Swiss Award Corporate Communications will position itself even better in the future with partners such as the IAM Institute for Applied Media Science at ZHAW. The industry association pr suisse had already decided in 2015 to support the quality brand for Swiss corporate communications. For three years now, the president of the independent expert jury, Prof. Dr. Peter Stücheli-Herlach, has also come from this university.

With the new partnership, the basis of the only Swiss award for networked and high-performance corporate communications can be further strengthened, after the professional association pr suisse has already been involved as an exclusive industry partner since 2015.

The partnership with the university ensures, among other things, that students can be familiarized with the highest quality standards for corporate communications.

The Award

The Swiss Award Corporate Communications has been honoring outstanding projects in integrated corporate communications in Switzerland since 2005. This is done on the basis of simple but relevant criteria by an independent and honorary jury of experts. "We want a discussion about quality in corporate communications. Well-known colleagues are committed to this in the jury: competent, critical and well informed," says jury president Prof. Dr. Peter Stücheli-Herlach, who also serves on the organizing committee together with pr suisse president Peter Eberhard.

The Award presents nomination and main prizes at an annual public event. The Award is registered as a trademark with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. Thanks to the Institute's membership in the Global Alliance, nominated projects also have the exclusive opportunity to participate in the international Global Alliance COMM PRIX Award.

The exclusive industry partner since 2015 has been the Swiss professional association pr suisse. Projects for this year's award can still be submitted until July 25. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 17.30h at the Zurich club escherwyss.

www.award-cc.ch 

 

Zug, center of the "Crypto Valley"? The city of Zug has repeatedly made headlines in the digitalization scene in recent months. New technologies are not only being discussed, but tested and deployed right away. For example, since July 1, 2016, Zug residents have been able to pay with Bitcoins at the counter of the residents' registration office, and not just with Swiss francs.

Since July 2017, Zug now offers a blockchain identity for all residents. This is a blockchain-based digital identity solution developed in cooperation with the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the technology companies Consensys-uPort (Zug) and TI&M (Zurich). The app will provide all residents of Zug with a digital identity from September 2017.

A safe address for all

Based on the Ethereum blockchain, the largest blockchain 2.0, a person's identity is recorded by a newly developed app. This app is linked to a crypto address and verified. Specifically, Zug residents are to register themselves through the app. This E-ID, which was developed in Zug, is not read in central Switzerland, but rather "stored" in the blockchain in a tamper-proof manner. The city itself merely checks and confirms a person's identity after registration.

The pioneering project with the digital identity based on blockchain is a further step and a statement for the global digital community. The Mayor of Zug, Dolfi Müller, on this project:

"We are creating a single electronic identity - a kind of digital passport - for all kinds of applications"

International cooperation

Mathias Bucher, lecturer at IFZ, explains from his point of view the motives for the participation of IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in the joint project:

"Today, our digital identity still lies with large search engines and social networks that profit from it. However, a self-managed, secure and authenticated identity is indispensable for the functioning of an increasingly digital society. It speaks for Crypto Valley Zug that we can pragmatically realize such an identity in cooperation between research, industry and authorities."

Rouven Heck, Product Lead Digital Identity at Consensys, doubles down and emphasizes the advantages of uPort as a technological solution for the identity project of the city of Zug:

"By registering on the public, global Ethereum blockchain, the City of Zug offers its residents innovative access to both local and international services. This solution adds tremendous value in increased security by keeping private data under the complete control of individuals while enabling much smoother use of digital services." (Source: www.iso-20022.ch)

The city of Zug plans to gain further experience with blockchain applications by September 2017 and is expected to hold a consultative vote via e-voting in the spring of 2018 to ask the Zug population's opinion on the project. What may already work for the city of Zug as of September 2017 may also benefit other cities and regions.

 

Cornerstones of the Digital Identity

For years, digital identity eked out a shadowy existence without any concrete action or projects. Apart from SuisseID, which was put on the tarmac at considerable expense without ever really taking off, not much happened. Since 2016, formative groups around banks, postal services and transport companies have been focusing on concrete projects in the direction of blockchain technology. The official view of things comes with the statement of the Federal Council, which wants to create the framework for the new realities with its preliminary draft on electronic ID.

With a division of tasks between the state and the private sector, the issuing and handling of the digital ID is to be entrusted to private service providers. The draft will go out for consultation on February 22, 2017.

The canton of Zurich has formulated a counter-proposal that would like to tie the sovereignty over digital identity to the federal government, cantons and municipalities; only the necessary software is to be procured via third-party providers.

SwissSign, the joint venture between Swiss Post and SBB, is launching SwissID, which is to be introduced gradually from autumn 2017.

The eID+ (e-Government as a Service) developed by Procivis will be presented as a beta version of an integrated identity and service platform and will go live as early as May 2017.

The city of Zug presents the blockchain-based Digital Identity, developed in cooperation with the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the technology companies Consensys-uPort (Zug) and TI&M (Zurich). The app will provide all residents of Zug with a digital identity from September 2017.

You can find more details about the E-ID at www.iso-20022.ch and more generally on the site of the city of Zug under www.stadtzug.ch

 

The KOF study by ETH Zurich's economic research unit shows a "massive decline in working hours," according to study author Michael Siebenthaler: "It documents the impressive increase in prosperity in our society," because the Swiss would like to see themselves as hardworking and industrious. But the cliché is true the longer, the less.

Currently, an employed person works an average of around 1562 hours per year. In 1950, by contrast, people were still working 2,400 hours (see chart). They were content with two weeks of vacation, while today we allow ourselves an average of 5.2 weeks. There were only 5 public holidays; today there are 9.5. In addition, the six-day week was common, with only one in seven employees enjoying a Saturday off.

 

 

Working time: then and now

In the 1950s, the standard working week was 49 hours, and in the hospitality industry 55 hours was the norm. Today, the weekly target is met after less than 42 hours. At the same time, fewer and fewer people are working full-time: among women, the figure is just 41%. Among men, too, this figure has fallen to 83%. What's more, statisticians also consider anyone who has half a day off per week to be fully employed.

National differences

How strictly do people work in Switzerland compared to other countries? KOF expert Siegenthaler came across some surprising findings in his study. In many places in the world, the number of hours worked is significantly higher: In the USA, it's 1770 hours per year. The South Koreans slave away for their prosperity for as many as 2213 hours - the last time Switzerland worked that many hours was in 1966.

 

France has 35h week

Even compared to the French, who are not considered particularly diligent in this country, the lead of Swiss employees is only 90 hours per year - which corresponds to less than 30 minutes per working day. It is true that the French have a low statutory working time of only 35 hours. On the other hand, this standard is adhered to much more frequently: The part-time rate is only about half as high as in Switzerland, where it reaches 37%.

"We see the preference for more free time internationally - we are no exception in this respect," says Siegenthaler. So if people here hardly work longer hours than the French, the question arises: Couldn't Switzerland have introduced a 35-hour week just as well? Rudolf Minsch, chief economist of the Economiesuisse business association, answers in the negative, saying that one of Switzerland's main advantages is that a larger proportion of the population has a job.

In France, on the other hand, the rigid rules have forced many people out of the labor market, especially the socially weaker ones. "The example of France illustrates that rigid regulations are very harmful for the labor market," Minsch stressed in an NZZ text ("Von wegen fleissige Schweizer," NZZAS, July 8, 2017). "In our country, companies retain their flexibility - and yet employees benefit from decreasing working hours."

www.kof.ethz.ch

What does leadership mean in the digital age? Barbara Liebermeister, author of the book "Digital doesn't matter," says: "People remain people, the most innovative information and communication technologies don't change that." She has now drawn up 12 theses for management executives:

Thesis 1: Personality cannot be digitized!

That is why increasing digitization even requires more social competence and empathy in companies - because employees increasingly lack the desired support and the necessary orientation in a VUVA world characterized by permanent change and little ability to plan.

Thesis 2: People can only be led by people!

Skype, iPhone and the like often simplify our lives - but no computer program in the world can replace agile leaders who provide impetus, ideas and motivation for the people around them.

Thesis 3: Manager - rather a connoisseur of human nature than a technical expert!

Managers increasingly rarely have a knowledge advantage over their employees. They must rely on their expertise (and loyalty). Instead, it is becoming a core task of management to integrate specialists or employees with specialized knowledge into teams and to promote their individual strengths.

Thesis 4: Creativity is not programmable!

Creativity is a prerequisite for innovation and one of the central skills that distinguishes us humans from machines. "Developing team spirit," "resolving conflicts," and "creating identification with the job" - only agile leaders can help with these tasks, not zeros and ones.

Thesis 5: The principle of command and obedience has had its day!

Modern managers are not know-it-alls - and instructions such as "Do this or that and we'll be successful" are no longer effective. Instead, managers and their employees must meet as equals and work together in the process to determine which solutions will lead to the desired results.

Thesis 6: The answer to mechanization is more emotional intelligence!

The more emotionless and soulless technology is used in companies and their environment, the more consciously we must seek and shape personal, emotional interaction with one another. That is why the importance of emotional intelligence for leadership success is increasing.

Thesis 7: Leadership must provide orientation, support and security!

The more diffuse, unstable and characterized by change the corporate environment is, the more employees long for orientation and support as well as security. Ultimately, only their managers can satisfy this need when everything else in the environment is "fluctuating". This requires a trusting and appreciative relationship with each other.

Thesis 8: Leadership is relationship - flesh and blood leaders are required!

As a boss, it is always better to take a few moments to sit down and discuss problems and suggestions for improvement together than to send an emotionless e-mail - because in this case the manager (and the employee) cannot be experienced as a person. Body language and tonality, facial expressions and gestures are lost. Misunderstandings are therefore pre-programmed, which have a negative impact on the quality of the relationship.

Thesis 9: Leadership means reaching people and creating meaning!

The "digital natives" of Generation Y are hardly impressed and emotionally committed by the prospect of prestige and status in their jobs. Instead, the search for meaning and self-fulfillment are at the forefront for tomorrow's high performers. This is similar for today's high performers, who are often "digital immigrants". They, too, want to know "Why?" when it comes to projects and ask themselves "What does this mean for me - professionally and privately?" Creative leadership methods that take individual, personal needs into account are therefore in demand.

Thesis 10: Empathy creates the conditions for success!

Empathizing with the emotional world of your counterpart is an enormously important leadership tool. Because when employees are in a positive mood because they feel comfortable and appreciated, they are also willing to commit themselves - and thus the most important prerequisite for innovation is also fulfilled.

Thesis 11: Managers must become a "brand"!

Managers should be aware of their values, convictions and strengths and communicate them so that they become an unmistakable "brand" for their employees. Because only those who are authentic and clearly stand by their values and convictions will win the trust of people - including their employees.

Thesis 12: Nothing works without networking!

Anyone can have 1000 Facebook friends (... and buy them if need be). Networking offline takes more effort, but is crucial for success. Contacts and relationships can be initiated online, but trust requires face-to-face encounters. Professional networking requires the best of both worlds.

www.barbara-liebermeister.com

 

The majority of office workers surveyed (63 percent) expressed negative opinions about inadequate factors in the workplace. Added to this is the annoyance with technology: one in two feels that the technical equipment in their office is backward and restrictive and has to deal with major breakdowns and annoyances three times a day on average.

42 percent therefore prefer to work with their own laptops, tablets or smartphones, which are newer, faster and easier to use than office equipment. A further 40 percent of respondents say they have more often faked that a piece of work equipment is broken, just so they don't have to use it.

Motivation killer technology?

Overall, almost half (42 percent) of respondents are convinced that modern and easy-to-use technology in the workplace would have a positive impact on their motivation. 16 percent even believe that it would make them feel more connected to their employer and that they would not look for a new job.

The proportion was even slightly higher among the younger generation under 35, who grew up with digital technologies: Here, 49 percent believe that more modern technologies had a positive impact on their work ethic. In addition, digital natives stated with above-average frequency (56 percent) that they prefer to work with their own devices rather than resort to office technology, which is perceived as outdated.

"It's clear that companies need to invest much more than they have in the past in order to position themselves as attractive employers, especially for young talent from the digital native generation, and to retain them over the long term," says Alexander Hermann, Vice President Information Systems Europe at Sharp. Modern, uncomplicated technology plays an important role here, and factors such as attractive premises and a collegial atmosphere are among the most important prerequisites for greater satisfaction in the workplace.

For more information on the pan-European results, see: www.sharp.ch/Unlock

 

Augmented reality and artificial intelligence have so far been domains of specialists in the developer scene. Newly introduced tools should now allow developers of iOS apps to use these technologies somewhat for programming apps even without much specific know-how by providing prefabricated basic functions. In the case of the augmented reality framework ARKit, these are, for example, position recognition and the recognition of certain structures and objects.

Artificial intelligence learns to walk

For example, a technology called Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) allows Apple's ARKit software to very accurately track the position and movements of a device in a room without the need for calibration, Apple writes. ARKit can also recognize objects such as tables or the floor and place virtual objects on them and track them in turn.

Another development in the direction of artificial intelligence is called CoreML. This "few-line code" optimizes predefined machine-learning models "for various tasks". CoreML also supports app development. This includes not only text recognition or image analysis, but also the recognition and control of faces and objects. Last but not least, better and better APIs are available for speech interpretation.

Drone programming for kids

Swift Playgrounds, the learn-to-program app for iPad, is enhanced with new features that make learning to program robots, drones, and musical instruments possible. Swift Playgrounds is perfect for students and beginners to learn programming with Swift, Apple's powerful and intuitive programming language for building world-class apps.

Apple is working with leading manufacturers to make connecting Bluetooth-enabled robots in the Swift Playgrounds app as easy as possible. This also allows kids to program and control popular products like LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, Sphero SPRK +, Parrot drones and many more. The update to Swift Playgrounds 1.5 will be available as a free download from the App Store starting Monday, June 5.

LEGO promotes understanding of robotics

"More than one million kids and adults from around the world are already using Swift Playgrounds to learn the basics of programming with Swift in a fun and interactive way," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. "Now they can instantly see the lines of code they write and control their favorite robots right from Swift Playgrounds. It's an incredibly inspiring and powerful way to learn."

"Starting today, we're working with Apple to give even more people around the world the opportunity to learn programming," said Esben Stærk Jørgensen, president of LEGO Education. "We're combining the familiar LEGO bricks and our hands-on approach to learning through play in LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 with the powerful learning platform of Swift Playgrounds, so now anyone can program their LEGO MINDSTORMS creations in real Swift code."

With Swift Playgrounds, anyone can program and control these popular products with the app:

• LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 is for schools around the world. It makes it easy to understand programming by solving real-world problems as students develop and control their own LEGO robot characters, vehicles, machines or inventions. With Swift Playgrounds, kids can program, develop and control motors and sensors.
• Sphero SPRK +, a popular robotic sphere, rolls, spins, accelerates and changes its colors; sensors give feedback when Sphero hits an obstacle - all this can be controlled with Swift code.
• Parrot's drones such as Mambo, Airborne or Rolling Spider can take off, land, turn or perform various flight maneuvers such as flips with the help of the code programmed by the user.
• UBTECH's Jimu Robot MeeBot Kit lets kids program their buildable robot to walk, wave or dance.
• Dash by Wonder Workshop is an exciting hands-on learning robot suitable for students up to the end of elementary school, designed to teach the basics of programming, creative problem solving and computational thinking.
• Skoog is a tactile cube that allows all children - regardless of individual abilities - to have fun discovering, composing and playing music with Swift code.

More new settings and tools  

At the launch of the new iOS, Apple communicated in its usual grandiose manner - that iOS 11 represents "a giant leap" for the iPhone and even "a monumental leap" for the iPad. IT experts do not yet see this as a world leap. Most of them are content to list the announced new functions without hailing them in a big way. They concentrate on individual (ab)changes in the settings. For example, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo are no longer listed in the Settings app on the iPad.

The new features for the iPad should bring significant changes for users. However, non-iPad users will not be blown away by them, because they bring functions to the Apple tablet that have been integrated into PCs for a while. For example, you can now easily see what is stored where on the tablet in a new file system. A more accessible, swipeable dock is supposed to allow easy multitasking and switching between apps.

In addition, objects such as photos can now be copied from one app to another via drag and drop. There are also some improvements for the use of the Apple Pencil on iPads with iOS 11. For example, it should be much easier to add notes to PDFs or screenshots. Forms can also be scanned automatically with Notes and then filled out with the Pencil.

Universal pay functions?

Other announced innovations for the iPhone include the possibility to directly transfer amounts to other users via Apple Pay and Messages, a redesigned App Store, a more "natural" voice for Siri and various new photo manipulation options now dominate the scene. In addition, Apple seems to allow the use of the NFC function in iPhones not only via Apple Pay, but also apps from third-party developers, as has been reported in the past few days.

This could be of particular interest to developers of mobile payment solutions - however, as always, it should be interpreted with reservations: While mainly German-language media report this as fact, the usually well-informed English-language sites like 'Engadget' or 'The Verge' are more cautious and report that Apple "might open" the feature.

www.apple.com

 

Address management should not be underestimated. Data is the gold of the 21st century. Despite this, more than a quarter of all B2B addresses in companies are outdated, incorrect or incomplete. That's partly because data is not centrally managed in companies. But in 60 % of cases, human error is the cause. Grutzeck Software shows in a free e-book, how companies get a grip on the issue of data management.

"Every year, a large part of the address database becomes obsolete due to deaths, bankruptcies, relocations, etc." Markus Grutzeck, CEO of the CRM specialist Grutzeck Software, knows from numerous customer projects to report. Therefore, for him, a meaningful concept for address management is an essential building block for business success. In his new e-book, Grutzeck gets to the bottom of the causes of poor address quality and gives practical tips on how companies can professionalize their address management.

Technology plays an important role in address management today when it comes to analyzing, cleansing, protecting against errors and monitoring customer data in an ongoing process. The e-book from Grutzeck Software presents a four-stage data quality cycle for this purpose, which companies can use as a guide when planning and implementing their address management. A detailed checklist provides an overview of common functions in software-supported address management and helps in the selection of a suitable system.

For the author of the "Address Management" eBook, it is clear: structured address management pays off for every company and its employees. Because they save time searching for address data and costs incurred by incorrect or duplicate data records. Employees' confidence in the quality of the data grows, and with it acceptance within the company. In this way, address management can be turned from a tiresome chore into a real profit center.

The e-book "Guide to Address Management" can be downloaded from www.grutzeck.de can be downloaded free of charge.

According to an EY study, Switzerland is an unattractive location. Europe, on the other hand, is surprisingly attractive. The reason: Never before has so much been invested in companies from all over the world as today: The number of foreign direct investments in Europe rose by 16 percent to 5,873, as the current evaluation of the European Investment Monitor by the consulting firm EY shows.

This continues the trend of recent years: Since 2012, Europe has seen a continuous increase in the number of direct investments - in the last three years, growth has even been in double digits. This investment activity is also reflected in the labor market. Last year, companies announced the creation of over a quarter of a million jobs in Europe with their foreign direct investments.

Switzerland loses ground

The situation is different in Switzerland, where the Swiss location is unattractive: Here, the number of investment projects from abroad fell slightly from 90 to 88 projects. In 2015, the increase was already significantly below the growth of Europe as a whole. And Switzerland is also lagging behind Europe in terms of longer-term development: The number of investment projects is still around 50 percent below the pre-crisis level.

"The results for Europe are very pleasing, but the Swiss figures make me less happy. Although Switzerland as a location has been ahead in terms of national debt, unemployment, growth and infrastructure for decades, the strong franc has meant that the number of investments from abroad has been low for a very long time and no longer reaches the level of before the global financial crisis," says Marcel Stalder, CEO of EY Switzerland.

Location consensus under pressure

Philip Robinson, Tax Partner and Member of the Board of Directors of EY Switzerland, adds: "Compared to the time before the financial crisis, Switzerland has also become less attractive as a business location due to the uncertainty about the future shape of the corporate tax reform, which has lasted for several years. The adoption of the Minder initiative and the mass immigration initiative are further elements that have deterred companies from investing in Switzerland. The rejection of the first draft of the Corporate Tax Reform III has also shown that the location consensus that has existed in Switzerland for decades can no longer be taken for granted."

Despite the stagnation in direct investment projects, the number of new jobs created by foreign investment in Switzerland jumped from just under 1,400 last year to more than 3,400. However, this record figure is attributable to a few large projects; the number of jobs created is basically still below the level of 2007 and 2008.

Switzerland remains one of the largest investors

Switzerland carried out 289 investment projects in other European countries last year, putting it in sixth place ahead of G7 countries such as Japan and Italy. In a per capita comparison, Switzerland carries out by far the most investment projects abroad in Europe. The number has more than doubled since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2009 and has increased steadily over the past four years. Swiss companies also create a lot of jobs: The EY study counts over 7,100 jobs created as a result of direct investments in other European countries.

One in four direct investment projects by Swiss companies within Europe served to establish or expand production capacities; almost 3,200 new jobs were created in the process. Typical projects are plants for the production of components for vehicles, food processing plants or factories for the production of construction materials. Eastern Europe is often the target of such investments - almost every second manufacturing job created by Swiss companies is in this region. Poland benefited the most out of the total of 13 target countries.

Swiss companies initiate the most investment projects - albeit usually on a smaller scale - within Europe in the area of sales and marketing. In this way, they open up new markets.

More details from the European Investment Monitor of the consulting firm EY can be found at here

 

 

Personnel Selection Seeks Excellence is the title of an interesting report by Thomas Völkl. Völkl is convinced: "Finding the best employees and attracting them to the company is becoming the central key to economic success. The future of a company is no longer decided solely on the customer market, but increasingly on the applicant market." This makes it all the more important to recognize the challenges in personnel management and to build up methodological competence in the company in good time.

"The goal is excellent personnel selection. The basis is an optimal process that works with and for people," says Thomas Völkl, book author.

Systematic applicant management

To be successful as a company in the long term, one factor is crucial - systematic applicant management. The reality is different: For many companies, the search for a new employee is more of a chore than a pleasant freestyle activity. When an application arrives in the mailbox, it often takes days for the candidate to receive confirmation of receipt due to a lack of time. After checking the documents, further information has to be requested. And already the applicant finds himself in the tedious and unmanageable jungle of online forms that can neither be saved nor mastered in a short time.

The job interview conducted between "door and door" gives the candidate the feeling of being more of a nuisance than of importance. This is not surprising; after all, the "info@..." address in the job ad without a contact person also suggests little individuality.

The result is an anything but positive "Candidate Experience". It is hardly to be expected that the applicant will remember the company in a strikingly positive way or proactively recommend it to other people. Yet the employee search process has one major advantage for companies: By describing the new positions, an internal search process is triggered. After all, anyone looking for new employees needs to know who they are, what makes them tick, what distinguishes them and what sets them apart from others.

Mr. or Mrs. Right wanted  

There are worlds between the personnel selection of yesterday and today. Not to mention what will be possible and necessary tomorrow. Companies have barely figured out what Generation Y wants, when Generation Z sets completely new priorities. The days when desks were bent with applications are long gone. Without selection, however, the successful search for the right candidate has also become significantly more difficult in many areas.

Companies have long been the new applicants and must take on their tasks: To stand out from the rest through unique selling points and excellent application management. This is not made any easier by the fact that very well-prepared applicants are increasingly meeting unprepared companies. In addition, the Internet has virtually revolutionized the application process. Anyone who has not recognized this will certainly have to contend with completely different difficulties in the search for Mr. or Mrs. Right in the future.

Here, the most important steps for HR professionals (see full report "Personnel Selection Seeks Excellence") are clearly defined:

1. Paying attention to what the present says
2. View personnel selection as a marketing tool
3. Conduct the application process in an appreciative manner right from the start
4. Know exactly who you are looking for
5. Know who you are even better
6. Cast the previous thoughts into a job ad
7. Actively use all search options (online, internal, external)

The agony of choice

If a company has the choice between several or even very many applicants, it has done an excellent job. But what comes next? A veritable jungle awaits the HR manager, which, depending on how much experience someone has with selection processes, seems impenetrable to many. It is anything but easy to keep track of the hiring filters within an application process. First a work sample, then the online test? Or psychological testing and no assessment center for that? And when and how does the interview even make sense in the process? Two questions arise:

• Which hiring filters make sense for our company and in relation to the position we are trying to fill?
• In which order should the selected filter methods be arranged?

There are different ways of designing the application process with different hiring filters (central, in-depth, exceptional). The goal of the joint journey is always a recommendation list that the company can use to decide for or against a candidate. A route plan through the jungle of hiring filters is helpful for this.

To reach the destination, intermediate destinations and filter options are available. Some are directly on the selected route and are already known. Typically, the document check and a trial period are among them. Others - a work rehearsal or a technical presentation to the team - require a somewhat larger arc and associated longer travel time to ultimately reach the destination as well. Still others - a joint customer visit or a spontaneous lunch - are at first glance absolutely not on the way and require unexpected detours and new paths.

With new insights, however, companies can reach their goal - you can find further recommendations from Thomas Völkl at   www.thomasvoelkl.de

What does "Digital Learning" mean? With the TRACKER learning platform, CREALOGIX offers a modern and user-friendly solution for in-company training and continuing education. Thanks to the modular concept, training companies can put together their own course packages. In addition, all modules can be individually adapted to the needs of the company in terms of content and visual appearance.

Enrich courses ideally

With TRACKER, in addition to learning modules (Web Based Trainings WBT), video learning or exams, getAbstract book summaries are now also integrated into the courses as independent learning objects. This gives TRACKER users direct access to the entire getAbstract online library for the preparation and follow-up of learning initiatives.

Seamless integration

getAbstract offers five-page abstracts of thousands of business and management books online via the CREALOGIX learning platform. The abstracts can be seamlessly combined with standard CREALOGIX solutions to form course packages. The thematic packages developed together with leading subject experts are characterized by a high degree of interaction.

They activate learners and guide them unerringly through training topics. This enables maximum knowledge transfer within the shortest possible time.

For more information on the getAbstract Oline library and continuing education modules, visit.  www.getabstract.com and www.crealogix.com

 

 

Whether as a start-up aid for an online magazine, a company or a youth culture project, crowdfunding is increasingly gaining acceptance as an alternative financing channel. For the fourth time, the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts has published the "Crowdfunding Monitoring Switzerland". This shows that the Swiss crowdfunding market increased extraordinarily in 2016: The volume now stands at 128.2 million Swiss francs and has increased by 363 percent compared to the previous year (27.7 million Swiss francs). The analysis was supported by the Swiss crowdfunding platforms.

Crowdfunding in international comparison

The Swiss market is not yet able to keep pace with the leading crowdfunding markets such as the USA, China or the UK. However, Switzerland has come somewhat closer to the leading countries in terms of both total volume and volume per capita. Today, an average of 15.50 Swiss francs per person is invested in Switzerland. "The Swiss market has also caught up with the leading countries in terms of the number of active platforms and the diversity of offerings over the past year," says study co-author and finance professor Andreas Dietrich.

Strong volume growth

In 2016, the number of campaigns and the volume increased significantly in all five categories. These are crowdsupporting, crowddonating, crowdinvesting, crowdlending and invoice trading (see box for details). Crowdlending recorded the largest increase (+597% to CHF 55.1 million), followed by crowdinvesting (+453% to CHF 39.2 million). Crowdsupporting/Crowddonating (+37% to CHF 17 million), as well as Invoice Trading (CHF 17 million), ranked third. For the first time since 2012, the crowdsupporting/crowddonating area, which often involves the support of creative and cultural projects, was replaced as the category with the highest volume by the areas of crowdlending and crowdinvesting, which are aimed more at financial gains.

Real estate crowdfunding as a growth driver 

"In the areas of crowdlending and crowdinvesting, new platforms and offerings have emerged that have contributed strongly to growth," says Andreas Dietrich. These include the submarket of real estate crowdinvesting, which has only existed in Switzerland since 2015 and already reached a volume of CHF 32.4 million in 2016. With real estate crowdinvesting, investors can become co-owners of a property. The campaign volumes brokered are correspondingly high: "With an average volume of 2.7 million francs, these real estate investments record significantly higher sums than, for example, projects in the cultural and creative industries with an average of 13,000 francs," says Dietrich. Similarly, in crowdlending, loans to SMEs multiplied in 2016 to 28.1 million francs (previous year: 0.6 million francs).

In the crowdsupporting and crowddonating area, projects were brokered for a total of CHF 17 million. The largest share was accounted for by projects in the fields of technology and start-ups (CHF 5 million), sports and health (CHF 2.6 million), and music and concerts (CHF 1.9 million).

Family, friends and increasingly professional investors 

Furthermore, the study authors note that crowdfunding is increasingly attracting the interest of professional investors in addition to families and friends: "We expect that larger companies will also become increasingly involved in crowdfunding," says Dietrich. On the one hand, well-known companies will use crowdfunding as a digital sponsorship channel and for marketing purposes. On the other hand, professional investors, such as pension funds, will increasingly finance various loans and invoices.

Renewed growth in 2017

With the strong changes in 2016, the study authors expect further growth of the crowdfunding market in 2017 with a volume of 300 to 400 million Swiss francs. "In particular, providers in the area of real estate crowdinvesting, in the area of SME crowdlending as well as crowdlending for mortgages will increase the volume above average," says Dietrich. He also expects high growth in crowdsupporting in the sports sector: "Clubs in particular are increasingly discovering crowdfunding as a source of financing, for example for new sports equipment, hall or pitch renovations."

 

Here the current study "Crowdfunding Monitoring Switzerland" can be downloaded free of charge in German and English.

Five forms of crowdfunding

• Crowdsupporting: Often for creative and cultural projects as well as campaigns from the sports sector. The investor receives a one-time return for his contribution in the form of products, artistic works or services. Those who co-finance a book, for example, receive a copy free of charge.
• Crowddonating: Primarily for social, charitable and cultural projects (e.g. donations to aid organizations). The support contributions are pure donations that are not linked to any consideration in return.
• Crowdinvesting: A start-up raises capital for the implementation of its business idea. In return, investors share in the company's success. Real estate crowdfunding, in which investors become co-owners of a property, also falls into this category.
• Crowdlending: Arranging loans to companies or private individuals. In return, the lenders expect a return commensurate with the risk. The projects financed in this way vary widely: from family cars and wedding preparations to SME loans or second mortgages.
• Invoice Trading: SMEs can have their outstanding invoices prefinanced by investors in order to bridge payment periods and free up liquid funds. The investors receive a return in return.                                                 (Source: HSLU)

Mobility and transport infrastructures are of great importance in Switzerland. This is demonstrated by federal votes, such as the one on the financing and expansion of the rail infrastructure FABI or on the creation of a fund for national roads and agglomeration traffic NAF. Since a large part of traffic occurs in cities and agglomerations, a sustainable and functional transport policy in urban areas makes a decisive contribution to the competitiveness and quality of life of the entire country.

In the last forty years, the number of passenger kilometers traveled by road and rail has doubled. A large part of this passenger traffic takes place in urban areas. The "Statistics of Swiss Cities 2017" provides data on various aspects of urban mobility, such as bus stop density or commuter density.

High commuter shares

In the choice of transport mode for commuting, public transport (öV) comes to 30 % throughout Switzerland, while the share of motorized private transport (MIV) is 54 %. In cities and urban municipalities, MIV comes to 51 % for municipalities with a population of less than 10,000 people. As the population increases, the MIV share decreases:

In the big cities, only 25 % commute by car. In contrast, the public transport share in the large cities is 53 %. The highest public transport shares are found in Zurich (65 %), Bern (55 %), Thalwil (53 %), Basel (52 %) and Lausanne (52 %).

Degree of motorization and density of stops

The expansion of public transport also led to a decline in the level of motorization, at least in the major cities. Whereas in 2007 there were still 0.42 passenger cars per inhabitant there, in 2015 the figure was only 0.37. This corresponds to a decrease of 12 %. In the other municipality size classes, however, the motorization rate has risen since 2007.

The largest increase was recorded in cities with 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants and municipalities with a population between 15,000 and 19,999. In medium-sized cities, the motorization rate increased by 0.05 vehicles per inhabitant (from 0.43 to 0.48 cars per inhabitant) and by 0.03 (from 0.51 to 0.54) in small towns, respectively, since 2007.

Most PWs in Cham/ZG

The highest number of passenger cars per inhabitant is found in Cham (0.77), Urdorf (0.76), Freienbach (0.75), and Schlieren (0.73). On the other side of the scale are Basel (0.33), Zurich (0.35), Lausanne and Geneva (0.37 each). The closest to the Swiss average of 0.53 cars per person are Baden and Arosa.

For more facts - for example, on the different wage and gender shares of Mr. and Mrs. Swiss - see this PDF of the Federal Statistical Office.