Teasing, jokes behind colleagues' backs, or a frustrated employee who takes the wrong tone: "All of this creates stress and is exhausting. Such conflicts not only distract from the actual tasks, but in the long run have a negative effect on the atmosphere in the entire team," knows communications expert and conflict manager Robert Häckl of the Executive Mediation Ltd. in Königstein im Taunus (Germany). To prevent conflicts in the workplace from becoming a habit and escalating, each individual can make a contribution to harmonious coexistence.

Tip 1 - Stay objective

Regardless of whether a colleague forgets to forward a customer's telephone message, talks too loudly in an open-plan office, or disagrees on content, the potential for conflict in the workplace is great. "One word can quickly follow another," knows Robert Häckl. Often, there is even a certain automatism of attack, defense and counterattack, which in the worst case degenerates into a tangible war of words. "This pattern must be broken," explains the expert. The decisive factor here is to remain objective and take speed out of the conversation. "This works very well if all parties take a moment, catch their breath and collect themselves," adds Robert Häckl. In particularly heated situations, the expert also advises retreating for a few minutes, either into the fresh air or to another place of retreat.

Tip 2 - Watch your language!

"When it comes to finding constructive solutions, the way in which certain problems are discussed is of central importance," explains Robert Häckl. Instead of attacking the others and taking a confrontational course directly in terms of language, the actual problem should be brought closer to the counterpart. It does not help to clarify a problem to accuse those involved of scheming malice, for example. "It is better to describe your own perception of the situation with I-messages," advises Robert Häckl. The situation is defused when one talks about one's own perception, one's own feelings and one's personal understanding of a situation. In this way, no one is embarrassed by having to defend themselves. Both sides are thus enabled to find a solution to the problem.

Tip 3 - What is the other person's position?

A conflict always involves at least two parties. "Therefore, each of the parties involved must be prepared to find a solution. This also includes accommodating the other party," knows Robert Häckl. This already starts with putting oneself in the other person's position and realizing how one's own messages might be understood in the heat of the moment. This helps to better understand the actual causes of the conflict and to resolve it.

Tip 4 - What is the worst that can happen?

If all parties involved insist on their point of view, it is hardly possible to reach a reconciliation. Therefore, the expert recommends visualizing the effects of the dispute for the next weeks and months, thus creating the readiness for a compromise. "Even if a compromise does not fully satisfy the individual interests of both parties, it is usually better than prolonged disputes," the expert adds.

Tip 5 - On neutral terrain

If tensions have already become entrenched, tact and conflict competence are required. Those who do not have their own specialists in this area can find help from external consultants and mediators. As neutral third parties, these experts provide targeted impulses that take into account both the corporate culture and the individuality of the employees. With their support, all those involved learn to recognize the conflict as such and to improve and resolve tense situations.

The path to the multi-cloud often led via "shadow IT", as 28.7% of respondents confirm in a new study. Or this path was uncoordinated demand-driven. Cloud chaos was looming in companies. How are Swiss companies tackling the issue and what challenges are they facing? This was investigated by the market researchers at Research in Action on behalf of Interxion. Research in Action surveyed 1400 people from seven European countries, 150 of them from Switzerland.

Multi-cloud is already a reality for many

The responses reveal that 89.3% of Swiss companies are currently looking at an integrated multi-cloud strategy. Only 8% have already implemented it, but one in three plan to do so in the next 18 months. Another 41.3% are planning a long-term implementation. Only 7.4% are ignoring the topic so far, or are using no cloud or only one cloud. This means that multi-cloud is a reality for a large proportion of Swiss companies - but what does it look like in detail?

The ranking by industry

The "Technology and Consulting" sector is currently furthest along in implementing a multi-cloud strategy, with 26.4%. Media and telecommunications" with 15.4% and the financial sector with 13.2% are in second place. Bringing up the rear are the retail sector and "transport and logistics" with 3.5%.

The advantages of the multi-cloud

Cost reduction through multi-cloud is the most important factor for 30.7% of Swiss companies. 26% of respondents value the specialist benefits and focus of offerings in the multi-cloud and their optimal flexible use. Main reasons three and four are maximizing resilience for services with a value of 15.3% and avoiding vendor lock-in with a value of 12.7%.

The challenges with the multi-cloud

Among the challenges on the way to the multi-cloud, 30% of the respondents primarily named the integration of services as a potential technical obstacle. 22% see security risks from the use of different cloud services as a hurdle on the way to the multi-cloud. For 10%, multi-cloud does not fit into the company's strategy.

The outlook for the multi-cloud

When it comes to the use of hybrid cloud services, the most promising area cited, at 36%, is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), 30% see Platform as a Service (PaaS) as the greatest benefit, 10% cite Software as a Service (SaaS), and 20.7% cite hybrid infrastructures in general.

Which cloud offering should it be?

The 150 respondents see the future of multi-cloud with 28.7% purely with hyperscalers, 23.3% of the study participants name industry-specific cloud offerings in combination with hyperscalers. Here, offerings that enable easy use of hyperscalers and their networking with the company's own infrastructure are a valuable help. They provide secure and high-performance private cloud access from hyperscalers such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud or Amazon Web Services via a physical connection. In addition, it is also possible to connect directly to the cloud PoPs in colocation data centers.

In Switzerland, Interxion offers direct connection via PoP to Google Cloud, AWS and Microsoft Azure. The latter two are the only PoPs in Switzerland. With the help of the Cloud Connect service, it is also possible to connect to the IBM and Oracle clouds.

Source

In 2019, the Perikom fact check will be accompanied for the first time by a scientific evaluation by the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich and will provide an accurate picture of the situation of internal communication in large Swiss companies. The survey on internal CEO communication aims to gain insights into how the communication of the managing directors towards the employees in connection with digitalization in the most employee-strong companies in Switzerland is today and how it is perceived to develop in the future. Communications and HR managers from the 120 companies with the largest workforce in Switzerland were asked to take part in the survey. The completion rate of the questionnaire is 55.8 percent; of the 120 experts asked, 67 completed the questionnaire in full.

Importance of CEO communication increases

The communications and HR managers who took part in the study affirmed the increasing importance of internal CEO communications over the past five years (52% "tend to agree", 30% "completely agree"). When asked whether the importance of internal CEO communications will continue to increase in the future, the percentages of agreement are similarly high (56% "tend to agree," 31% "completely agree"). Only a minority disagrees with this assessment (4.5% "strongly disagree", 7.5% "strongly disagree").

Transparency promotes trust in management

What content will be more important in internal CEO communications in the future? Here, mainly strategy and goals as well as values and attitudes are mentioned. Content relating to facts and figures is considered less relevant. As many as 63 percent of respondents agreed with the thesis that transparency as a sign of trust will become even more important in the future. It helps to promote trust in management. In contrast, only 13 percent of the company representatives surveyed agreed that their CEO also talks to employees about failures. Furthermore, 25 percent affirmed - without reservation - that a strategy for internal CEO communication existed in their companies. Further analysis of the study will also show which channels and instruments are mainly used for CEO communication.

The full study on internal CEO communication is currently being prepared. The results will be presented for the first time at the annual Perikom conference on May 23 at the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft. www.perikom.ch

What does an SAP project have in common with a sailing trip? Sometimes a lot: hurricane-force winds, the stars in the firmament, lonely nights on deck with the occasional rain slide or downright storm. Passionate sailor Hugo Gschwend knows what he's talking about.

Hugo Gschwend, what is your function at GIA Informatik?
Hugo Gschwend: Which SAP solution would the Customers? Do you want an SAP implementation or do you want to optimize existing processes? I am a project manager and presales consultant, I assist the customer with information on the above and other questions and I prepare an offer together with sales staff. Once the order has been placed, the ISO-certified project management process begins - with the intention of implementing the customer's requirements cost-effectively and efficiently. As overall project manager, I lead projects to the defined goal with the appropriate phases and resources.

What was your greatest adventure on the high seas?
During two weeks we were traveling along the Côte d'Azur in the south of France, from Hyères to Menton on the Italian border and back. Suddenly, a storm came up that built up to a Medicane. As a skipper, I knew it was better to stay in port in such hurricane-like conditions. But two days later, time was pressing to return - this in a swell with four-meter waves and winds of up to six Beaufort. This delicate situation is comparable to an SAP-Project, where suddenly something unforeseen can happen and I have to pass a veritable storm.

What other parallels do you see between your profession and sailing?
Sailing is identical to editing a project at the IT service provider GIA Informatics. It starts with an idea, you have to do many tasks at the same time, and it ends at home. Every sailing trip is unique in its execution - like an SAP project. The complexity is high in both cases, so I always have to be agile and have the goal in mind. If B is the goal, I don't travel from A to C. Increased attention must be paid to resource planning. The crew or team must always be supervised in such a way that everyone feels comfortable and correctly completes the work at hand on the ship or at GIA Informatik. In both disciplines, instructions from the captain or team leader, scheduling, quality control and communication are essential to ensure that no accidents occur.

Have you gained skills from sailing that you apply to your job?
Several at once. In both places, the focus must be on the essentials. The skipper's job is to have an overall view of the ship and the crew. He is the one who bears the blame in the event of an incident or accident. In the same way, I take responsibility for an SAP project and also take the blame if something doesn't go right.

What are the technologies you use when sailing?
It's hard to imagine competitive sailing without the new technologies: evaluating and analyzing data so that you can perform a tack a tenth of a second faster or improve the wind angle at a certain sail position. As a hobby sailor, I rely on the Internet and apps to download weather data or obtain harbor information. The trend toward communicating via cell phone and satellite phone instead of radio has also taken hold in sailing. This allows you to establish an Internet connection to the mainland in a matter of seconds in the middle of the Atlantic. If a mast breaks or a ship collides with a container, a rescue control center can be activated by satellite phone.

Author:
Christian Wild is Head of Digital Communication & Strategy at the communication agency Hirschbühl + Hug in Solothurn. www.hihu.ch

The sales and distribution world is undergoing a profound transformation. Ever-shorter innovation cycles, the shift towards multi- and omnichannel, new technologies, the way personal selling is changing, and increasing price pressure are all demanding a lot from the sales and distribution departments of Swiss companies. To survive in this fast-paced environment, organizations in sales and distribution need to constantly realign themselves. This requires innovation, creativity and the courage to do the unusual.

Sales Excellence Award in two categories

Against this background, the sales and distribution experts of the Swiss Marketing Forum, WATC Consulting AG and the Hochschule für Wirtschaft in Zürich (HWZ) are launching an award for successful and forward-looking sales and distribution initiatives in Switzerland. Its primary goal: to identify and spotlight individuals and teams who are pioneering new and creative sales and distribution projects, and to promote exchange among sales and distribution professionals. The means to this end: the Sales Excellence Award, which in future will be presented once a year for outstanding sales and distribution achievements.

The Sales Excellence Award is presented in two categories:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises with less than 500 employees
• Large companies with more than 500 employees

In addition, there is a special jury prize and an audience award (not tied to categories).

Broadly based jury

The organizers of the Sales Excellence Awards are proud to have attracted an especially distinguished group of judges who represent a broad Combine wealth of experience from practice, consulting and teaching. The jury is composed as follows:

• Marc Baumgartner, CEO, Würth AG
• Paul-David Becker, Managing Partner, BSP International AG
• Daniel Binkert, Market Area Manager, Member of the Management, CSS Versicherung AG
• Katrin Brunner, Retail Manager, Lacoste
• John Charles, Head of Strategic and Key Account Management, Post CH AG
• Gregor Doser, Industry Leader Retail, Telco, FMCG, Agency, Google Switzerland
• Séverine Dröhnli, Head of National Sales and KAM, Bayer (Switzerland) AG
• Patrick E. Koller, Managing Partner, WATC Consulting AG (Jury President)
• Martin Limbeck, Managing Director, Martin Limbeck Training Group
• Marcus Schögel, Director, IfM-HSG Institute for Marketing, University of St. Gallen
• Monika Schulze, Global Head of Customer Experience & Digital Strategy, Zurich Insurance
• Thomas Schwertje, Head of Marketing, Coop Switzerland

The jury will judge the projects entered according to four criteria: Sales Strategy, Sales Management, Information Management, and Customer Relationship Management. Several dimensions are included in the assessment: the degree of innovation of the submitted project, its benefit for the organization, its relevance beyond the company, and its concrete implementation with the accompanying accompanying measures.

Application deadline until July 15, 2019

Sales and distribution projects from companies and organizations based in Switzerland are eligible for the competition. The application deadline is July 15, 2019. Application forms and further information on the Sales Excellence Award are available at www.swissmarketingforum.ch/sxa. The Sales Excellence Award ceremony will take place at the Sales Power Conference at the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute on November 12, 2019. In addition to the award ceremony, the event will focus on networking among guests and learning from each other. The prizes awaiting the winning teams are also in this spirit. In addition to a monetary prize, each winning team will receive a customized Sales Excellence Impulse Day with a workshop to discuss sales and sales-specific challenges and issues.

The Second World War partially interrupts the already existing efforts for international standards. After the end of the war, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in London in October 1946. It emerged from the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA), which had existed since 1926, and the United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee (UNSCC), which had been formed during the war.

October 1946: Founding meeting of the ISO in London

The conference in London is attended by 25 countries with over 60 delegates, which shows the great importance attached to standardization. Fritz Streiff, Chairman of the Standards Commission of the Swiss Association of Machinery Manufacturers, and Willy Kuert, Head of the VSM Standards Bureau and Secretary of the Swiss Standards Association, travel to the negotiations in London to represent Switzerland. The conference focuses on the ISO statutes and implementing regulations.

Only one organization per country can become a member

ISO aims to facilitate the coordination and unification of standards issued by national standards bodies and provides for a continuous exchange of information on countries' standardization work. Membership is open to any national standards organization, provided that it meets the conditions for admission and is willing to accept the statutes and implementing regulations. From each individual country, the organization that most comprehensively represents the standardizing bodies of that country is to become a member. The official languages of ISO adopted in London are English, French and Russian. The headquarters of the ISO are to be in Geneva, where the ISO begins its activities in February 1947.

The London Conference designates Geneva as the headquarters of the ISO. The Geneva office is established and on February 23, 1947, the ISO starts its activities.

Bodies of the ISO

The highest authority in the ISO is the General Assembly, which consists of the assembly of representatives of all members. As a rule, it meets every three years. For the first Presidents of ISO, Howard Coonley, chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Standards Association, is elected. The executive body is a Councilconsisting of the President and ten other members, who together represent eleven different member countries. This Council is vested with broad powers and is responsible for the governance of the ISO between General Assemblies. For the first five years, China, France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States of America have permanent seats on the Council. The remaining six seats are allocated to Australia, Belgium, Brazil, India, Norway, and Switzerland. The Council elects from among its members a Vice Presidents and a Trésorier. Gustave L. Gérard, Belgium, is appointed Vice President for the first term and Fritz Streiff, Switzerland, is appointed Trésorier. The business of the organization is conducted by a Secretary General guided.

Switzerland recognizes its important role in the ISO

The Swiss representatives are convinced that Swiss industry and business can benefit from international standardization efforts and that active participation is therefore of great importance.

Thus, the Swiss Association for Standardization wrote in its press release of April 1947: "The standards organization of a country which, like Switzerland, is very heavily dependent on exports, must seek and maintain contact with foreign standards bodies by all means. Through our membership in ISO, these indispensable connections have been established, and we will be able to participate in the solution of international tasks. We are particularly pleased with the designation of Geneva as the headquarters of the new organization, the election to the ISO Council and the transfer of the trésorier's office. These decisions of the London Conference testify to the esteem in which our country, and Swiss standardization in particular, is held in international circles. They should be an incentive for the Swiss standardization bodies to assist in the implementation of the ISO work to the best of their ability."

Active cooperation with ISO for over 70 years

Decades after ISO was founded, Switzerland is still actively involved in international standardization and enjoys a high status within the organization to this day. Our country was and is often represented in the steering committees, for example in the ISO Council and the Technical Steering Committee. Currently, Switzerland is represented in the highest bodies with Urs Fischer in the ISO Council and Marcel Knecht in the Technical Steering Committee. Nicolas Fleury from Switzerland has been Deputy Secretary General since 2009, and the current Trésorier is also a private individual from Switzerland.

Urs Fischer: "Proof of confidence"

"Our close cooperation and the fact that ISO continues to maintain its headquarters and central secretariat in Switzerland fills us with great pride and pleasure. We consider it a special proof of the trust of ISO as well as its members and appreciate exceptionally that our know-how, our reliability and our cooperation since the existence of ISO are recognized without any doubt. Our 100th anniversary gives us a perfect opportunity to thank our colleagues at the ISO in Geneva, but also all members, for the extremely pleasant and successful cooperation."

Sources: Archive Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV) and ISO

Alongside conversion rate, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction are high on the agenda of many companies. In the first step, the challenge is to find the most meaningful values and evaluate them in the overall context. LogMeIn, a leader in customer engagement technology, has drawn on its years of experience to compile six tips on metrics and approaches to help companies with "Operation Customer Satisfaction."

Ask the right questions

Companies can collect various figures to determine customer satisfaction. Collecting data is the first step in arriving at actionable insights. However, for customer interactions to be used to optimize the customer experience, it is crucial to know what questions companies ask their customers and how detailed the answers are.

Six tips for measuring customer satisfaction

Companies should pay attention to the following aspects when measuring customer satisfaction:

1. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) as a central value for customer satisfaction: When it comes to measuring customer satisfaction, the obvious metric is the CSAT itself. For the simplest survey of CSAT, a question is asked such as "How satisfied are you with the service you received?" and answered with a value on a numerical scale. The difficulty with a survey of this type is that many customers, especially those who have not had an exceptional experience, ignore the survey and do not participate. But it may also be that the emotional aspects of the customer experience are glossed over in the aftermath. Yet it is these that could be critical to improving the customer experience and relationship. That's why it's important to look at CSAT in the context of other metrics.
2. Customer experience vs. customer expectationAs a supplement to the question about satisfaction, a question about the customer's expectations can be used. This involves checking whether customers agree or disagree with a statement such as "The service met my expectations". Gradients should also be taken into account here. Examples: Agree completely; Agree mostly; Agree hardly.
3. Use the Net Promoter Score to measure the likelihood of recommendations: The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a key figure that provides information on how likely customers are to recommend a product or service to others. To determine this figure, there is an NPS model that is designed to help companies inquire about and evaluate the behavior of their customers in the right way. To do this, the model divides customers into three groups: Promoters, Indifferents and Detractors. The first group speaks positively about the company, the second group is neutral, and the last group expresses negative opinions. To find out which category a customer belongs to, the question is asked, "How likely are you to recommend us?" The answer on a scale of 1 to 10 provides information about a single customer transaction. The distribution among the customer groups yields the actual key figure, the NPS. A value greater than 0 means that the company succeeds in turning customers into brand ambassadors. However, it is often not clear to customers how the model works and they tend to relate the question to their satisfaction rather than to recommendation, so that the value loses significance. Therefore, it can be useful to explain the model briefly and concisely to customers before they answer the question.
4. Reduce response time to customer inquiries: In addition to surveying customers, it is important to identify harder facts for evaluating the customer experience. In this context, an important KPI that influences customer satisfaction is a company's response time. It is a frequent source of frustration for customers - especially when they do not receive any attention for a long time and e-mails or chat requests are not answered quickly enough. Nowadays, customers expect response times of a few hours or minutes. 24 or even 48 hours are no longer acceptable.
5. Complete requests at the first contact: Complementary to response time, the First Contact Resolution Rate (FCR) quantifies the percentage of customer inquiries that are answered during the first contact and provides information on how effectively and efficiently customer inquiries and problems are resolved. Measuring response time and FCR not only serve as indicators of customer satisfaction, they can also alert companies to potentially damaging delays.
6. A short turnaround time is appreciated: The average processing time is another key figure that gives an idea of how efficiently customers are served. However, like the other values, it should always be viewed in conjunction with the CSAT or the NPS, since a short turnaround time is desirable in principle, but not at the expense of satisfaction. The overall picture of the key figures shows whether customers are satisfied with a company for a long time or whether there is a risk that they will turn to a competitor.

"To measure customer satisfaction, companies rely on CSAT or NPS. But for a comprehensive assessment, other metrics should also be considered," advises Sandra Schröter, senior international product marketing manager at LogMeIn. "In doing so, it is advisable to bring the data together in one place. From the big picture, it becomes clear how well a company is meeting its customers' expectations. Insights like this are essential because today, the customer experience is more important than ever and critical to long-term business success." LogMeIn offers Bold360, a digital customer engagement solution that helps companies make customer interactions more intuitive and efficient.

More information at: www.bold360.com/de/

The success of Switzerland as a business location depends to a large extent on the success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a wide variety of sectors. Because Switzerland as a domestic market is quickly saturated, especially for highly specialized niche offerings, many Swiss SMEs seek success abroad at an early stage. Research on the internationalization of companies has so far focused on large companies and multinational corporations. A systematic study of the special prerequisites and necessary leadership and management competencies of SMEs has been lacking.

Internationalization among SMEs is oriented toward opportunities

A study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, sponsored by Innosuisse, now shows that the internationalization of SMEs and large corporations differs significantly. "Small and medium-sized enterprises embark on internationalization in rapid cycles, orienting themselves to the opportunities or contingencies that present themselves, and are heavily dependent on entrepreneurship and the leadership and management skills of their executives," says project leader Prof. Dr. Ingo Stolz, describing the initial situation from qualitative interviews with over 20 Swiss SMEs. This contradicts previous descriptions and models, which traditionally describe internationalization in stages as a linear and strategically driven process. In the subsequent quantitative study, the researchers surveyed around 70 additional companies to determine the extent of their internationalization competencies. The study focused on the following questions: Which paths lead to the successful internationalization of SMEs? What leadership and management competencies are important for pursuing these paths? How can we measure whether the necessary competencies are available to a sufficient extent? And how can these competencies - if necessary - be developed?

Between intuition and rational decision-making

Executives of SMEs usually accompany internationalization projects through three phases: a start-up phase to search for possible scenarios and opportunities; a consolidation phase to test a concrete implementation idea by launching pilot projects; and an establishment phase for the consistent implementation and scaling of an internationalization project. During these three phases, an SME executive finds himself in two areas of tension, more so than in other business situations: on the one hand, he must identify the right time for intuitive action or for rational decision-making. On the other hand, they must use existing resources efficiently without missing the opportunity to make bold investments in new things.

Internationalization requires diverse competencies

The leadership and management competencies for internationalization can be divided into seven sub-areas: Risk awareness, strategy, adaptive organization, entrepreneurship, intercultural competence, international partnerships and market orientation. Successfully internationalizing SME executives have good internationalization competencies in all seven sub-areas. Depending on the phase of internationalization, the competencies within these seven sub-areas vary.

The Lucerne Model of SME Internationalization (see graphic), which emerged from the project, summarizes these findings. Based on this, the research team developed a measurement tool for determining the leadership and management competencies of SME executives in the areas relevant to internationalization. In this way, not only can existing competencies and any gaps be ascertained, but appropriate development steps can also be initiated.

The study results are available now at hslu.ch/kmu-international freely available for download. They will be enriched at the International Leadership Forum Lucerne (ILFL) with the concrete experiences by the corporate partners of the research project. In an open dialogue, SME entrepreneurs and executives are invited to discuss the internationalization of SMEs based on these latest research findings, exchange best practices and discover innovative entrepreneurial approaches at ILFL. An intensive exchange of experiences, practical workshops and inspiring keynotes provide the appropriate framework for this in a varied program.

The targeted expansion of its infrastructure forms a core element of the strategic orientation of GIA Informatik AG. Security for its customers is the IT company's top priority. It chose Lucerne as the location for a new data center (now the third), as it is not located in any danger zone for nuclear power plants, earthquakes, airports or floods. CKW Fiber Services AG has been operating this data center since 2015 and accommodates various tenants in it. At the beginning of 2019, the IT service provider from Oftringen with a focus on SAP, Cloud computing and IT Services will start operations in Lucerne. René Lüscher, Head of IT Solutions and member of the Executive Board of GIA Informatik AG: "We are convinced that with another data center we can offer the best possible solution for our customers. The new location does not pose any significant risks. By geographically separating the data center locations, we ensure that not all data centers are affected at the same time in the event of a crisis situation. With the new data center in Lucerne, we are significantly raising our quality standards."

Low latency brings great advantages

The primary data center is still located in Oftringen; all system classes classified by availability are located here. Disaster-tolerant systems are in operation in Lucerne. The lines from the previous data centers of GIA Informatik AG to Lucerne are routed redundantly. This means that they run on separate paths and never cross each other. The IT service provider ensures the fast connections with DWDM technology and bandwidths of 100 gigabit dark fiber leased lines. The data center in Lucerne is built according to Tier Level 3 to 4 and the current state of technology and security. In addition, with certification to the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard, it meets the same high information security management requirements as GIA Informatik AG. This ensures the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Furthermore, the new data center is well connected in terms of data technology. René Lüscher: "Due to the relatively short distance of less than 100 kilometers between the headquarters in Oftringen and Lucerne, we achieve a low latency, thanks to which the systems can be operated with high performance for the customers."

Customer wishes are a top priority

For the next two to five years, it is foreseeable that customers will increasingly want to move their data to the private cloud. GIA Informatik AG has sufficient capacity for expansion and transmission. "One of our essential advantages is data storage Switzerland. We are known for our quality," confirms René Lüscher. Furthermore, a geo-redundant connection is important, for example of the private cloud to the customer site.

Source and further information: www.gia.ch

Another common comment is, "Aren't the very problems preventing us from focusing on what's important?" After all, isn't the goal to reduce and solve the problems?

Everything is right! The only thing is: Too often there is the phenomenon that people do not strive with full force towards the next level of success because they fear that this will cause them even more problems. And this is exactly the point: You will always generate problems if you change something substantially. Striving for extraordinary goals automatically generates a series of problems that you are not even thinking about today.

Just imagine the flight to Mars. Or even driverless cars. Or building a business in a new market. You will create dozens or hundreds of new problems in all these cases. So my suggestion: better have the mindset that creating problems is a positive thing. In other words, the more problems you create, the more it is a sign that you are substantially developing yourself and your team or company. Or do you think that an Elon Musk, a Richard Branson, a Steve Jobs, a Nelson Mandela, a Bertrand Piccard and many others have sought the path without problems? Probably rather the opposite!

Here comes the good news: If you generate enough momentum on the way to your great goals - and this momentum is just crucial - then many problems will virtually dissolve as soon as you deal with them. You know this from your own experience: If you personally pursue an important goal with full force, then suddenly solutions are found for obstacles that previously seemed almost insurmountable. The reason: You have built up momentum.

So next time, instead of looking for the easiest path with the lowest common denominator, ask the leadership team instead, "What big steps toward a great vision will get us into so many problems?" And then take that path! You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

To your problems!

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

Bastian Schneider has been advising companies on strategic and operational brand management in numerous industries in Switzerland, Germany and Austria for many years. He regularly writes professional articles on the topics of brand management and employer branding and gives expert lectures to companies, at universities and at conferences. Bastian Schneider was formerly a consultant at the Institute for Brand Technology in Geneva and a partner of NOHETO! Unternehmens- und Managementberatung in Witten. He studied economics at the University of Witten/Herdecke and is a trained banker. With Brand Leadership Circle (BLC), which belongs to Hotz Brand Consultants, Bastian Schneider is currently in the midst of a real transformation process. BLC was a printing company that began to transform itself step by step into a creative ecosystem for brand-oriented management with 130 employees about 15 years ago. In the process, they quickly realized that they had to actively involve those affected in the process. Clear orientation, but also the tangible handover of trust and responsibility, was particularly crucial in order to develop future strength. He actively passes on the experience he has gained in the process - including at the Ostschweizer Personaltag 2019 in June and here in this interview.

Bastian Schneider, how did you earn your first money?
With my father, at the age of 15. For an entire summer, I was "allowed" to cut down, dismantle and clear away countless trees in the garden together with my brother - for 8 Mark 50 an hour.

What was your first employer and why did you choose it?
My first real employer, after studying economics, was the Institute for Brand Technology in Geneva - for me at the time the authority on brand management and the only ones who seriously and seriously combined the subject of brands with the subject of corporate management. I had read many of the publications and found myself in the brand-technical view and the basic attitudes. It was clear to me at that time: I wanted to become a brand engineer! Towards the end of my studies, I sent out just one application. To Geneva. On my own initiative. There was no job advertised. But it worked out! In December 2004, I flew from Cologne to Geneva for an interview. Three months later I was able to start - and from there I realized exciting brand projects in Switzerland, Germany and Austria for many years. Today, I am still grateful that this worked out. I was able to learn a lot - and that's how we, my family and I, came to Switzerland in the first place.

Which company, apart from your own, has the greatest appeal for you, the best image - and why?
Quite clearly: Lego - and that's been the case since I was a little boy. "Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow" - I can still identify very well with this purpose. But the question of an employer's charisma is one of those things. In many cases, the image of the company's product outshines the image of the company as an employer. Just because a product is sexy or a brand is in at the moment doesn't say much about what the company is like as an employer. What it's really like to work for this company. Every day. False or exaggerated expectations before applying then give way to great disappointment after starting work - with correspondingly high employee turnover. This is a major reason why some companies need to professionalize their employer branding. As a brand consultant, I have been able to look behind the scenes at some companies. Time and again, you meet employees there who immediately get the feeling: This fits, they are at exactly the right company for them. The pot-and-pan principle in action. A productive win-win situation. I think we should work to promote this "matching" and not think so much about the general appeal.

How can an employer stand out in the competition for skilled workers in the digital age?
The secret is "self-selection". It's not about being attractive to all potential employees. It's about being attractive to the right employees. For the people who fit the company, its culture and its entrepreneurial ambition. Companies are as different as people - and this should be taken into account. What triggers enthusiasm in one person is an absolute no-go for another. There is no right or wrong. There is only "fit" or "don't fit". Bold profiling versus generic noise without effect. In the competition for skilled workers, this means: Recognize your special features - and highlight them in your communication. What makes our company unique as an employer? What can we promise - and really deliver? What do we fight for? What inspires us to give our best every day? A company should answer these questions clearly and confidently in its own way. And thus lay the foundation to successfully participate in the "war for talent". In order to be able to attract the people who are right for you. The best way to do this is by taking advantage of the new digital possibilities and communicating in an increasingly data-driven, system-supported and automated way. Qualitatively better applications, more efficient recruiting processes and a higher average seniority will be the result.

What are employer values that will always exist and remain important?
From a brand perspective: only your own.

Bastian Schneider is a speaker at this year's Ostschweizer Personaltag. More information 

Production and supply chain processes can be increasingly digitized and create new efficiency potentials. This fourth industrial revolution is forcing companies in the distribution, manufacturing, process manufacturing, service, chemical and food industries in particular to realign their ERP solution. Rob Sinfield, vice president of enterprise management at Sage, says, "Industry 4.0 is changing the way businesses operate and presents tremendous opportunities, but also increasing complexity. Our objective is to help our customers consistently leverage the potential of Industry 4.0 with software that not only has a wider range of functional capabilities and can manage business processes more efficiently, but also maps application-specific features in detail. Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management is a total solution for customers who want to bring together products and processes and thus consistently expand their business opportunities."

Flexible implementation options

With the new version, companies can choose whether they want to use the software as a pure cloud application in the public cloud or as a hybrid solution. For customers who do not want to work in the public cloud, Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management can also be provided hosted in the private cloud or on-premise.

Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management Version 12 allows users to customize the system's user interface to their individual workflows on a role-based basis and control them both from the desktop computer and via tablet or smartphone. Workflows can thus be optimized and ERP management accelerated from order taking, manufacturing and warehousing to sales, customer service and finance. Customized dashboards inform users in real time about the performance of selected business processes and, for example, draw attention to irregularities that could affect the operational business. With customized scoreboards, users can run detailed analyses on individual business functions and thus optimize their risk management. Thanks to the responsive design, all workflows, data and analyses are always displayed clearly and in a well-structured manner on all end devices.

Additional interfaces for even more functional diversity

New, additional interfaces (APIs) also make it possible to expand and customize the software's functions by integrating tailored solutions and apps from third-party providers. This allows automation processes to be further expanded, for example.

Version 12 also includes two new query frameworks, GraphQL and Sage Data Integration, for the Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management interfaces. This can reduce integration time for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to as little as two days and help end users streamline processes, avoid duplication and reduce errors.

More information about application possibilities and features of the software