swiss Excellence Forum on May 11, 2022. The presentation of the Swiss Ethics Award 2022 will take place during the Future Leadership Forum at the KKL Luzern.

The Swiss Ethics Model

Behind the Swiss Ethics Award is the Swiss Ethics Model, a methodology for evaluating and developing the ethical performance of organizations in business, administration and society. This model was developed on a scientific basis and is closely related to the UN's sustainability goals. The Swiss Ethics Model can be used as a steering tool to achieve these sustainability goals. Overall, the model combines ethical standards into a systemic management approach and aims to create sustainable benefits for the own organization as well as the relevant stakeholders.

The five nominated projects for the Swiss Ethics Award 2022

With this in mind, the jury reviewed the projects submitted for the Swiss Ethics Award. The application deadline for companies and organizations was the end of September 2021. From the projects received, the jury nominated the five best. Who will win the award will be decided on May 11, 2022 in the KKL Luzern.

• Energie 360° AG, Zurich: Climate-positive wood-fired power plant "Bioenergie Frauenfeld". Energie360° and Schweizer Zucker AG founded Bioenergie Frauenfeld to produce renewable energy with a climate-positive wood-fired power plant: Wood gas is extracted from residual wood, which is used to power generators for heat and electricity. The carbon produced during wood gasification can be used in agriculture for soil improvement or as a feed additive. The carbon is thus not released into the atmosphere as CO2. Thus, the wood-fired power plant has a CO2-negative and thus climate-positive effect.
• Hunziker Partner AG, Winterthur: Founded in 1932, this family business can justifiably be described as a pioneer in sustainable corporate management and has already won various awards, such as the Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence. In its current project, Hunziker Partner AG is committed to an eco-social market economy and the development of its employees. With the "Hunziker Campus", a training concept has been created in which apprentices and employees not only receive professional development, but also knowledge in the areas of resources, society and people.
• Recycling-Paradies AG with project "Back to my independent life in paradise", Reinach AG: Recycling-Paradies is committed to the sustainable use of resources and offers uncomplicated disposal options. With the "Back to my independent life in paradise" project, the family business gives people with a disability, migration background or addiction the chance to get back into a regular structure through a job and find their place in society again.
• Tide Ocean SA with #tide ocean material®, Basel: This project is about combating marine pollution from plastic waste, especially in Southeast Asia. There, fishermen who have lost their original source of income collect plastic from the sea and are compensated for it at ten times the current market price. Social enterprises sort and process the collected plastic. The collected plastic is fed back into the material cycle in the form of more durable products such as watches, floors, chairs or in the form of plastic granulates for the plastic processing industry.
• yourharvest AG with "Happy Hazelnut Project", Baden: Yourharvest is a procurement partner for plant-based foods from all over the world. The project "Happy Hazelnut" project is about socially and environmentally responsible hazelnut production in Turkey. Child labor and the difficult conditions under which the harvest workers have to live often form the problematic background for the hazelnuts available in our shops. Yourharvest is now committed to combating child labor and improving working conditions. Social and ecological cultivation standards have been set for farmers, traceability is guaranteed and proper working and living conditions are ensured. An external inspection body audits compliance with the Happy Hazelnut standards on an annual basis.

Forum for future-oriented corporate management

According to Werner von Allmen (see following interview), sustainability - or better: future viability - is more than ever a central management principle. Accordingly, the "Future Leadership Forum" and the presentation of the Swiss Ethics Award on May 11, 2022, will focus on future-oriented corporate management. Current challenges of the future will be discussed with top-class guests, such as the historian Dr. Philipp Blom or the space researcher Prof. em. Kathrin Altwegg, the Jesuit Dr. Christian Rutishauser and Michael Brenner, Member of the Executive Board of Weleda. Registrations are now possible at www.swiss-excellence-forum.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/swiss-ethics-award-2022-fuenf-ethische-und-nachhaltige-projekte/

The company Atos has unveiled the new BullSequana XH3000, an exascale-class supercomputer. Computers of this scale can perform up to a trillion calculations per second (1 ExaFlop). This computing power will enable leading scientists and researchers to make further advances in areas such as weather forecasting and climate change, new drug discovery and genomics. The supercomputer was developed and built by Atos at its factory in Angers, France. It is said to be this manufacturer's most efficient and powerful system to date. According to Atos, this development plays a key role in keeping important knowledge and expertise in the field of high-performance computing in Europe. The new supercomputer plays an important role in securing digital and economic sovereignty.

Strengthening digital and economic sovereignty

Because governments, public institutions and private sector companies are making sovereignty a priority: it's about realizing the full potential of their data while protecting it at all costs. With the BullSequana XH3000 and expertise in both the. sovereign cloud as well as with the Cybersecurity, there is now a way to gain control over the data they generate and share.

Supercomputer sets new technical standards

The increasing volume and complexity of data means that there is an exponential demand for computing power. There is no other way to meet new challenges facing humanity, such as global warming and the Covid 19 pandemic. The BullSequana XH3000 will be able to deliver unprecedented computing power: With up to six times the performance of the previous version - and at every performance level, including exascale. This will be achieved using advanced hybrid computing technology to combine CPUs and GPUs with AI and even quantum computing hardware for use in traditional scientific simulations.

"Green" technology

In addition, the new supercomputer is very energy-efficient. An eco-design and architecture focused on sustainability ensure this, Atos informs. In addition to the patented DLC (Direct Liquid Cooling) solution, which offers more than 50 percent additional cooling capacity compared to previous generations, particular attention was paid to a completely environmentally friendly product life cycle. This ranges from the procurement of raw materials and manufacturing to testing, transport, disposal and recycling.

Compatibility guaranteed

The BullSequana XH3000 combines the latest and most sophisticated technologies, network components as well as communication systems. It is powered by the most advanced CPU and GPU processor and accelerator architectures from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and last but not least the European microprocessor from SiPearl driven. It has improved energy consumption and higher computing power, enabling faster and more efficient scientific simulations on a large scale. Thanks to the OpenSequana architecture, the system is fully compatible with all future blade and interconnect technologies and can be easily expanded if required. With a security-by-design approach that combines vulnerability monitoring and threat anticipation, the BullSequana XH3000 ensures that data is fully protected. The BullSequana XH3000 is expected to be available from Q4 2022.

The supercomputer in detail

• Higher performance: Up to six times the computing power per m² and best computing power per m² on the market

• Fully scalable: With a configuration of 1PFlops up to 1 ExaFlops for digital simulations and up to 10 ExaFlops for AI applications (once next-generation processors are on the market)

• Flexibility: The system can integrate the latest processors from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and the planned European EPI processor. These achieve up to 1000W and more, offering improved performance compared to today's 350W systems.

• Ready for today and the future: Supports today's most sophisticated technologies and future technologies (including future processors that will be released in the next six years)

• Energy efficiency: Improved 4th generation Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC): To keep up with the consumption of the latest CPU and GPU generation, the system has 50 percent more cooling capacity than previous generations.

• Designed for "traditional" digital simulations and accelerated hybrid computations with HPC, AI, and quantum convergence.

• The first generation of Atos supercomputers to support a wide range of communication networks including BXI, High Speed Ethernet and HDR & NDR InfiniBand.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/supercomputer-der-exascale-klasse/

The Switzerland-wide known Fertilizer manufacturer was founded in 1663 at the site of today's headquarters in Grossaffoltern BE, Switzerland. Since the acquisition of the Erlangen-based fertilizer producer Günther Cornufera in 2007, Hauert has also been present in Germany with quality fertilizers. Internationally, they set the quality standards for organic and organic-mineral fertilizers. Hauert employs 180 people at four different sites.

Hauert: Innovation for fertilizing

Thanks to targeted research in plant nutrition and development in fertilizer production, Hauert has repeatedly been able to come up with groundbreaking innovations. The company achieved its latest breakthrough with the development of the Sphero process: the process engineers succeeded in developing a granulation process that allows organic substances to be incorporated into granules of the highest quality. The gardener benefits from dust-free processing, and the plant from a targeted supply of a balanced mix of nutrients. Hauert has been focusing on organic fertilizers since the 1930s - a whole range of its products now bear the Swiss organic label, and with Biorga, organic farming has its own product line. For the company, organic fertilizing is a goal that will be kept in mind in all future development steps. Organic fertilizing is the goal, and Hauert will keep this goal in mind in future steps.

Hundreds of Word and Excel lists

Hauert has had an existing ISO 9001 quality management system for years, which was previously managed using the Viflow/Windream tool and countless Word and Excel documents. The central responsibility lay with the quality manager and was associated with a large expenditure of time, since information had to be updated in a wide variety of systems and documents. In addition, Hauert is required to maintain an internal control system ICS. As the next ICS audit was due, a new, integrated solution for quality management and ICS was sought. In the process, Hauert came across the QM software ELIZA. This cloud-based solution combines processes, organization, knowledge and controlling (ICS) in one clear interface. This sounded convincing and contact was made with Eliza AG. A test installation was then created, with which the project manager and the CEO mapped the existing ICS and the most important processes independently.

The optimal solution

Right from the start, the solution impressed with its ease of use and the linking of all information on risks, processes, measures, organizational units and employees. After a short test phase, Hauert decided to gradually introduce the new QM software and thus replace the existing, unwieldy tool landscape. Important criteria for the decision were:

• Modern solution from the cloud
• Simple to operate
• Combination of ICS, quality and process management in one solution
• Decentralized maintenance by different employees with different authorizations possible
• Local provider (short distances, fast response times)
• Integration into existing IT environment (connection to Microsoft Dynamics Navision, logon with Active Directory, linking of filing system with Sharepoint)

Gradual introduction at Hauert

In a first step, the process map was now created and the ISO filing was transferred to ELIZA. With the construction of the process map, all important processes were newly recorded as BPMN flow diagrams. At the same time, responsibilities for the processes were assigned. The ICS and risk management were implemented in a second step. In addition, the connection to Microsoft Dynamics Navision was activated in order to automatically synchronize all employee data from the ERP system in the new software from now on. Finally, in the third phase, all important contracts were recorded in the ELIZA contract management system. Continuous improvement and customer complaint management were also migrated from various Excel lists to the ELIZA "Q messages" module. With the gradual introduction, numerous Word and Excel documents were eliminated. The Hauert company now has a modern, easy-to-maintain quality management system that is a great pleasure to use in daily work and meets with great acceptance among employees. "ELIZA impressed us right from the start. The ease of use and the intelligent links between the information save us valuable time in maintaining the data," says Nicole Kramer, project manager at Hauert.

Import existing data

It was important for Hauert to import as much existing data as possible into the new software. This meant that all employee data from Dynamics Navision could be migrated automatically. The existing Q-messages could also be transferred directly from Excel to ELIZA. Thanks to the diverse interfaces of this software, further data sets can be imported or synchronized in the future. The following ELIZA modules are currently in use at Hauert:

• Organization & HR
• Processes and key figures
• ICS with risk, opportunity and target management
• Contract Management
• Q-messages (customer complaints and suggestions for improvement)

Next, ELIZA will be embedded in the new IT environment. In the process, single sign-on will be implemented with Office365. In addition, a solution is now ready for the ISO certification of the subsidiaries, which can be integrated with minimal effort. CEO Philipp Hauert expresses his satisfaction with the new solution. "With ELIZA, we have finally found a tool that can keep pace with the agile changes within our company. It continuously shows me an up-to-date picture of the process landscape as well as the people responsible."

Successful surveillance audit ISO 9001 and ICS

The first test of ELIZA was the ISO monitoring audit. This took place in December 2020 and was successfully completed. The ICS audit followed shortly thereafter. Previously, the ICS report had to be created in tedious manual work. Thanks to the diverse export options of ELIZA, this can now be automatically created as a Word document and made available to the auditors. The Excel exports serve not only the company but also the auditor as working tools. The time thus gained can be used for value-adding tasks.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/fallbeispiel-hauert-hbg-duenger-ag-innert-kuerze-das-iso-9001-managementsystem-modernisiert/

Digitization is in full swing - and no one can escape it. One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the industrial environment is the integration of legacy systems (digital retrofit). This is because these systems lack two important prerequisites in particular: the sensor technology to capture data and the data interfaces to forward it. Without these capabilities, however, it is not possible to optimize planning and changeover times, increase performance and availability, improve quality tracking and tracing, or implement predictive maintenance.

Digital retrofit as a solution

A digital retrofit, often referred to as Retrofit 4.0 in reference to the hype term Industry 4.0, therefore consists of equipping legacy systems with the necessary sensor and control technology - and this during ongoing operation, without break or downtime. Another complicating factor is that these are usually special individual cases. "One size fits all" is practically impossible with retrofits. Sensor-communication retrofitting therefore requires a careful, application-related inventory and feasibility analysis in each case. The possible application scenarios for digital retrofits are wide-ranging.

Six application scenarios

LeanBI, a specialist for data science applications headquartered in Bern, describes six typical scenarios for practical use and the potential positive effects:

1. Intralogistics: Booming online retail is leading to a rapid increase in shipping volumes and thus to high utilization of logistics facilities, which are also unable to keep pace with this growth due to their (partially) analog structure. However, additional buildings or plant complexes cannot be realized as quickly as retrofitting existing facilities. It is therefore the faster as well as more cost-effective and resource-saving way. In addition, it can also increase the service life of the plant.
2. Assembly linesFor many product suppliers, such as automotive suppliers or bicycle manufacturers, meeting delivery times is becoming increasingly challenging due to the high demand and the growing number of variants. In the event of the smallest failure in the production chain, the entire plant comes to a standstill, delivery dates become wastepaper, and high penalties loom. Early detection of possible failures through predictive maintenance, which is only made possible by retrofitting, is the key factor in ensuring delivery reliability, increasing production output and customer satisfaction.
3. Packaging industryThe same applies to the packaging industry, where many machines are connected in series. If one machine stops, the whole line stops. With predictive maintenance, both unplanned malfunctions and planned interventions, such as maintenance measures, can be reduced. In addition, the retrofit of existing lines enables the use of sensor technology for ongoing automated checking of the packaging quality of a wide variety of products, and thus for reducing reject rates.
4. Metal production: In the manufacture of metal products, such as tubes, components or car body parts, it is important to detect quality variations in the process at an early stage. The more online sensor technology is used, the more reactive the process control can be designed. In addition, this ensures continuous traceability throughout the entire process. Here, too, the combination of decentralized data recording and central data analysis helps to reduce rejects.
5. Surface processingBy using additional sensor technology and combined analytics, wear times for machining tools can be better predicted. This optimizes processes in several ways: highly stressed components in surface treatment can be used for longer and material consumption is reduced, as are downtimes, which has a positive effect on increased productivity.
6. Electronics production: Retrofit can use highly complex, AI-assisted inspection methods for early detection of component failures in the production process, thereby increasing productivity rates. They also help to better understand and learn to fix rare special problems.

"Digital retrofit is one of the most important prerequisites and enablers for Industry 4.0," explains Marc Tesch, CEO of LeanBI. "Without this sustainable modernization technology, many valuable and in some cases indispensable legacy systems, production facilities and real estate would be lost to the digital future, along with the associated immense loss of value and resource robbery for expensive, time-consuming new installations." Source and further information: LeanBI

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/digitaler-retrofit-integriert-altysteme-in-moderne-workflows/

The original, handmade Trauffer cows and many other wooden toys should finally get the stage they deserve: The Trauffer family from Hofstetten near Brienz, which produced the wooden cow with the red spots, would like to give interested visitors young and old an unforgettable look behind the scenes and has commissioned Aroma Creative with the conception and implementation of its own world of experience.

"Team Connect", as the new agency model is called, is intended to create a tailor-made agency ecosystem for Migros' specialist stores that focuses on two key areas: The Creative & Strategy division will pursue the goal of strengthening the brand management of all specialist store brands and setting new standards in Swiss retail with fresh, surprising ideas. This will be accompanied by the Content & Production division, which will enable brands to respond to the market and customers not only faster but also more efficiently in future. "A new agency approach like Team Connect is the future," says Patrik Pörtig, CEO of Migros Fachmarkt AG, "because brands in retail need to be much more data-driven and customer-oriented today." On 1 January 2021, the Migros specialist stores with its Do it + Garden, Melectronics, Micasa, SportXX and Bike World brands were transferred from the Federation of Migros Cooperatives to Migros Fachmarkt AG. This company defines the strategic direction of the formats and provides all central services so that the ten regional Cooperatives can manage the operations of the stores in a customer-centric and focused manner. This strong team will drive forward the consistent further development of the specialist stores at a rapid pace. "In future, each brand will operate independently and compete directly against the competition in its category. But there are more and more opportunities to leverage synergies across the specialist stores - particularly in the area of data, of course, but also in the customer experience and in production. Our declared aim is to develop each of the five brands into a frontrunner in its category," says Pörtig. 20 experts from various WPP agency Team Connect is made up of around 20 experts from the various WPP agencies in Switzerland: Ogilvy, Scholz & Friends and Wunderman Thompson. They are joined by retail experts from Scholz & Friends Commerce in Germany and an international production team from Hogarth. "With Team Connect, we have the opportunity to build something completely new: a truly integrated and at the same time highly agile team with the best experts that WPP has to offer. Putting together such a team from several agencies of a holding company is a completely new approach. I think this example will set a precedent," says Elke Guhl, Chief Customer Officer at Migros Fachmarkt AG. Elke Guhl has been a member of the Executive Board since September last year and has since been working on a new, overarching Customer Excellence organization for the formats. She led the agency pitch process, which now coincides perfectly with the launch of her new internal organization. "We are thrilled to have won such an important mandate in the Swiss market. The future of strong retail brands lies in the perfect combination of creation, customer experience and data strategy. It is our ambition to make Migros' specialist stores the benchmark here," explains Peter Petermann, who will lead WPP's Team Connect together with his colleagues Tobias Händler and Swen Morath. Team Connect won a four-month pitch against two other international agency holding companies and several local players. "We are convinced that we have found the right partner for our transformation in Team Connect. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our previous agencies for their great commitment and the incredibly professional handover process over the last few weeks," concludes Guhl.

According to the analysts at Turner & Townsend, 95 % of data center operators expect demand for data center services to increase. 2022 is expected to be a better year for them than 2021. 70 % believe that the data center market is virtually recession-proof. However, according to the latest ""Data Center Cost Index"" from analyst firm Turner & Townsend, opinions are divided on how data centers will manage the green transition. Growth drivers in the industry are likely to be, among other things, the further increasing digitization of business processes and the growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Adaptation to climate regulations 

According to the analysts, one of the biggest challenges for the industry is to adapt the current IT infrastructure and existing data center facilities to the new climate regulations. Despite high environmental awareness, only 40% of the industry believe their data centers will be CO2 free (net zero) in the next 5 years. Moreover, according to the index, opinions are divided on whether operators even know how to effectively reduce CO2 emissions. Due to the climate crisis, there is increasing pressure to reduce data center energy consumption. In response, some operators are trying to prepare for a bottom-up green transformation of the sector. Analysts cite the Climate Neutral Pact for Data Centers initiative as an example. Participants include Microsoft, Google and SAP, among others. About another example of how data centers can contribute to the reduction of CO2. recently reported here.

Popular markets struggle with first problems

The construction of new facilities itself will also pose a challenge. In the most sought-after locations such as Tokyo, Zurich or the FLAP-D market (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin), demand for real estate is outstripping supply. In addition, energy supplies are becoming scarce. As early as 2019, a report by the Irish Academy of Engineering pointed out that the increasing demand for central services in Dublin would require an expansion of the energy infrastructure there. The costs were estimated at 9 billion dollars over eight years. In terms of investment costs, the capital of Japan is currently the most expensive according to the Turner & Townsend Index. Statistically speaking, data centers there have to spend 12.5 US dollars for every watt of electricity consumed. The second most expensive data center location is last year's top performer - Zurich. The average cost in this Swiss city is 12.0 US dollars per watt. It is followed by Silicon Valley with an average cost of 10.3 US dollars per watt. The authors of the index point out that rising costs are influencing interest in investing in cheaper, developing markets. Poland, for example, is an attractive location for data centers, particularly in terms of price. "The Polish data center market is attractive to many foreign investors. The discussions we are having clearly show that we have a good location in the center of Europe, a high-quality IT infrastructure and relatively low real estate and energy costs compared to FLAP-D and Zurich," says Wojciech Stramski, CEO of Beyond.pl, an operator of data centers that are 100 % powered by green electricity.

Supply chain bottlenecks and increased prices delay construction of new data centers

The situation in the construction market is an additional challenge for data center operators. 87% of the companies surveyed by Turner & Townsend said that material shortages are causing delays in data center construction. This is compounded by increases in the price of construction materials. In Europe, steel prices are said to have more than doubled in the past 12 months. For this reason, analysts point out that it is becoming increasingly popular to upgrade existing facilities and buildings instead of investing in completely new data centers. However, according to experts, this approach also has its disadvantages. After all, quite a few server rooms are located in older buildings that are not ideally designed in terms of maintenance of critical IT infrastructures and energy efficiency, because such issues were not a priority at the time of construction. A new building on a greenfield site then seems to be the more optimal solution. Source reference:

• https://www.turnerandtownsend.com/en/perspectives/data-centre-cost-index-2021/
• https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Dublin-in-distress-Power-supply-issues-threaten-growth-of-Europes-second-biggest-datacentre-hub
• https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252469328/Irelands-power-network-needs-9bn-investment-by-2027-to-sustain-datacentre-sector-claims-report
• www.beyond.pl/de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/rechenzentren-globaler-markt-wird-wachsen/

IT service management alone is complex in large companies. Added to this is the management of the different roles and access authorizations of the various users. As a rule, identity access management (IAM) systems are implemented for this purpose, also in the form of IDaaS (identity as a service) solutions. One such solution, described as "particularly innovative" by the KuppingerCole Report in September 2021, comes from the manufacturer Clear Skye. It is based on ServiceNow, another cloud-based platform that digitizes and standardizes workflows. ServiceNow is now established as a solution in more and more companies. As a result, Clear Skye's solution should be of particular interest to such users. John Milbourn, CEO of Clear Skye, and Marco Rohrer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IPG Group, will explain more. The Kuppinger-Cole report highlights Clear Skye's IDaaS solution as an innovative solution for ServiceNow users. What makes the solution so unique for enterprises? JOHN MILBOURN: The more established an IT service management system is, the more difficult it is to implement a standalone IGA in an organization. The challenge is that the systems need to work together while being user-friendly. After all, with two separate systems for ITSM and IAM, end users must in practice "jump around" on a separate platform by linking between the different services (authorizations, HR, IT, EDP, etc.), or a complex integration of the two solutions must be undertaken. Clear Skye's IGA solution is a standalone ServiceNow module. As such, there is the distinct advantage of being able to access all types of IT services from one place through seamless integration. The user experience is greatly improved due to familiarity with the user interface. The entire service catalog thus has "One Face". However, this is not only beneficial for the end user, but also relevant for administration and operations. What does this mean for the implementation of the solution? JOHN MILBOURN: With our IDaaS solution, deployment is easier because only the IGA features need to be installed and configured, while the basic ServiceNow features already cover functions such as data stores and workflows. So if ServiceNow is already in use, adding Clear Skye takes very little time and effort. There is no need to set up a standalone system, but can buy directly from the ServiceNow store. How can you imagine this in concrete terms? JOHN MILBOURN: Deployment to the ServiceNow platform is straightforward and does not require the introduction of underlying technology such as databases or other components, as with traditional IGA projects. Clear Skye's IGA software transforms digital environments by aligning identity management with functions such as ITSM, CMBD, GRC and security operations in one centralized location. Integration into GRC/IRM is therefore extremely simple. MARCO ROHRER: Of course, individual user requirements can still be taken into account. During implementation, we work closely with Clear Skye and therefore have full manufacturer support directly. This close and uncomplicated cooperation enables a smooth process and a professional, satisfactory result for the customer. This looks like a simple workflow. Nevertheless, companies want to have a professional on hand to advise them. What opportunities does the partnership between Clear Skye and IPG Group offer? MARCO ROHRER: The IPG Group usually establishes the initial contact. Together with our manufacturer partner, we then develop an individual offer according to the customer's requirements. With our advisory service, we support the customer in an advisory capacity right from the start and also take on the entire project management as well as the technical consulting as a full service. Once the solution has been implemented, the question of operational support arises. What options are there for customers here? MARCO ROHRER: We generally recommend adapting the operation for Clear Skye to ServiceNow - if this is already in use. Individual vendor support for the IGA solution is covered by Clear Skye itself, which is like other solutions in the IAM environment. All other services such as 2nd level support and also consulting for further development are offered by IPG. Here, too, we work hand in hand and offer our customer the operating solution that suits them best, whether with a service contract with SLAs or on-call support.

Says John Milbourn, "With our IDaaS solution, deployment becomes easier because only the IGA functions need to be installed and configured."

IPG Group

The IPG Group has been a pioneer and expert in the field of identity and governance management for more than 20 years. The company counts well-known customers from all industries as well as public administration organizations in Switzerland, Germany and Austria among its users of comprehensive protection of user data and access rights. Over 1000 projects have been completed since 2001. > www.ipg-group.com

Clear Skye

Clear Skye is an Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) software company. It has developed new enterprise identity, access and risk management software to simplify the complexity of identity management. Clear Skye IGA is based on ServiceNow's Now platform and solves problems of traditional IGA solutions by leveraging the existing platform. > www.clearskye.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/it-service-management-und-iam-unter-einen-hut-gebracht/

Roman Balzan's primary task is to build trust and legitimacy for the startup in the outside world and in the digital world - firstly through Alpian's education and financial literacy platform i-vest.ch and secondly through various marketing and communication campaigns. Roman Balzan has been with Alpian since 2020. He previously held senior marketing positions at Google and the US scooter sharing giant Lime. He began his career at the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen / Venturelab and completed his studies in economics at the University of St. Gallen HSG. Schuyler Weiss, CEO of Alpian, says: "As 2022 will be a pivotal year for us, we strongly believe in Roman's ability to support our development and make Alpian a strong brand among innovative Swiss financial service providers. His experience and the work he has done since joining Alpian in 2020 are testament to his deep understanding of what Alpian is and wants to become: the world's first digital private bank that makes investing and premium banking accessible to all." Roman Balzan adds: "We have been developing Alpian and its brand for almost two years now and we are looking forward to 2022 as we expect key milestones to be reached. My main task has been to position Alpian as a disruptive and inspiring newcomer with a meaningful philosophy: Wealth goes beyond money; it's also about investing in yourself. Alpian wants to redefine the word 'investing' and I am very excited to be part of this journey."

For ten years, aforms2web has been contributing to the digitization of Swiss administration with its e-government solutions. The Austrian parent company aforms2web solutions & services GmbH, based in Vienna, is part of the DPI holding company, which is also Austrian. This is family-owned and has an annual turnover of around 70 million euros from communications services with more than 300 employees. In the last fiscal year, the company generated more than 50% of its sales in the Swiss and Liechtenstein markets.

No more tedious downloading of forms

aforms2web's products include the "AFORMSOLUTION (AFS)" forms solution. This allows online forms to be seamlessly embedded in the IT structure of the federal government and numerous administrations. This eliminates the tedious download and return of completed forms as well as the manual entry of data. Thanks to electronic business case processing, all processes are fully traceable. Since January 1, 2022, aforms2web has been present in Switzerland in the immediate vicinity of the Federal Palace in the city of Bern. This means that the company is now also available locally for its customers.

E-government solutions: Federal government and seven cantons as customers

At federal level in Switzerland, the Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP and the Federal Electricity Commission ElCom already rely on the trilingual forms from aforms2web. Since 2011, aforms2web has also been a partner for the entire lifecycle of online services in seven Swiss cantons (GL, LU, OW, SH, SO, SZ, ZG). In addition, there are municipalities and cities such as Winterthur, St. Gallen and Zug as well as customers from the social insurance sector. In the canton of Lucerne, thanks to the aforms2web solution, it is now possible to order Covid certificates, submit applications for hardship support for officially closed businesses, register inheritances or report the loss of a vehicle registration document, among many other things, with just one click. The canton of Zug and its municipalities have also implemented aforms2web's form solution, for example for the settlement of withholding tax, ordering vehicle inspection plates, permits for events, creating a purchase contract, application forms for energy subsidy programs and much more.

Compatible with the federal GEVER system

The interoperability solution with the standard software Acta Nova from GEVER, the business management system of the Swiss Federal Administration, opened up new business areas for aforms2web last year. More and more departments are interested in digitizing their services. "We locate great potential for our services. In the past, we have proven in Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein that we are a reliable and long-term partner for administrations and can implement functioning e-government solutions in a short time. We would like to continue this success story in Switzerland in the coming years," says Marvin Behrendt, the managing director of aforms2web AG. More information: www.aforms2web.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/e-government-loesungen-fuehrender-anbieter-kommt-in-die-schweiz/

The Swiss Cyber Security Days are now considered the leading Swiss platform dedicated to relevant cyber security topics. "Cyber: the fifth dimension" is the guiding theme on April 6 and 7. Transparency, knowledge transfer and open communication between representatives of politics, business, education and research form the core values of the event. In addition to an adapted concept with a combination of exhibition space and conference halls on one level, visitor guidance will also be optimized with an online platform and knowledge transfer better integrated for the Swiss Cyber Security Days 2022.

Swiss Cyber Security Days 2022 and the consequences of the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it recognizable that it is not only the biggest digitalization accelerator, but also a crime accelerator. The number of known serious security breaches in Switzerland has more than doubled since the outbreak of the pandemic, from over 42,000 in 2019 to almost 114,000 at present. The Confederation's cyber security delegate, Florian Schütz, will highlight the priorities and scenarios on the first day as part of the National Strategy to Protect Switzerland from Cyber Risks. In addition, Nathalie Gratzer, project manager at the Federal Office for National Economic Supply BWL, will provide information on the protection of critical infrastructures in Switzerland. Divisional Commander Alain Vuitel, Cyber Command of the Swiss Armed Forces, sheds light on the topic of cyber from a military perspective. Federal Prosecutor Stefan Blättler shows how cyber criminals are prosecuted in Switzerland and abroad, and National Councillor Judith Bellaiche knows that cyber security is now also increasingly becoming the focus of political demands.

Special focus: The healthcare sector

Representatives from the Geneva-based Cyber Peace Institute highlight the health sector's exposure to cyberattacks and how malicious actors took advantage of the critical situation during the pandemic and launched a series of campaigns and Ramsonware attacks. In the process, international protection organizations such as the ICRC were not spared. Such cyber operations can have significant humanitarian consequences, not least when services essential to civilians are also disrupted. At the already traditional panel of the World Economic Forum (WEF), chaired by board member Alois Zwinggi, the international cyber situation will be discussed with representatives of international organizations (including Europol) and Swiss Re's cyber officer Maya Bundt.

SME, Cyber Safe and Cyber Space

The second day of the Swiss Cyber Security Days 2022 will focus in the morning on SMEs, whose rapidly increasing dependence on IT systems and data also requires greater protection against cyber threats. Among other things, the cyber security label Cyber Safe, which was developed by a non-profit organization and is intended to show a way to overcome these challenges, will be presented. A high-level panel will highlight the benefits of the label, such as an affordable path to sound cybersecurity, a reliable cybersecurity assessment for insurers and increased credibility for IT providers. In the afternoon, Innosuisse Vice President Luciana Vaccaro, together with start-ups, will demonstrate the great potential of innovative developments in Switzerland and present the "Cyber Security Award" together with Tech4Trust. In addition to new developments on the Internet, the highlight of the day will be an international panel, also chaired by the WEF. The exciting thematic focus will be "Cyber in Space". High-ranking international representatives will bring visitors up to date with the latest knowledge on cyber in this sensitive area. The names of the panel participants will be announced at a later date.

Technical inputs and insights

The Expert Tracks on a separate stage will feature numerous technical inputs and insights with experts from Germany and abroad. Fil Rouge of this stage will be "A Virtuous Cyber Security Chain" with three heavyweights: Anticipation, Defense and Governance. This will highlight once again that nothing is safe and all data is at risk. The goal is to highlight the importance of security and risk management and a clear picture of the challenges. Further, malicious parties will be identified and the consequences of attacks will be highlighted. Over the two days, Expert Tracks will highlight the prerequisites for cybersecurity as well as management preparation and responsibilities. These Expert Tracks are designed to provide security managers with practical solutions to concretely improve the protection of the organizations for which they are responsible. More information: www.swisscybersecuritydays.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/swiss-cyber-security-days-2022-mit-breit-abgestuetztem-programm/

Skan AG from Allschwil in Switzerland, one of the leading suppliers in the field of pharmaceutical isolators, is one of the pioneering companies in the specialist areas of cleanroom equipment and the construction of cleanroom isolators for the pharmaceutical industry. Skan AG's products are designed for aseptic or aseptic-toxic applications and meet the highest standards of cleanliness. The systems protect the product, user and environment. For example, they hermetically seal off production areas for the manufacture of sensitive goods. Customers from all over the world rely on the first-class quality of the systems from Switzerland. It goes without saying that quality management is a high priority for the company. Until recently, Skan still used a paper-based quality management system. However, with the strong growth of the company, the effort required to maintain the QM system became ever greater. Regular, associated tasks, e.g. updating documents, tracking measures, continuous employee training and much more took on dimensions that could hardly be managed in this way, explains Christian Flüeler, Director Group Quality & Compliance at Skan AG. Those responsible therefore decided that a software-based QM system should replace the paper version of quality management in future - preferably an integrated management system that manages various standards and specifications under a uniform interface.

Implementation of the guidelines for "good working practice" simplified

The choice finally fell on the ConSense GxP Enterprise software solution. This is tailored to companies from strictly regulated industries, including medicine, medical technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. As an integrated management system, the software facilitates the implementation and fulfillment of the guidelines for "Good Working Practice" and supports compliance with various national and international guidelines, laws and standards with many helpful functionalities. These include the use of electronic approval workflows, complete documentation, reliable access protection through a detailed role and rights concept, the option of integrating online tests and training, and the creation of capability profiles that provide information on the status of employee capabilities. The enterprise version of the software is also tailored to organizations with multiple locations and more complex structures.

In June 2018, the introduction of ConSense GxP Enterprise began at Skan. First, the processes and documents relevant for the quality management standard ISO 9001 were integrated into the QM system, which had previously been checked for up-to-dateness. To create the processes, Skan used the process modeling tool integrated in the QM software, which allows any process to be easily and quickly mapped in the form of flowcharts. Functions and work areas were assigned to the respective responsible employees, thus clearly defining responsibilities. Department-specific processes, e.g. in human resources, in production or in the insulator manufacturer's warehouse, were later worked out by the respective departments themselves. In the end, Christian Flüeler and his employees only checked compliance with the specified form before the processes were approved by the supervisors of the respective departments. The go-ahead for the new integrated management system was given in mid-2019.

With software-based system to paperless documentation

The integrated management system now makes everyday work at Skan easier. It automatically compiles the relevant information for each of the more than 530 employees at the Allschwil site. The role and rights system stored in the system also regulates the distribution of content on an individual basis. Employees only receive the information they actually need in the current and valid version. Changes are communicated via the system, which prompts users to confirm that they have taken note of them. Searching for information is now also easier and faster for Skan employees, as Christian Flüeler recounts: "The ConSense software offers different ways here: Either you use the search function or you simply click on the corresponding sub-process in the process map. Links then take you to the stored information and documents. This is quick and easy and has contributed to a significant increase in employee acceptance of our QM system," says Christian Flüeler.

Modular system, adapted to needs

The ConSense software has a modular structure. Users such as Skan can add many different modules to their system - e.g. audit management, measures management, training management and many more - so that it covers their individual requirements. Among other things, Skan uses ConSense action management, which is used to centrally record and manage all actions that arise in the company, e.g. from audits, complaints, improvements or numerous other sources. "The software now makes it very easy for us to monitor corrective actions. Skan has always been good at rectifying errors quickly, but everyone knows that sometimes details are still missing and are left unresolved due to workload. This is unacceptable in the pharmaceutical industry, because everything has to be documented correctly and completely. This used to be extremely tedious and was done using Excel spreadsheets and paper forms. Now it is all done electronically. The system does not tolerate incomplete measures, reminds the people responsible and issues reminders. This helps us a lot to complete measures - especially those resulting from error reports - properly, document them completely and check their effectiveness," says the quality manager. Another module, ConSense training management, was one of the reasons why the manufacturer of insulators opted for the software from Aachen, as Christian Flüeler explains: "Our products are used to manufacture vaccines, among other things. Maximum safety is a must here. To achieve this, we have to prove that our employees in production know the processes and documents inside out. Regular face-to-face training courses are held at our Skan Academy, which must then be documented in order to be able to provide this proof at any time. We now also regulate this via our integrated management system." The module provides an optimal overview and promotes efficient processes and structured organization. For recurring training measures, the software automatically reminds you when refresher training is required. Christian Flüeler is pleased that he now has an electronic management system that offers the flexibility to adapt such changes quickly and with little effort: "Overall, our structures have become much more complex. Today, we would no longer be able to master all processes without a software-supported system."

Author

Dr. Iris Bruns is Managing Director of ConSense GmbH, Aachen (Germany). Another case study from her can be found here. More information: www.consense-gmbh.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/integriertes-managementsystem-im-einsatz-saubere-arbeit-auch-im-qualitaetsmanagement/