Cedric Domeniconi of Auto-Pfandhaus.ch notes an increase in pledges of valuables and sees the credit crunch of banks as the cause: "Whereas in the past income bottlenecks or family emergencies were the classic reasons for a pawn credit, in recent years it has increasingly been massive problems with Swiss banks that have caused customers to get into financial difficulties and turn to us in their desperation." Stricter lending guidelines are only one reason.

Order lost due to blocked funds

Often, banks even block customer funds that have been confirmed as unobjectionable for months and for no apparent reason. "Again and again, we encounter cases where bank customers can't even access their own money, for example if it was paid in from abroad." This affects private individuals as well as entrepreneurs. As an example, Domeniconi cites a house sale in France and a down payment for an industrial installation from Germany. "The banks had acknowledged the harmlessness of the funds to their customers well in advance and confirmed the release of the amounts in writing. But when the payments arrived, the funds were nevertheless blocked for months without justification." This led to one or more cars having to be pawned. In one case, an entrepreneur even lost a large order and had to repay his customer's down payment - with corresponding further bureaucratic adversities.

More restrictive attitude of banks

"Switzerland is an SME country and lives from exports. If companies can no longer do business because the banks explicitly oppose them, this can mean the end for individuals - especially for smaller companies," Domeniconi said. "Small and medium-sized companies are the engine of our economy. Yet banks are increasingly putting obstacles in their way." Yet the increasingly impersonal relationship with customers - personal contacts are giving way to call center agents - and rising bureaucracy are by no means the only reasons for the difficulties. Self-employed people and SMEs in particular are receiving loans less and less frequently because the relevant collateral is being assessed more restrictively. "A long-standing customer relationship and good business performance are becoming less important," says Domeniconi. "The increasingly strict regulatory requirements have also contributed to this." Yet the money would be available and the interest rates low.

A trip to the pawnshop as an alternative?

Banks are increasingly passing on the problem of negative interest rates to their customers when they have high deposits. But they are not even stopping at their own employees: "More and more banks are obliging their own employees to take out any loans only with their employer. But many have reservations about disclosing a personal financial problem or applying for a second loan from their employer. They fear for their reputation within the bank and among colleagues. Going to another bank, meanwhile, is not the answer: thanks to ZEK, the reporting and information organization on prospective borrowers, lessees and credit card holders, banks have full control over lending activities and would notice immediately. "The way money lending is being handled is taking on some absurd features," Domeniconi says. "While the banks want to lend the money as lucratively as possible because of the continuing low interest rates, they are not afraid to contractually bind even their own employees. On the other hand, they are getting stingier in lending." Of course, stricter laws such as the Consumer Credit Act, which was revised in 2016, are also a reason for this. The two-week waiting period alone makes it impossible to get money quickly. "But the official mold should not lead to customers not even being able to dispose of their own money and instead having to pawn their cars with us," the co-founder of Auto-Pfandhaus.ch points out.

More information: www.auto-pfandhaus.ch

The young Swiss company Annanow (we reported on it) is the big winner in an international startup pitch of the Swiss innovation support program Kickstart: PwC, Crédit Suisse, AXA Versicherungen and Coop (Bau & Hobby and Interdiscount) express their confidence in the fintech startup and start working together immediately. Annanow claims to have the largest cloud-based delivery network in Switzerland and offers merchants payment and insurance solutions as well as express deliveries in a maximum of 60 minutes or at the desired time window. Mediamarkt, Hermès, Fleurop, Jumbo, Manor and Coop are just a few of the more than 5,000 retailers that rely on Annanow's services, along with around 100,000 cabs and couriers in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. "We are very pleased with the trust placed in us and our business model," says Daniel Gradenegger, founder of Annanow. "We have proven that our concept works in the last two years since our foundation. With these important new partnerships, we are igniting the next stage with Annanow," promises Gradenegger.

Payment solutions, insurance and deliveries

Annanow's business model seems to be convincing: The fintech startup determines the geographical availability of products for each order and enables local delivery via the cloud-based supply chain by activating transport users already available locally, such as cabs, couriers and private individuals. Distances become so short that deliveries can even be made on foot or by streetcar. However, the fact that Annanow is much more than that only emerges with a deeper analysis. Patrick Keller, CEO of Annanow explains: "In a first step, we are often perceived as a delivery company. But our business model extends much further through our integrative components in the areas of payment and insurance. And the big players have recognized that."

Developing further innovation steps

Every year, the Swiss innovation support program Kickstart looks for the best international startups in the fields of education technology, FinTech, nutrition technology, smart city, health technology as well as cybersecurity. Kickstart is a spin-off of the Impact Hub Zurich and aims to initiate successful business relationships and partnerships between startups and large companies and organizations. The aforementioned partners Crédit Suisse, AXA Versicherungen, PwC as well as Coop are now working together with the startup Annanow on further innovation steps in order to achieve common goals with their respective expertise in the areas of Fintech, Insuretech and Delivery.

More information

The anniversary delegates' meeting of Swissmechanic, the leading employer association of SMEs in the MEM sector, was held in Lucerne. Government Councillor Reto Wyss delivered a word of greeting from the Lucerne government to the 85 delegates. In the past 80 years, the jubilarian has developed from a small training association to a recognized and strong employers' association, which enables up-to-date training and further education of future skilled workers and makes the concerns of the SMEs in the MEM sector heard.

Swissmechanic supports indirect counter-proposal to the Fair Price Initiative

The delegates followed the proposal of the Board and decided to continue to support the indirect counter-proposal to the Fair Price Initiative with a financial contribution. This is because the indirect counter-proposal of the National Council's Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation (WAK-N) adopts the concerns of the popular initiative with the exception of the ban on geoblocking.

Swissmechanic remains in the SGV

The proposal of the Executive Board and the Association Council that Swissmechanic should remain a member of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV) was approved. The bodies had come to the conclusion that it made sense for Swissmechanic to be represented in a larger association. In the run-up to the vote, they had closely scrutinized the SGV to ascertain whether it was sufficiently committed to the concerns of the association and the export industries.

Climate protection without corsets

In his speech, President Roland Goethe commented on the results of the federal elections with the landslide victory of the Green and Left parties. Goethe fears that the general conditions for Switzerland as a place to work will become massively more difficult. Despite the gloomy political outlook, however, it is not the way of Swissmechanic member companies to bury their heads in the sand. Swissmechanic sees the green wave as a challenge and is ready to contribute its knowledge and experience from the lived working world with new, innovative products and thus make a substantial contribution to climate protection. All this without prohibitions and without nonsensical corsets.

Elections of replacements, accounts and budget

Following the resignation of François Schoch, Hansruedi Graf, Ueli Meyer and Xavier de Preux were elected to the new eight-member board of Swissmechanic. Kurt Graber was confirmed as President of the St. Gallen/Appenzell Section and Johnny Föhn as President of the Schwyz Section in the Association Council. Silvio Bertini is a new member of the Economic Commission and Franz Marty a member of the Business Audit Commission. The annual financial statement 2018 as well as the budget for 2020, which foresees an annual profit of 38,000 Swiss francs, were approved.

Appreciation for polymechanic ambassadors

On the eve of the delegates' meeting, Swissmechanic honored three professional athletes who performed outstandingly at the WorldSkills in Kazan, Russia, in August. Lukas Muth (silver medal in the CNC turning discipline), Markus Hintermann (diploma in the CNC milling discipline) and Thomas Schranz (certificate in the automation discipline). Association President Roland Goethe and Director Jürg Marti congratulated the young professionals on their great success and at the same time thanked them for the immense effort they had put in before and during the WorldSkills. The three athletes received success awards totaling CHF 4500.

www.swissmechanic.ch

The umbrella organization for the retail industry asked the general public on social media how they rate the digitization of Swiss retail. Two-thirds of respondents think that the retail sector is doing well to very well in terms of digitization. In the current survey of 4,000 Swiss retail companies, the overwhelming majority of respondents confirm that digitization continues to change retail. This is also evident in terms of sales. Kaspar Engeli, Director of Handel Schweiz, explained at the media briefing: "Whereas in the comparative study of 2016, half of the respondents reported no effect at all of digitization on sales, today the figure is just under 11%. 31.4% of retail companies recognize a positive effect of digitization on their sales."

For the first time, the toy trade was evaluated individually - for seasonal reasons, as the last months of the year are traditionally particularly strong in terms of sales due to the Christmas business. Here, digitization is having a positive impact on sales for just under half of the retailers. Only 7% of all retailers surveyed are still doing nothing in terms of digitization. As before, the majority are avoiding digital platforms, which are perceived as competitors. Here, the competitive situation has intensified, especially in the product range and logistics. Kaspar Engeli says: "Retail companies are faced with the decision to expand their own assortment or to become more specialized and at the same time increase the availability of the possibly broader assortment."

Global unit price: 24% of the dealers confirm the

When people talk about digitization, the topic of prices is not far away. That is why the retail companies were also asked for their assessment of the price development. The Director of Handel Schweiz explains: "Overall, 91% of the retailers surveyed find the price trend negative. Around a quarter expect the global unit price to prevail. Over 82.5% of retailers expect their prices to be higher than those of international competitors, while 10.5 % consider their prices to be lower in international comparison." Compare this to the opinion of the general population on social media: Just under half of respondents think Swiss retail is too expensive in some cases. 16% negate, 37% fully agree. Handel Schweiz also sees the price differences and once again calls for retailers to have a level playing field. Last but not least, the Cassis de Dijon must be implemented consistently in the interests of consumers, says Kaspar Engeli.

Trend toward the haptic in toys

Thus explained Rolf Burri, President of the Swiss Toy Association: "Toy retailers are seeing steady single-digit growth overall. At the same time, we are a very fast-moving industry with new trends all the time. Some products are extremely hyped for 6 to 8 weeks and then disappear from the market again. Within that short time, however, they are then omnipresent." He identifies great potential for digitization in the toy industry, as the survey also confirmed. "We assume that half of Swiss retailers are not yet fully exploiting their digital potential. For manufacturers, the challenge is also the declining number of specialist retailers. So other distribution channels have to be used." Online trade in toys in Switzerland is only 15%; in Germany and England, the online share is already up to 40%. The big challenge is logistics in specialty retail - here, digitization is a must so that processes run cost-efficiently. A retailer with several stores can manage this better.

The trend toward the haptic is confirmed by the fact that some well-known digital games are now available as haptic versions, such as Minecraft. The trend toward personalized products is also reflected in the growing range of personalized versions of games, puzzles and memories.

Digitization in retailing at the Loeb department store

Matin Stucki, Chief Digital Officer at the well-known Bernese department store Loeb AG, showed how stationary retail is tackling the issue of digitization. "The big opportunity lies in focusing on customer benefits and not on technology," he explained. Customers would still very much like to be surprised by the personal and the haptic experience. "The department store must create a feel-good atmosphere and increase dwell time." At Loeb, customers can watch TV, read the newspaper, sew, embroider, play retro PacMan games or with the Töggelkasten in the various customer lounges, and at the same time order food at their seats and pay for it there and then. Thanks to digitization, the department store chain can tailor the loyalty program for the approximately 80,000 Loeb cardholders more closely to personal purchasing behavior. Loeb has spent more than CHF 10 million on the recent renovation of its Bern department store. Among other things, 70 digital signage systems were installed at Loeb in Bern. Customer service can be contacted not only via chat on the website, but also via WhatsApp or Messenger. The Chief Digital Officer puts it in concrete terms: "We don't work with an automated chat bot, but with real advisors." Digital tools enhance the shopping experience at Loeb: customers have access to the suppliers' digitized catalogs via the extended counter or touch wall. In the changing rooms for women's underwear, there is a small screen that can be used to order a consultant. She receives a push message on her Apple Watch. The mobile tablet checkout stations are also a success, he said: Customer advisors can use them to check out their customers' purchases directly and discreetly via card. Self-scanning is currently limited to the food area, but will soon be tested in the stationery department, as Martin Stucki revealed.

Very personal digital

Daniel Broglie, CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the 200-strong Chromos Group headquartered in Dielsdorf, which also includes Fujifilm Switzerland, showed how diversely wholesale companies can be structured today and how smooth the transition from wholesaler to system house is. At the media conference, Daniel Broglie showed that digitalization is changing products in particular, which in turn is having an impact on consulting. He explained, "We are constantly developing together with the customers and in this sense also see ourselves as a trend scout." Across divisions, Chromos is facing very similar challenges: for example, the number of trade channels is generally decreasing, and international competition and speed are increasing. The CEO of the Chromos Group: "Basically, the current transformation is about a good transition from the digital to the physical. Digitalization makes things more personal in our markets. I understand digitalization as mass production with batch size one - a good example is the photo book or 3D printing." Daniel Broglie showed how digitalization promotes innovation in products, which not only places great demands on consulting and retail, but also opens up new business areas for retailers. In packaging, for example, labels that visualize a dynamic best-before date are possible, which reduces foodwaste. Multichannel options in printing and packaging enable app-controlled games on the packaging or the identification of counterfeits. Personalized packaging with individualized wrapping paper is also in vogue. In medicine, digital X-ray systems enable three-dimensional models that can be used to prepare for surgery. This can be linked to 3D printing, which can be used, for example, in training operations on children's hearts. Chromos not only offers a range of different 3D printers, but also comprehensive advice on all aspects of 3D or additive manufacturing. External access to machines via screens at Chromos allows digital printing machines to be repaired from a distance. High-performance cameras for use in production monitoring reduce inefficiency and waste.

On the sunny side

Despite the challenges mentioned, the trade sector, embedded in the overall economic context, is on the sunny side, as Jean-Marc Probst, President of Trade Switzerland, sums up. The "shadow areas" are of a political nature: Probst mentioned, for example, the framework agreement with the EU, which must be signed without fail, or current popular initiatives such as the "Corporate Responsibility Initiative", which must be fought. The president of the association sees the liberal basic order and the strengthening of the self-responsibility of companies, which Handel Schweiz advocates, endangered by such initiatives.

More information:

• Trade Switzerland
• Swiss Toy Association
• Loeb AG
• Chromos AG

A modern workplace and flexible working hours and location are important arguments for companies to retain talent, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers. After all, work-life balance is becoming increasingly important, especially for the younger generation. Companies are therefore quite rightly launching new work initiatives or driving forward the digitization of the workplace for their employees. Thanks to modern technology, neither of these is witchcraft, and cloud solutions, for example, can also give medium-sized companies a real advantage quickly and easily.

Common mistakes in the digitization of the workplace

Numerous companies are making some major mistakes on their way to modern work. Michael Heitz, Regional Vice President Germany at Citrix, explains which capital mistakes companies are still making in digitizing the workplace and how they can avoid them.

1. Desk Duty: It is no longer a secret that employees would like to work from different locations, from home or on the move from the train. In fact, 48 percent of executives surveyed in a Citrix study published this year said that the ability to work from anywhere has a positive impact on the so-called "employee experience," which ultimately means employee satisfaction. For companies with an unattractive location that rely on commuters, the possibility of an equivalent digital workplace is even essential in order to be able to hold their own in the market.
2. Mobile working not thought through to the end: It's not enough to hand employees a laptop or smartphone, as another Citrix study shows: A full 44 percent of German (editor's note: there are no figures for Switzerland in this regard) desk workers, for example, send documents to their private e-mail address so that they can access them outside the office. This is a disaster in terms of data protection and IT security! Companies must provide suitable hardware and software solutions to make mobile working efficient, simple and secure.
3. Password glut: Each service a different username and password. Who is supposed to remember that? One in four employees in many companies still faces this challenge. It's no wonder that employees capitulate and write down passwords. In the worst case, these are then neatly printed out and pinned to the edge of the PC screen, and any customer or visitor in the office can quickly photograph them. The remedy is a so-called single sign-on function for all services used, which is managed centrally by the IT department.
4. "We've always done it that way": Of course, the maxim "never change a running system" is justified, especially for critical systems. But Citrix found that employees are open to learning about new tools and applications. 60 percent of employees are curious when their employer replaces old tools with new ones. In addition, 44 percent say they think new technologies are important for working more efficiently. So companies should not underestimate employees and should certainly not put technological innovations on the back burner for fear of change or employee frustration.
5. Cumbersome software: Today, we are all constantly surrounded by elegant and efficient software. Especially in the private sphere: smartphone and web apps for end users regularly set the standard. This makes it all the more difficult for employees to engage with cumbersome, non-intuitive or non-purposeful enterprise software. All too often, this leads to frustration and, in the worst case, resignation. A full 28 percent of German employees (editor's note: no figures for Switzerland are known here either) have already relied on so-called "shadow IT". That means they install software on their own, bypassing the IT department, or use web services that they know from their private lives. While this solves the problem of the individual employee, it can pose a much greater problem for the company if, for example, sensitive data is lost in this way.

A change to "New Work" is certainly not easy. Above all, it needs support throughout the company. Once the HR department has defined the guard rails and set up processes with the company management, the IT department must make them possible. That means processes and tools that have been thought through to the end for a truly digital and flexible workplace. In today's world, no company can afford the negative impact on employee satisfaction or employee experience if major mistakes are made.

About the cited studies

Citrix surveyed 1,000 workers who rely significantly on IT devices/computers to perform their jobs in January 2019 and April and May 2019. In addition, executives with HR responsibilities were surveyed for a study published in June 2019. The survey was conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with Citrix Systems, Inc. as sponsor.

Source: Citrix

For which decision-making situations do companies use information from risk management? This question was the focus of this year's ERM Report 2019, which was compiled by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts together with SwissERM. It is particularly encouraging that almost nine out of ten companies use risk-relevant information for the development of corporate strategy (Figure 1). On the other hand, it is a cause for concern that only one in three companies takes a risk analysis into account when considering financing issues, and only just under one in four companies has an internal company assessment that is backed up with risk-relevant information.

Information is often not available for decisions

The study results suggest that in many companies in Switzerland, the risk management process is not aligned with the decision-making processes. Only just under one-fifth of the companies surveyed confirmed that risk information is always available for upcoming decisions (Figure 2). In still just under one-third of the study participants, risk-relevant information is partially incorporated into decision-making processes. Almost half of the companies state that they know either only partially or not at all how much uncertainty is associated with a corresponding decision.

Consequences are not known

The picture is even less favorable with regard to the sensitivity of financial ratios: More than a third of companies cannot establish a direct link between decisions and their consequences on financial management ratios. Moreover, only about one in six companies say they are aware of these sensitivities based on quantitative risk scenarios. This illustrates that risk management is often not linked to value-based management.

Inclusion of risk management in business decisions is mandatory

It is important that risk management in the company is not regarded as a separate process, but is included in the business decisions. By carrying out risk assessments for all important business decisions, the quality of decision-making can be significantly increased, as decision alternatives can be identified and rational insights can be gained as a result.

Business decisions are made on a daily basis. However, this does not correspond to the semi-annual or annual risk report that the risk manager provides to the company management. In order to meet the increasing demands on modern risk management, enterprise risk management in many companies must undergo fundamental change.

Source: Lucerne University

Globalization, digitization or artificial intelligence: Even if the long-term effects on the labor market are not completely foreseeable, new jobs with new requirements will emerge in the coming years.

Rather retraining than further training

Today, however, only 44% of Swiss employees are making themselves fit for these new requirements, which is significantly below the global average of 65%. But when we do train, it is most likely to be through self-study, "on the job" or via a traditional training institute. This is shown by the international labor market study Decoding Global Trends in Upskilling and Reskilling, for the JobCloud, the strategy consulting Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the global job board network The Network surveyed 366,000 people from 180 nations. "We observe that managers are often concerned about whether their employees are ready to acquire new skills. The survey shows that there is still a need for action by business and politics to promote lifelong learning," says Daniel Kessler, BCG's head of Switzerland.

Great readiness for complete retraining

However, when it comes to acquiring new skills for a completely different job, the Swiss are ahead: 69% would be willing to retrain in response to the new requirements. There are clear differences in the occupational groups here: While people in sales (78%), management (77%) and consulting (75%) show a high willingness to do so, professionals in science and research (59%), social services (57%) and lawyers (57%) are significantly less willing to take on a completely new job. "Certain occupational groups are much more affected by digitization and need to demonstrate greater flexibility. The willingness for lifelong learning is therefore central," says Davide Villa, CEO of JobCloud AG.

Impact of new technologies and globalization

Swiss employees feel slightly less affected by new technologies and globalization in an international comparison. Almost half (46%) expect a strong personal impact from technologies (49% global average) and 41% from globalization (45% global average).

What skills will be in demand in the future

There is one point on which all employees across countries agree: In order to successfully master the demands of increasing globalization and automation, communication skills are by far the most important competencies that skilled workers will need to possess in the future. According to the Swiss, those who also have analytical skills and problem-solving abilities will be able to hold their own.

Source: JobCloud

After Switzerland had been relatively unsuccessful in the international arena since the 1960s, the sun is now rising in the sky for the Swiss national team after around 30 years of lack of success. National coach Roy Hodgson takes the Swiss team to the 1994 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship, and the success is by no means unique. In the following noughties, our little country made it to two European and two World Cups in just one decade.

Football total in Switzerland

Under its national coach Köbi Kuhn, the Swiss national soccer team qualifies for the 2004 European Championship in Portugal and for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. At the 2008 European Championship, it is automatically eligible to participate together with Austria because the 2008 World Cup is being held in Switzerland and Austria. With Ottmar Hitzfeld, Switzerland also plays itself in the 2010 World Cup.

All coincidence, or what?

But which rules ensure that everything runs smoothly, unnoticed in the background? The ball passes through more than half a dozen standards before it reaches the goal from the soccer player's shoe. Under the standardized shin guard on the kicker's leg, it starts its journey across the standardized natural turf, past the goalkeeper's standardized glove and straight into the standardized soccer goal.

Why do the seats in the stadium not collapse even under the greatest load? And how come the goals are always the same size? Simply because there are harmonized rules for this. The various interest groups come together to agree on these rules in standards, after which they are published as Swiss standards, among other things.

Shin guards

In the duel, the midfielder goes down. The defender claims that he went for the ball. Or was he aiming for the opposing player's shin? Is the shin guard strong enough to withstand an attack? If it complies with SN EN 13061, the player will only have a bruise. Tests guarantee maximum safety. In the event of a kick, a shin guard must not slip by more than 15 millimeters or have a dent no larger than 25 millimeters!

Gloves

Without good gloves, even the best goalkeeper could only hold the ball with difficulty. If the defenders can't keep the ball out, the goalie is the last resort. He must do everything to ensure that the ball does not go into the net! But he can't just rely on his own strength, agility and ultra-fast reflexes. Good gloves comply with the European standard SN EN 16027, which stipulates that gloves must not slip by more than 20 millimeters, even under considerable force, so that they can never slip off the hands.

Football goal

How stable are the goalposts in the stadium? The spectators hold their breath. The most nerve-wracking part of the final match begins. Another penalty shootout, you can hardly believe it! The goalkeeper feels the pressure. It's all up to him now. The fans cheer as the first shot thunders against the crossbar. If it complies with SN EN 748, it gives way by no more than 1 centimeter when the ball hits it. The net extends at least 80 centimeters backwards at the top, and 1.5 meters at ground level.

The tension rises immeasurably, the next penalty decides the game! If the goalkeeper holds the ball, his team is qualified! Suddenly the goal seems huge. Can he deflect the ball when the shooter aims into the upper right corner? According to the standard, the goal must be 7.32 × 2.44 meters. So the goalkeeper can easily reach any angle. And, of course, he saves the victory. His team goes to the European Championship!

Lawn

Natural grass or artificial turf? Some prefer artificial turf, while others believe that football can only be played on natural grass. At the 2018 World Cup, half of all 12 stadiums had hybrid turf reinforced with synthetic fibers. According to the experts, the blades should ideally be 23 millimeters high. But how is that measured? If everything is to be done according to standards, the European standard SN EN 12233 comes into play. It contains a procedure for determining the height of the grass. A special tool is used, which essentially consists of a measuring rod on which a round, movable disc is mounted. The distance between the tip of the rod placed on the ground and the disc resting on the stalks is measured.

Ball is not equal to ball

A soccer ball for the World Cup must meet the strict requirements for soccer balls. The European standard SN EN 12235, for example, specifies test procedures, including for the bouncing behavior of the balls. If a ball is dropped from a height of 2 meters onto a concrete surface, it may bounce up a maximum of 1.35 meters. Therefore, it can never just bounce over a goalkeeper.

Stadium seats

Soon the game will begin, fans will flock to the stadium in search of their seats. According to SN EN 13200-4, the distance between each seat in a row and the corresponding seat in the row in front must be at least 30 centimeters. That's not exactly lavish, but once everyone is seated, only the match counts anyway. But what other rules apply to seating? According to the provisions of the standard, the seats must be able to withstand a weight of 2,000 kilograms and be at least 40 centimeters deep and 50 centimeters wide.

Football lighting

Cameras were positioned around the pitch. The spectators want to see everything in detail! That's why it's really important that the cameras can record the game properly. It is obvious that the pitch must be well lit, but SN EN 12193 also contains details about the lighting required for TV cameras. According to it, it must be 0.25 times brighter in the area where the cameras are placed than on the pitch! But there should not be too much light either. Scattering effects of light can disturb people living around a stadium: The standard specifies which light levels are permitted in which competition and in which environment - residential, natural or metropolitan - which amount of light is allowed to stream over the horizon of the floodlights.

These standards are described in the SNV online store available:

• SN EN 13061 (in German, French and English)
• SN EN 16027 (in German, French and English)
• SN EN 748 (in German, French and English)
• SN EN 12233 (in German, French and English)
• SN EN 12235 (in German, French and English)
• SN EN 13200-4 (in German)
• SN EN 12193 (in German, French and English)

More stories from 100 years of SNV can be found here, here or here.

They are - at least quantitatively - the dominant part of the Swiss SME landscape: the micro and small enterprises with fewer than ten employees. With over 90 percent
they are the most common form of SME. The Business Expo, founded and organized by Sandra Liliana Schmid, wants to give them a platform on December 7, 2019 in the Kultur-Park Zurich.

Entrepreneur Award for microenterprises

In addition to a trade fair with workshops, the focus is also on the presentation of an Entrepreneur Award. This award is intended to give small businesses fame, honor and recognition for their great achievements and tireless work. 31 entrepreneurs have been nominated, from which the top ten finalists will be selected by means of online voting.
will be. In addition, a jury looks at the various nominees and creates a separate top 10 list. The two Top 10 lists are merged and the result is
then the final top 10 list, from which the winner will be chosen on December 7.

The top 10 nominees

Currently (November 5, 2019), the following ten entrepreneurs are swinging at the top of the public's favor:

• Sale Baschi, Social Switzerland, LinkedIn & Social Selling Expert
• Haller Milena, Milena Haller, expert in performance and chanson singer
• Schmid Elena, Youth for Kenya, Founder and Ambassador
• Eugster Jörg, NetBusiness Consulting AG, Founder, CEO and Owner
• Buschor-Frei Michèle, Caramba Beneficial GmbH, Founder and Managing Director
• Ruf Daniel, careerbooster.ch, owner, application and self-marketing expert
• Sarah Zanuco, Zanuco Treuhand AG, Managing Partner
• Erci Hakan, Threeway AG, Managing Director and Owner
• Thoma Nadja, Nadja Thoma Make-up Artist, Owner
• Dietiker Melanie, Monochromel - Agency for Interior Design / MEL Marketing & Kommunikation GmbH, Owner

The Online voting runs until and including November 15, 2019.

More information: www.business-expo.ch

The forcont business technology gmbh (www.forcont.de), a software company based in Leipzig, has summarized concrete challenges and tips for HR managers in an infographic based on a survey conducted by the online job platform Stepstone among more than 22,000 specialists and managers in Germany.

Tips for HR managers on the entire employee life cycle

The infographic identifies the respective challenges for the four key phases of the employee lifecycle - recruiting, onboarding, development and offboarding - and makes suggestions on how to address them. For example, turnover is particularly high during onboarding. To avoid new employees quitting during the probationary period, it is important to take into account the changing demands of Generations Y and Z. This means, among other things, providing a well-founded onboarding and development plan. This means, among other things, offering a well-founded induction tailored to the new position, providing employees with mentors, holding regular feedback meetings, etc. After the probationary period, in addition to an appreciative corporate culture, systematic development work is important to retain employees in the long term. This includes individual development plans as well as qualification programs for specific employee groups, such as junior managers.

More time thanks to process optimization

In addition, the infographic shows for each phase which routine activities can be made more efficient through digitization and automation. This is crucial because: An informal online survey by forcont among HR managers revealed that administrative activities are the biggest time eater in the HR department. Accordingly, the survey participants identified the digitization of processes, the reduction of administrative work, and the recruitment and retention of personnel as currently the most important strategic tasks. In view of the current challenges facing the HR department, the topic of process optimization is therefore at the top of the agenda. Companies that improve their workflows in such a way that they gain significantly more time for the really important HR issues will gain an important competitive advantage in the war for talent.

Click here for the infographic

The Achilles' heel for efficient digitization is not technology. The decisive weak point is the data. If one too many zeros creep into the digitized process or important data is missing, common sense no longer has a chance to intervene. This weakness can only be eliminated with a stringent fitness program for data. Here are the ten most important questions about data quality and how to ensure it:

1) Can data quality be measured and evaluated reasonably at all?

Experts describe up to 15 theoretical dimensions of data quality. In practice, the situation is simpler: Automated process steps must first and foremost work with complete, up-to-date and, above all, unique data. This is because duplicates in the parts master or in the customer data weaken efficiency. If, for example, two data records exist for a customer, this can lead to the customer being treated as a C-customer, although it actually belongs to the B-customers.

Not all information is equally important. Different spellings of an address do not have the same effect on process fitness as a missing list of conditions for a vendor. Therefore, measuring data quality always includes an evaluation of the errors found. Particularly critical cases also require an escalation workflow to eliminate errors promptly.

2) Is it worth the effort? Isn't everything just as chaotic again after a short time as it was before a cleanup?

Anyone who has already tried to get a grip on data quality with several projects will feel like Sisyphus in the Greek myth. No sooner have you reached the top than the stone rolls back down the hill and the effort starts all over again. In fact, experience shows that the effect of a project-by-project cleanup fizzles out after a while. As with running training, you have to keep at it and implement a data quality program.

3) Where is the best place to start?

Ideally, a company starts where better data delivers the fastest added value. This can be in purchasing, because supplier addresses, conditions and replenishment times noticeably accelerate operational procurement. A start in production and logistics can also help to maintain parts masters cleanly. Parts are then fully assigned to their groups and all necessary weight data is available for shipping. Depending on the industry and company, sales and service can also benefit particularly strongly if address and contract data are up-to-date.

4) Can a data quality program be established without analysis gurus or Excel specialists?

Today, modern analysis programs do not require any programming at all. Defining the rules is not witchcraft for a user who is somewhat familiar with the system. Once the rules have been defined, the employees in the specialist department receive an indication of which data needs to be corrected. Ideally, they can click directly through to the data record concerned. This saves time. Short-term corrections also ensure a rapid learning effect. The frequency of errors is thus reduced quite naturally.

5) How quickly can such regulations be adapted to new requirements?

Today, changes can be made at very short notice. This is because modern analysis tools require neither programming by a software manufacturer nor an IT expert. However, companies must ensure that rule changes do not contradict each other or lead to problems elsewhere. Without data governance, this is not possible.

6) Do all data need to be in one system for ongoing data review and cleanup?

Anyone who postulates this is thinking outside the box. The vast majority of companies today work with more than one system. Today, inspection software, so-called data quality managers, effortlessly integrate data from several sources and inspect them together.

7) How do you get a handle on the issue internationally?

There is no way around master data management. Clear responsibilities are the be-all and end-all: who is responsible for which data, who may and who must change which data - and where, in which system. Master data management regulates which data is maintained centrally and which locally, and ensures the necessary synchronization.

8) How can progress be reliably measured and documented?

The reporting of regular analysis runs must not be limited to the identification of individual errors. It must also enable controlling in the sense of a "state of the data". This status report shows the specialist department as well as the management that data cleansing is worthwhile and that the efforts are bearing fruit - and sustainably so. Healthy competition can even develop among the departments.

9) How does a continuous data quality program work?

Data Quality Manager software checks the previously extracted parts masters, customer files or other data against a set of rules. For example, zip codes in Great Britain are alphanumeric, whereas in Germany or Austria they consist only of digits. Checks against external databases, such as those that check zip codes and streets for plausibility, are also possible. In addition to pure error detection, the software categorizes whether the errors are serious or have a minor impact. The errors found are then transferred to the target system along with an evaluation. In most cases, this is an ERP system. There, the employees can then directly clean up the data. If an exception is detected, it is noted in the rules and regulations. All this can be done today without an employee or a consultant having to program a line of code.

10) How often should data sets be audited?

There are no fixed guidelines for this. The frequency depends very much on the particular company, its processes and data sets. Like any fitness program, it is tailored to individual goals and performance parameters. The key is to continuously and regularly check and measure progress.

Most companies are now aware of their Achilles' heel and are prepared to actively do something about data quality. Those that have already started report a double training effect: On the one hand, data quality management ensures greater production and process reliability internally - and thus for well-founded decisions. In addition, reliable statements about delivery dates and availability increase customer and supplier satisfaction and accelerate collaboration.

Source: proALPHA

The chairman of the board of directors and/or family council should be able to concentrate on the essentials. Both in boards of directors and in already established family boards, it is often the chairman who spends the most time on administrative and organizational work. He is also often left alone with the pre- and post-processing tasks. In addition, the minutes are perceived more as a duty than as an important instrument.

Discharge for the Board of Directors of Family Businesses

For this reason, Continuum AG has developed new offerings that are designed to sustainably relieve the president and his members in the board, increase professionalization, and bring about a constructive outside view. Three modules are available for each board:

• The "Basic" module with basic services such as the organization of administrative and family council meetings and their follow-up or the creation and control of pending lists.
• The second module "Evaluation" includes for the Board of Directors, among other things, the GL evaluation and compensation or even the annual check and for the Family Council, for example, the revision of the family constitution as well as reflection with NextGen and key persons.
• In the Board of Directors, the "Specific" module deals with the development of a risk radar, the creation of a function diagram and provides support in the development of organizational and business regulations. In the family council, among other things, family communication is examined, conflict management is carried out by means of mediation, and workshops for the shareholder agreement are also conducted. The client can thus decide for himself with which individual elements his own needs are to be covered.

Cooperation with partners

The range is complemented by the use of Continuum AG partners who have competencies in corporate and family governance, have protocol expertise, and are also trustworthy and bring experience from their own board mandates.

www.continuum.ch