The history of PKZ is a family story: Maurice Burger, a fifth-generation descendant, now sits on the Board of Directors. Founded in 1881 by Paul Kehl, CEO Manuela Beer today leads Switzerland's largest independent fashion house operationally into the future. In recent years, for example, PKZ has successfully established itself as an omni-channel company; its 40 stores throughout Switzerland are now interlinked with a steadily growing online store. Last year alone, sales in the online store doubled.

Fashion house PKZ focuses its roots

When founder Paul Kehl opened the first clothing factory in Winterthur at the end of the 19th century, he laid the foundation for a success story. With foresight and a portion of courage in his luggage, he moved the business to Zurich and renamed it PKZ. His initials and those of the Limmat city still stand for the entrepreneurial spirit that has always characterized PKZ. Until 1974, PKZ operated two factories of its own and exported its prestigious men's collection throughout Europe. In the meantime, the fashion house - which has also been selling women's fashion since 1997 with the acquisition and consolidation of Feldpausch - focuses on its roots, Switzerland.

Economic times are challenging. Nevertheless, the fashion house PKZ is swimming against the tide - a strategy that has proven its worth: "We invest anti-cyclically, go our own way - and our success proves us right," says CEO Manuela Beer. In the spring, the 40th store was opened with the PKZ MEN store at Zurich's Löwenplatz. Further expansions are planned. Beer attaches particular importance to the experience character of the stores. The wide range of top labels complements the own brands Paul Kehl, Paul and Burger, and in the anniversary year the young Pauline line will be added. Two Paul Kehl capsule collections for men and one for women have been specially designed for the anniversary. At the same time, the made-to-measure segment, one of PKZ's USPs, is being continuously expanded.

Artist campaigns and cooperation with ZHdK

It is still the same attributes that characterize the PKZ fashion house, even after 140 years, according to the company itself: Innovation and pioneering spirit. PKZ offers fashion for every occasion - staged early on by later top models such as Patricia Schmid, Sarina Arnold and David Gandi. Even the internationally successful photo artist Rankin photographed a campaign for PKZ in 2005. Founder Paul Kehl already knew about the power of images. Over the years, PKZ has commissioned more than 150 poster designs from renowned artists such as Karl Bickel, Niklaus Stoecklin and Emil Cardinaux. Today, the posters are traded as collector's items, fetch top prices at auctions, and even hang in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Since PKZ is particularly keen to promote young talent, a young generation of artists is being called upon to mark the anniversary: PKZ has commissioned students from the Zurich University of the Arts to create a campaign around the 140th anniversary. The posters, prints and videos will be awarded prizes and presented at an exhibition, and two limited-edition T-shirts will also go on sale. Future generations are also being promoted in-house. On average, PKZ trains 75 apprentices per year. External training opportunities also ensure excellent development prospects.

Double reason to celebrate: anniversary events and a sustainable strategy

Customers can look forward to the anniversary year in particular, with lots of attractive offers and a digital fashion show from the Toni area, at which the new fashion trends will be presented on September 16. Already on September 11, an aperitif was held in all stores to toast the anniversary. "We are proud of our history and what PKZ has achieved in 140 years - we want to share this joy with our customers. At the same time, we are giving a preview of what the future holds," says CEO Manuela Beer. Because the anniversary also marks the start of a new fashion era. PKZ has hired a sustainability expert to support the company on its way to a greener future. As part of the "WE CARE" initiatives, which ensure greater transparency with regard to materials and production, sustainable labels such as Armedangels, Lanius and Calida complement the range. PKZ has done pioneering work over the past 140 years and has always looked ahead - now the success story is to be continued.

Source and further information: PKZ 

While many companies are still concerned about the packaging of their products, the situation is unfortunately often different when it comes to outer packaging. Many goods are still not securely packaged, for example, or the quality of the outer packaging is compromised. Repackaging should not only protect the product, but also the surrounding packaging. At best, the product and its packaging arrive at the customer's premises in the same condition as when they left the warehouse.

The role of high-quality and well thought-out outer packaging in particular will become increasingly important in the future. For years, the Swiss have been at the top when it comes to online shopping. In 2018, a full 75 percent of all people ordered something online in the last three months at the time of the survey - and the trend is rising. Only in the UK did people order more online. Today, with the increasing importance of the home office, deliveries are once again more important - also Groceries and food are often delivered. All these goods have to reach customers by mail. And they only survive this well, without exception, if thought has gone into the outer packaging.

Product packaging: Important features

Before it comes to the outer packaging, each product must be packaged "well". The quality of a package is characterized by various properties. Basically, it should give a product light protection from friction or gentle shocks. However, it is more likely to be of cosmetic use than of practical use. In other words, it is mainly the design that counts, which should be appealing and well thought out.

Simplicity
Well-designed product packaging is characterized by simplicity and unambiguity. The motto "less is more" applies here as hardly anywhere else. At best, the packaging should make it clear at a glance which product it contains and which brand is behind it.

Of course, a deliberate opposite approach can also be taken. Interest can also be aroused through restraint and mysteriously ambiguous packaging. However, smaller companies with little reputation are not advised to do this.

Individuality
Nothing is worse than a generic design that hardly stands out from other product packaging or, in the worst case, even resembles an already familiar product. In order to make a product packaging as individual as possible, on the one hand the packaging should be tailor-made to fit the product. On the other hand, a high-quality, independent and appealing design should be created, which at best is part of the corporate identity.

Help with design is now even offered by print shops on the Internet themselves, providing templates and samples and guiding through the design process. In the process easy to understand and detailed instructions which basically anyone can use to create a simple packaging design. Those who do not have basic design skills themselves are nevertheless well advised to enlist the help of a trained graphic designer.

Stylishness
This also leads us to the third point, stylistic confidence. Stylishness in this case means that the product packaging should be "well thought out" and "well-rounded. In the design of the packaging, for example, elements can be picked up in some way that skilfully reflect the characteristics of the product.

But stylish also means thinking creatively when it comes to product packaging. Take the Heinz ketchup bottle, for example. As soon as the company packaged the ketchup in plastic and turned it upside down as a "squeeze bottle," sales figures once again increased significantly.

Repackaging: Bringing goods safely to the customer

Quality and size
Goods only reach the customer safely in their packaging if the outer packaging is also right. The quality of the selected cardboard packaging and the size are particularly decisive. It is better to spend a little too much than too little on the stability and security of a carton. After all, poorly packaged goods cause unnecessary hassle and lead to additional costs and often to complaints. As a rule, you can't go wrong with 2- and 3-wall corrugated cardboard boxes made of kraft paper.

As far as size is concerned, it is better to opt for cartons that tend to be too large. The free space between the packaging and the outer packaging can then be lined with cushioning and filling material to cushion the goods.

Upholstery
Cushioning and filling material comes in different forms. It protects the goods from bumps and shocks and prevents slipping inside the outer packaging.

Bubble wrap or foam films are best for lightweight products. Heavy goods are best protected with generous paper cushions. Hollow spaces are additionally best filled with packaging chips or paper chips.

Additional protection
Furthermore, there are various protective measures for special goods. Products that need to be protected from electrostatic charge, for example, must be packed in antistatic packaging. On the other hand, to protect a product from electrical discharge, conductive packaging made of bubble wrap or bubble foam, for example, is necessary. If goods are susceptible to moisture, desiccants in the form of bags, rods, mats or cushions that are placed in the package are suitable.

Proper bonding and special markings
Gluing the outer packaging also contributes to the safety of the goods. Cardboard is basically one of the best carrier materials. There are qualitative differences in the adhesive tape. PVC adhesive tape with natural rubber adhesive has the strongest force and is therefore particularly suitable for heavy goods. PP adhesive tapes, which are also available with acrylate or hot-melt adhesive, are perfectly adequate for light to medium-weight goods.

It is also important to tape the packages all around so that there are no large openings into which dust, dirt or water can penetrate particularly easily.

Load securing

Anyone who delivers goods to customers independently should ultimately ensure good load security during transport. This depends on the choice of the right pallets and suitable anti-slip intermediate layers as well as appropriate securing methods. Whether stretch film, shrink hood, lashing straps or strapping bands - the main thing is that the goods are securely fastened in the delivery vehicle and cannot slip. Then nothing stands in the way of safe delivery.

Author
Mark Schulz is a marketing expert with a focus on product marketing. For several years, he has been independently advising companies on all aspects of developing and designing appealing marketing campaigns and optimizing product peripherals. The related topics of product packaging and shipping always play an important role here.

The total distributions, consisting of dividend payments, distributions from share premiums and par value reductions, of all companies listed on the Swiss Performance Index (SPI) amounted to 47.6 billion Swiss francs for the 2020 financial year. According to the financing study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, this is only five percent less than for the 2019 financial year. The fact that the dividends of the SPI companies remained stable in total despite the COVID 19 crisis was not to be expected, according to the study authors. Thomas K. Birrer, editor of the study and lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, is pleased with the low impact of the COVID 19 crisis: "Although companies have reduced their share buybacks by 30 percent, distributions have remained surprisingly stable and there has been no widespread increase in debt. This is overwhelmingly positive news and the data shows that listed Swiss companies are mostly very solidly financed." A similar stable picture was seen among SMI companies. Only the mid-sized companies (SMIM) saw a significant reduction in dividends.

Not a classic IPO

2020 will go down in the history books as a year without a "classic" Swiss IPO, although international IPO activity was unexpectedly high. However, with the spin-offs Ina Invest (from Implenia) and V-Zug (from the Metall Zug Group), spin-offs and thus new listings did take place. Overall, capital increases totaling more than CHF 4.0 billion were carried out in 2020.

More interest-bearing debt

As of the end of 2020, the 199 non-financial companies surveyed had the following capital structure of the cumulative balance sheet total of 819 billion Swiss francs: 44.1 percent equity and 55.9 percent debt (FC).

The current interest rate situation in Switzerland is also noticeable in the increase in companies' short- and long-term interest-bearing liabilities. Between 2011 and 2020, interest-bearing liabilities increased by 40 percent to a total of 224 billion Swiss francs, which corresponds to an increase of 87 billion Swiss francs. On average, this is more than 3.5 percent per year. In the period under review, the change in accounting rules for lease liabilities was one of the reasons for an increase in interest-bearing liabilities of more than 30 billion Swiss francs in the years 2018 to 2020.

The effective borrowing costs of the companies surveyed have fallen since 2011, in some cases significantly. The median cost of debt (calculated as interest expense / interest-bearing debt) for 2020 is 2.04 percent, with the individual companies showing widely diverging borrowing costs.

Fundamentally healthy debt

With the increase in interest-bearing debt, net debt has also increased by around 83 percent since 2014. Likewise, the median net debt/EBITDA ratio increased from 0.39x in 2011 to 0.70x in 2020. The median net debt/EBITDA ratio for large caps is 1.60x, which is significantly higher than for mid caps (0.53x) and small caps (0.92x).

Impact of Covid-19 on the capital structure

The COVID 19 crisis has not brought about any significant change in the capital structure of the companies studied compared with previous years. The composition of the cumulative balance sheets of the analyzed companies remained relatively constant in the last three years, with a slight decrease in equity by a few percentage points and simultaneous expansion of long-term debt. Compared with 2019, higher net issuance activity was observed in 2020. This is at the second highest level in the last ten years.

Sustainability on the rise

Sustainable business and the resulting ESG (environmental, social and governance) guidelines are steadily gaining ground. The global green bond market is showing high growth momentum. For example, the global market volume increased from less than $30 billion to around $1,000 billion in the last six years. In Switzerland, the outstanding green bond volume increased from zero francs to more than six billion francs in the last four years. At first glance and compared to the total bond volume outstanding, this appears to be little, but the growth trend is likely to continue in the future. It is therefore not surprising that the volume of outstanding green bonds from Swiss issuers increased by 23 percent in the first half of 2021, as the financing study further notes.

Source: Lucerne University

For the eleventh time, the Award Show brought together the most promising Swiss startup CEOs with Swiss and international investors, executives and journalists on September 8, 2021. What started with the first publication of the ranking in 2011 has evolved into a comprehensive selection of events and activities, including an Award Night, to which invited guests are admitted, the Investor Summit, where hand-picked TOP 100 startups present to selected Swiss and international investors, regional pitch events organized together with presenting partner Credit Suisse, and the Scale-up ranking. The TOP 100 Swiss Startups magazine reports on all these events and news with editorial content in German, French, English, Chinese and - for the first time in 2021 - in Japanese.

Overall, the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award is a success story: To date, a total of 470 startups have received awards. Swiss startups have raised 7.3 billion Swiss francs and created 11577 jobs. 59 exits and 5 IPOs have been recorded so far. And last but not least: The 100 Best Startups 2021 records 63 women in leadership positions and 19 co-founders.

Not an easy year for Swiss startups

The pandemic also had an impact on the startup scene. "Last year was not easy, but the Swiss startup ecosystem has shown that it is resilient and thrives under pressure. Celebrating the TOP 100 means celebrating all entrepreneurs in these turbulent times," says Jordi Montserrat, Managing Partner at Venturelab. "We begin the second decade of TOP 100 Swiss Startups not only with a new location, but also with a wide range of innovations that will positively impact our lives and strengthen Switzerland's position as a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The two keynote speakers of the evening illustrated the strength of the Swiss startup ecosystem and showed the potential of the TOP 100 startups: Ulf Grawunder is founder and CEO of Basel-based NBE Therapeutics, a startup acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim in December 2020 for EUR 1.18 billion. Fabien Jordan is co-founder and CEO of Astrocast, a Lausanne-based company that went public in August. "NBE Therapeutics and Astrocast have recently made headlines - during a pandemic that has been challenging for many - and we are delighted that they are sharing their experiences with TOP 100 entrepreneurs, investors and partners," said Stefan Steiner, co-managing director of Venturelab and TOP 100 director.

The 100 Best Startups 2021: Planted Foods, CUTISS and 9T Labs are the winners of the evening

Three startups from the foodtech, biotech and engineering sectors lead the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Ranking 2021. Planted Foods, CUTISS and 9T Labs show the diversity and potential of Swiss startups: they are on average three years old, have together created over 140 new jobs and raised CHF 80 million in investments.

• First rank: Planted Foods (www.eatplanted.com): Turning plants into meat. The Zurich-based startup is revolutionizing the food industry by making plant-based protein from 100% animal product-free ingredients. Planted Foods' vegan meat alternatives contain no additives, chemicals, GMOs, antibiotics or hormones. Planted Foods was founded in 2019 by Christoph Jenny, Eric Stirnemann, Lukas Böni and Pascal Bieri. The startup ranked 37th in 2020.
• Second place: CUTISS (www.cutiss.swiss): CUTISS is a biotech startup capable of producing large quantities of customized human skin grafts. The product, denovoSkin™, is a safe, effective and accessible therapy for children and adults who have suffered large-scale burns or scalds. CUTISS' human skin grafts are expected to result in minimal scarring after transplantation. The Zurich-based startup was founded in 2016 by Dr. Daniela Marino (CEO) and Dr. Fabienne Hartmann-Fritsch (CCO) and won first place in 2020.
• Third place: 9T Labs (www.9tlabs.com): A new way to manufacture carbon composites. Zurich-based 9T Labs offers a manufacturing solution that makes high-performance parts easily accessible. The startup's all-in-one hardware, software and materials solution offers customers a cost-effective and easy way to design and mass-produce ultralight parts for sectors such as the medical, aerospace and automotive markets. The engineering startup was founded in 2018 by Martin Eichenhofer, Chester Houwink and Giovanni Cavolina and placed sixth in 2020.

The complete list of the 100 Best Startups 2021 and the 10 winners of the TOP 100 Public Voting can be found here. here.

Targeting the growth of Swiss scale-ups

In 2019 and 2020, just over CHF 2 billion was invested annually in Swiss startups for the first time. Despite the coronavirus crisis, Swiss startups have already raised this amount by July 2021 and are heading for an impressive record. Significantly more than half of this investment volume is attributable to alumni of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups - including wefox's USD 650 million fundraising round or SOPHiA GENETICS' IPO on Nasdaq. To lay a solid foundation for future fundraising success stories, the TOP 100 Investor Summit, invited selected startups that are looking for capital. The startups had the opportunity to network with hand-picked Swiss and international Super Angels, venture capitalists, corporate investors and family office representatives from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Switzerland and to present their innovations.

Between September 7 and 11, 2022, the grounds of Bernexpo will for the third time after 2014 and 2018 become a huge temporary stage for over 1000 talented professionals from around 140 different Swiss apprenticeship professions. The format of the central SwissSkills enables the public and especially young people in the career orientation process to look over the shoulders of the country's best young professionals at work and thus experience a wide variety of apprenticeships on a 1:1 basis.

Record participation and strong signs from the business community

Daniel Arn, President of the organizing association SwissSkills Bern, is extremely pleased with the huge interest on the part of the professional associations that will present their apprenticeships and hold Swiss championships at SwissSkills. "Neither for the first two events held in 2014 and 2018, nor for SwissSkills 2020, which has unfortunately been postponed by two years for corona reasons, did we have so many registrations from the professional associations," explains the OC President. Equally pleasing is the interest on the part of public and private partners. In addition to the support from the public sector, SwissSkills can once again count on great support from the business community. "Our previous partners have remained loyal to us and already the first new sponsors have joined us," continues Arn. "Our vocational training system has proven itself extremely well in the current crisis and offers young people in the country prospects even in these unfamiliar times. More than ever, SwissSkills 2022 will be a showcase for Swiss vocational education and training, such a central pillar of Switzerland as a place to work and think. Together with all those involved and, above all, the young professionals in action, we will send out an important signal of new beginnings in the fall of 2022."

120,000 visitors expected

The organizers are confident that they will be able to offer visitors an inspiring event experience with unique insights into the variety of professions without any drastic restrictions by one year from now. Some 120,000 visitors are expected over the five days of the event, including 60,000 schoolchildren from all over Switzerland, who will be able to visit SwissSkills in Berne as part of a forward-looking school trip. Thanks to the partnership with SBB, school classes from all over Switzerland will be able to travel to SwissSkills in Bern for a maximum of CHF 20 per person.

Qualification process started - details available on new SwissSkills website

The selection process for apprentices to take part in SwissSkills 2022 has already begun in some professions. As diverse as the SwissSkills professions are, so are the participation criteria for SwissSkills set by the respective professional associations. An overview of the criteria and any preliminary competitions can be found on the SwissSkills website (www.swiss-skills.ch/mitmachen). While the selection process has already started in some professions, in others it will not be determined until after the final apprenticeship examinations in summer 2022 who can take part in SwissSkills in September.

SwissSkills Champions Vera Stocker and Yunus Ruff are the "Faces" of SwissSkills 2022

One year before the opening, the new main advertising motif for SwissSkills 2022 was also published. It shows the two current SwissSkills champions Vera Stocker (baker-confectioner EFZ, Swiss champion in the bakery-confectionery category) and Yunus Ruff (automation technician EFZ; Swiss champion in the Industry 4.0) with their medals from the SwissSkills Championships 2020. The new motif reflects the emotionality and passion of the young professionals that make SwissSkills so unique.

Vera Stocker and Yunus Ruff are also members of the SwissSkills National Team due to their successes. In the coming year, they will be preparing intensively for the WorldSkills in Shanghai, which will take place in October 2022. Together with Silvan Wiedmer, Yunus Ruff will represent Switzerland at the EuroSkills in Graz (22 to 26 September) in just over two weeks.

More information

With Reto Bossard, Partner and Head of Abacus, the existing management team of OBT AG will be complemented by another member as of October 1. In his new role, Reto Bossard will strengthen the entire OBT IT division and in particular the Abacus division, thus contributing to further growth. OBT AG is one of the six largest companies in Switzerland in the fields of fiduciary services, auditing, consulting and IT solutions. Its client focus is on SMEs, although it also provides competent and personal advice to listed companies, public corporations, foundations and associations.

Established as an important Abacus distribution partner

Reto Bossard started his career at OBT as a consultant back in 2000 and got to know the Abacus business in all its facets. From 2009, he led one of the two teams at the Zurich location and took over the Abacus division management of the location in 2016. Since this year, he has been responsible for the Abacus area of all OBT locations. Together with his team, Bossard has led the division to extraordinary success and has been instrumental in making OBT one of the most important Abacus sales partners, the company says. He is also actively shaping the (digital) transformation of the entire OBT AG.

IT team as an important pillar

Due to his many years with the company and his extensive experience within the OBT IT division, but also due to his networking in the market and his proximity to customers, Reto Bossard knows the opportunities and challenges of the industry, the statement continues. With his election as a member of the Executive Board, OBT emphasizes the importance of a strong IT team as well as the Abacus division as a valuable pillar of OBT's services. The company is convinced that the new member of the Executive Board will play a decisive role in shaping OBT's future.

For more information www.obt.ch

On September 17, 2021, the Swiss Management Run will take place, an exclusive platform for sports and exchange with up to 250 Swiss managers. In the run-up to the Run, the Fit for Management symposium offers exciting presentations and discussions. Guest speaker André Lüthi from the Globetrotter Group is already taking our questions.

Mr. Lüthi, you yourself are considered a globetrotter. What travel experience has had the greatest impact on you in your professional life?
André Lüthi: I was shaped by the realization of how to deal with other people. When you travel, you meet other cultures, other religions, other world views - you learn tolerance and respect. In our management world, I often see shortcomings here. We prefer to follow Excel lists and forget about the human factor. I learned that a lot on my travels. The most important learning, however, was to trust people. I think the most important leadership task is to have the right person in the right place and to give them freedom. That means trusting

You say managers should travel more and get out of the office. Why?
André Lüthi: When you travel - and I'm not talking about a vacation in a deck chair - you get to know your limits. Many things turn out differently than planned. You have to think and act flexibly. You learn - of necessity - to trust people. Because if you are traveling in India in a bus that has "slightly broken" brakes, is completely outdated and hopelessly overcrowded, then you will have to trust the driver. Respecting other people and knowing your own limits: These are the qualities that make a good manager.

Now the pandemic has taken away our freedoms and mobility in many ways. What lessons do you draw from Corona?
André Lüthi: It's the biggest crisis the world's tourism has ever experienced. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, although this tunnel is damn long. Since March 14, 2020, I have often been pushed to my limits. We knew we were coming out of the storm with our ship damaged and with losses, but we know we're not capsizing. We had 78 percent losses in 2020 and had to cut from 450 employees to 280 today. There were many debates - including emotional ones - with my 13 CEOs. It took a lot out of all of us. But similar to traveling, I knew that somehow it would continue. We all grew from it.

What was your lifeline?
André Lüthi: In Switzerland, we were really lucky. What other country has paid out covid aid, paid compensation and initiated hardship programs so quickly and unbureaucratically? When I look at what is currently happening in Peru, Vietnam and the like, where people have nothing and receive no support from the state, then we are here in the promised land. We have it damn good in Switzerland and should finally stop complaining and also say thank you in federal Bern.

Keyword home office. How does a manager deal responsibly with his employees in these times?
André Lüthi: Apart from the official requirements that have to be met, there is no substitute for personal contact. I am a clear advocate of a return to the office. But not because of the office, but because of the people. As a manager, you have to create an environment that employees like to come back to - namely the team. Of course, thanks to Corona, there are more flexible working options. Where it makes sense, I'm completely in favor of it. But there has to be a return to people.

What do you think the "new normal" will look like? Will there be a return to pre-Corona? What remains, what changes?
André Lüthi: Before Corona, we partly had the problem of overtourism. Now the opposite has occurred. I would be satisfied if there was a middle ground. My appeal is: travel more consciously! Travel should become a school of life, a personality development. Therefore it cannot take place at dumping prices. Therefore away from ten cheap short trips over the weekend to selected and for it longer journeys, in which one gets to know country and people. Employers would also have to become more flexible here. I hope that the attitude towards this will change somewhat after Corona.

More info at: https://www.management-run.ch/

The Corona pandemic has hit young people hard and made their entry into the labor market more difficult. While the Swiss VET/PET system has proven to be resistant to the crisis due to the high flexibility of the workplace, various studies also show the downsides of the home office, especially for apprentices. Young people have suffered significantly more than other age groups as a result of the measures taken to contain the Corona pandemic. It is true that most professionals have had to adapt their way of working and interacting within a very short time. However, the challenges are even greater for first-year workers who have had little opportunity to gain experience in the labor market and establish routines. In most cases, they have not been adequately prepared for remote working. Vocational and practical trainers also perceived this form of remote training as particularly difficult.

Working in a home office also for apprentices?

A new survey conducted by the Swiss Commercial Association in June 2021 among more than 700 vocational and practical trainers in the commercial-business sector confirms the difficulties mentioned. Thus, 66% of the vocational and practical instructors surveyed perceived the supervision of learners in the home office in connection with Covid-19 as a challenge. Another 71% reported difficulties in performing their role as an educator. In addition, more than half of all vocational and practical instructors reported motivation problems among learners. In this context, the Swiss Commercial Association received many inquiries: What is the current legal basis? What do trainees need to know in order to work independently and efficiently in a home office? How can trainers ensure quality knowledge transfer at a distance?

Assuming that home office will continue to have a permanent place in office professions in the future, the Swiss Commercial Association is of the opinion that there is a need for action: "Apprentices and vocational and practical trainers must be better and more systematically prepared for the work situation of home office. In order to protect trainees, rules are needed that allow home office work during training, but also limit it. In any case, the mental health of the apprentices must be taken care of," emphasizes Kathrin Ziltener, Head of Basic Education & Youth Counseling at the Swiss Commercial Association.

Remote working is becoming commonplace in the commercial sector

It can be assumed that the working reality of many professions, especially the commercial professions, will continue to be characterized by remote work in the future. "Learners should also learn about this way of working in their training and learn the right strategies as well as how to handle it correctly," Ziltener continues. It is also important that apprentices are supported in obtaining the necessary equipment to perform home office work. However, home office during apprenticeship must also be limited in time: In its new fact sheet for vocational and practical trainers, the Swiss Commercial Association therefore suggests a guideline of one day per week. Young people are more dependent on exchange, both with their peers and with their trainers, than adults. Ziltener confirms: "It takes a lot of sensitivity and attention on the part of the vocational and practical trainers for the needs and health protection of the learners. The lack of exchanges and the feeling of being on your own in the home office have a strong impact on the mental health of young people."

Demand to the Federal Council

Accordingly, the Swiss Commercial Association calls on the Federal Council to report on whether, in view of the changing work reality of apprenticeship companies, an adjustment of the Labor Act as well as the corresponding ordinances is in order; in particular under Art. 1 lit. of the Ordinance of the EAER on Hazardous Work for Young People over 15. Special attention should be paid to apprentices working in industries and companies where flexible forms of work are maintained or promoted even after the Corona pandemic. This is because in many sectors, special protection applies to young people under the age of 18 with regard to working hours, overtime, and from work that exceeds the physical and mental capacity of young people. In order to be able to ensure and check this protection in the home office as well, new competencies and improved protection of young people at work are needed. Daniel Jositsch, President of the Swiss Commercial Association, will submit a corresponding interpellation to parliament during the upcoming 2021 fall session.

Source: Swiss Commercial Association

The home office obligation due to the Corona pandemic ended in Switzerland at the end of June. Even though telecommuting is still recommended, it basically opens up the option of returning to the office. But how exactly do companies want to enable on-site working? The latest labor market study by Robert Half, a specialist provider of talent solutions, shows: Nearly half of companies (42 %) currently do not require employees to be present in the office.

Home office remains even after the pandemic

"The return to the office is happening very cautiously. With the fourth wave of Corona starting up, companies are keeping the number of employees in the office small and preferring to rely on hybrid work models," says Eva Mahoney, associate director at Robert Half.

More than half (58 %) of the companies in the labor market survey stated that more than 30 % of the workforce currently work exclusively from home. If nearly one in two companies (42 %) have their way, home office will remain an important part of the work culture in the future. They think that even after the pandemic, more than a third of their employees will work from home.

Companies plan with smaller office spaces

Instead of returning to the office entirely, 44 % of companies are thinking about reducing office space and 41 % want to reconsider office location. In each case, around one in three companies would like to move to new premises to adapt to changing needs or are considering closing individual offices.

"The pandemic has brought about major changes at companies. While home office was more of a desired topic for job candidates before, it is now the companies themselves that are pushing this form of working. More and more employers are asking themselves not so much if, but how and according to what principles they will enable hybrid working in the future," says Mahoney.

Source: Robert Half

Cybercrime is considered one of the biggest operational risks for SMEs. Protecting themselves effectively against these risks should be the goal of every company. After all, cyber attacks are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated all the time.

Seal of approval for cyber security

Companies that know their IT security risks and take sufficient preventive measures can benefit from the Swiss Association for the Cybersecurity Seal of Approval with the cyber-safe certificate. "Anyone who has been awarded the seal of approval can be sure that their IT security is state of the art and that their internal organization is equipped to deal with cyber threats," says Christophe Hauert, founding member of cyber-safe.ch.

Benefit from the cyber-safe certificate

It is also extremely important to the insurance company Helvetia to promote cyber security throughout Switzerland. On its website, Helvetia already offers some free support in the form of security training, a short cyber security check and a guide on back-up strategy to increase the IT security of SMEs or raise awareness on this topic. Through its collaboration with cyber-safe.ch, Helvetia grants companies that are cyber-safe.ch certified a quality discount of 20 percent on their cyber insurance. In return, customers with Helvetia cyber insurance benefit from a partner discount of 10 percent when they purchase the cyber-safe seal of approval.

Cyber insurance with fast support

"Cyber insurance is an important addition to comprehensive cyber security management. Because even good preventive security measures never guarantee complete protection against attacks in the rapidly changing digital world," knows Tobias Seitz, cyber insurance specialist at Helvetia. In the event of a claim, cyber insurance offers not only financial protection, but also professional and rapid support from specialized partner companies.

Source: Helvetia Insurances

It was postponed several times, but has finally been held: On September 2, around 200 guests gathered in the campus hall of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in Brugg/Windisch. There was almost a familiar networking atmosphere again, as one knew it from "pre-Corona times".

No ideological decisions

"Upheaval in business and society" was the motto of the event. According to KMU-Swiss CEO Armin Baumann, this theme was already set for 2019. Probably no one could have expected that it had lost none of its topicality to date - on the contrary. In his opening address, Armin Baumann regretted that egoism and narcissism had increased. But - and this is the positive side of the pandemic - there was also a lot of help for self-help.

The conference topic as the first speaker was classified by Werner van Gent, known as a long-time Southeastern Europe correspondent for Swiss television. He has experienced many upheavals, personally or in his work as a journalist. Again and again, he observes that problems are either simply denied at first or then approached with solution strategies from the past - even if these were even at the beginning of a problem. And too often, he says, ideologies or beliefs are at play. "Decisions must be made on the basis of knowledge, not ideologies," says Werner van Gent, pleading for pragmatic solutions: "Do what you need to do." This applies to companies as well as to global problems such as climate change.

Digitization and communication

After these remarks, it was Daniel Fiechter, CIO of Stobag and lecturer at the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz, who addressed another topic that is currently causing a lot of upheaval - especially in business: the digital transformation. Specifically, he explored the question of whether this would eventually lead to IT departments in companies becoming larger than production departments. In his company, this has not yet been the case. But he did not deny that every project is now an IT project. His recommendation to companies: Not to create a separate digital strategy, but to consider digitization as an elementary part of the overall corporate strategy. "IT is becoming a key competence for strategy implementation," Fiechter said.

Atilla Vuran's presentation dealt with communication and leadership. He showed that communication often fails because, depending on the situation, there is a lack of receptiveness on the part of the other person or because the person communicating lacks authorization. This leads to the following four quadrants: "Interest" (authorization low, receptiveness high), "Ignorance" (authorization low, receptiveness low), "Dominance" (authorization high, receptiveness low) or "Development" (authorization high, receptiveness high). This model makes it relatively easy for managers to assess when and why communication works - or doesn't work.

Britta Pukall, founder, CEO and member of the board of directors of milani design, then took the audience on a quest for freedom of thought. This is an important prerequisite for creativity. But too much knowledge prevents people from being creative. It is much more important to strive for wisdom instead of knowledge. Together with relaxation and awareness, this is the source of creativity.

The presentation by Rolf Härdi, CTIO at Deutsche Bahn, once again focused on digitization. He explained the dimensions that the digital transformation of a large company like DB is taking on and the factors that need to be taken into account. On the one hand, there is the desire for smart mobility with ever faster information times, and on the other, an infrastructure with long life cycles. One part of Deutsche Bahn's digitization efforts is the development of digital twins, i.e., digital images of infrastructure and rolling stock, which allows the simulation of processes and predictive maintenance. This is also a means of ensuring fewer delays, which have contributed to the rather battered reputation of the railroads in Germany.

Sustainability at the SME Swiss Symposium 2021

The last block of presentations was given by Beni Huggel, former FC Basel footballer and currently a football expert on Swiss television, and Rafael Waber, Managing Director of SwissShrimp. Beni Huggel traced his career and, with the help of many anecdotes, provided examples of how even major upheavals can be overcome with the right personal attitudes. Rafael Waber, on the other hand, focused his presentation on the topic of "Awareness influences the business model". After all, SwissShrimp's business model is to combine enjoyment, Swiss quality and sustainability. And KMU Swiss demonstrated that sustainable business does not only have to take place in Switzerland by presenting a check for 3,000 Swiss francs to the Business Professionals Network, which has been promoting small businesses in developing and emerging countries since 1999.

If there is one conclusion to be drawn from the KMU Swiss Symposium 2021, it is this: Upheavals affect us all, both on a large and small scale. This makes networking and cooperation among companies all the more important - and fortunately, after a long break, such events offer good opportunities for this again.

More information on upcoming events: www.kmuswiss.ch

With the mobile platform from the manufacturer Beekeeper, employees in service, sales and production have access to all tools and communication channels in a central app. But is it even worth installing such a collaboration app? Beekeeper has had the return on investment (ROI) confirmed by a study.

70 percent fewer absences thanks to collaboration app

One thing in advance: The acquisition of a collaboration app probably costs less than absences due to accidents and employee illness. Because according to the According to the FOPH, 75 percent of all absences in Switzerland are due to accidents or illness.. In 2020, things were different, with the largest item being short-time work. 75 percent means one and a half to two weeks of absence per year per employee.

In Switzerland, one day of absence costs the employer 600 to 1000 francs per day. Particularly in sectors such as construction or healthcare, where occupational accidents and sickness-related absences are commonplace, consistent employee involvement can 70 percent of absences can be avoided, as Beekeeper's research has now shown. This is possible because the safety information actually reaches the employees - because collaboration apps are intuitive, interactive and, in contrast to info sheets or information on the intranet, are heeded much more often.

Appreciation improves working atmosphere

Experience has shown that employee involvement and feedback options or surveys in the tool also give employees a feeling of appreciation and, quite incidentally, show management potential for improvement. Employee satisfaction increases enormously, and staff turnover decreases by up to 40 percent the study continues.

The communication features of employee apps were a big value-add for many companies during Corona, but it was the combination of digitizing processes and digital communication that brought huge savings, the study concluded.

More than a digital coffee party

Executives who expect more from an app than just a digital coffee chat must nevertheless think carefully about which digital tools they invest in. The current survey on ROI thanks to digital tools among Beekeeper's customers shows: it takes more than just a chat:

1. Simply publishing information on a mobile intranet is not enough to achieve a high ROI. To profit from the shift to a digital workplace, it must be used as an operational tool. Top-down content then benefits from a large and active readership, which improves operational agility and promotes employee engagement.
2. Operational utility is the secret ingredient that amplifies the impact of other app features: digital operations, for example, promote employee engagement, and employee engagement promotes safety.
3. A mobile app for commercial employees can indeed be the most impactful investment a company can make right now, provided the needs are met by the right solution and the technology is implemented properly.

Here's how a collaboration app brings savings

• It increases productivity for commercial teams and admin staff alike
• Teams become more agile
• Costly errors and hazards are reduced
• Physical processes, such as waiting in line to clock in, are eliminated
• Paper and printing costs are reduced
• Output of daily production is increased
• Employee retention and engagement are improved (thereby reducing costly employee turnover)

So, to sum up, it can be said that a digital solution for collaboration can bring huge savings within the company, provided that various points such as the selection process of tools on the market, the definition of the areas of use, interactivity and intuitiveness, and the careful introduction of the app into the company culture are taken into account.

Source: Beekeeper