Innovative Swiss companies and universities are already successfully and courageously putting the energy future into practice. In their honor, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy created the Watt d'Or, the seal of approval for energy excellence. Now in its 15th year, this award was presented in three categories on January 6, 2022. The non-endowed prize recognizes exceptional achievements in the energy sector. The trophy - a snow globe - was presented on a smaller scale this year due to the pandemic situation. The jury for the Watt d'Or 2022 was chaired by St.Gallen National Councilor Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher.

Winner of the Watt d'Or 2022

A total of 31 organizations submitted projects that were evaluated by a team of experts. Finally, 11 entries were nominated for the final round. From these, the jury has now selected the winning projects in the four Watt d'Or categories, although: this year there was no winner in the mobility category. This year, SBB won the prize in the "Energy Technologies" category, Verora AG from Edlibach ZG in the "Renewable Energies" category and schaerraum AG from Horw LU in the "Buildings and Space" category.

Intelligent load control against power consumption peaks

SBB received an award for its intelligent load control against power consumption peaks in the interval timetable. You have to imagine: When trains accelerate simultaneously throughout Switzerland, this causes huge power consumption. After all, one locomotive alone sucks up to 8 megawatts (MW) of power from the rail power grid. With 800 to 1,000 trains running at the same time, this leads to sometimes extreme - and expensive - fluctuations in consumption. Within just a quarter of an hour, consumption can rise or fall by 300 MW. After all, that's 50 percent of the maximum load in the traction power network. To solve this problem, SBB has developed its own load management software. During load peaks, this software switches off the train car and switch heaters for a short time - usually only for a few seconds to a minute, until the load peak has passed. In this way, SBB makes consumption more flexible and, as a "prosumer," optimizes the interaction with electricity production. By 2023, SBB will be able to flexibly control 70 megawatts in this way. In this way, it is also taking on a model role for Switzerland's general power grid, according to one of the jury's conclusions.

Vegetable carbon stores CO2

The moraine region of Menzingen/Neuheim (Canton Zug) is home to a nucleus for the still young negative emission technologies (NET). Since 2012, Verora AG, a group of farmers from the Zug mountain region, has been producing plant charcoal from natural tree and shrub cuttings here. Over the past 10 years, the Verora AG team has developed the pyrolysis plant required for this from a prototype from the German university spinoff Pyreg GmbH to a reliably functioning production plant. The plant charcoal obtained in it has a very large surface area and a porous structure. Thus, it acts like a sponge. As a feed additive, it reduces the formation of greenhouse gases during cow digestion, it reduces the smell of ammonia in the barn, increases the nutrient content of fertilizer and compost, makes agricultural soils more robust and fertile, and binds CO2 in them for centuries. The Verora AG production plant has an annual output of 600 m3 of vegetable carbon, which can store around 460 tons of CO2 in the long term. Verora AG does little advertising for the vegetable carbon and has nevertheless arrived in the profit zone.

Also awarded the Watt d'Or 2022: Climate-neutral commercial and residential building

Wooden buildings are increasingly becoming an economically attractive alternative to conventional construction methods. schaerraum AG from Horw in Lucerne has built a climate-neutral commercial and residential building based on the modular planning principle "RaumRaster". The principle is based on a wooden skeleton that stands on a concrete base and bears the entire load of the building. Thanks to flexibly combinable modules, the construction time was significantly reduced: The building was constructed in just eight months. The building technology also conserves resources and costs: the smart coupling of the air-conditioning technology with the energy piles, the heat pump, the solar systems on the roof and carport, and a battery storage system means that the building produces around 50% more energy than it consumes. By coupling the entire air conditioning technology, the energy piles and the heat pump, the latter achieves the very good annual performance factor of 7 to 8, which means that it produces 7 to 8 kWh of heat with 1 kilowatt hour of electricity. And finally
the energy flow is monitored, optimized and billed using smart meter technology.

In the eyes of the jury, the planning principle "RaumRaster" by schaerraum AG for the construction of multi-family houses made of wood is a promising approach to building in a climate-friendly, resource-saving and cost-effective way. The building mentioned has been occupied since January 2021 and the tenants are very satisfied, according to the report.

Source: Federal Office of Energy

In March 2020, the first Corona Lockdown led to a drastic slump in the job market. Almost two years later, we are seeing a rapid economic recovery, as various evaluations consistently show. For example, according to the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index, companies are posting 39% more jobs in Q4 2021 than in the same quarter last year. Most occupational groups can look forward to a significant increase in demand. All of Switzerland's major regions are also benefiting from a broad-based recovery in the labor markets. In the Espace Mittelland, technology professionals (+50%) (e.g. engineering and comparable professionals) and in Central Switzerland, STEM and health professions (+48%) (e.g. natural scientists, mathematicians and engineers) are the main beneficiaries. In northwestern Switzerland, service and sales professionals (+54%) (e.g. sales professionals) and business and social professions (+45%) (e.g. social scientists and cultural professionals) in particular are enjoying strong job growth.

Where the shortage of skilled workers is most acute

The labor market barometer of the outplacement service provider von Rundstedt also states a good recovery of the labor markets. After a clear break in 2020, some sectors are again looking intensively for personnel. According to the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index, skilled trades and support workers (+23%), which include professions such as polymechanics, precision craftsmen (e.g. watchmakers and micromechanics) and food processing professions (e.g. bakers and meat specialists), are experiencing a recovery. The largest percentage increase was seen in office and administrative professionals (+21%) (e.g. general office and secretarial professionals) and service and sales professionals (+17%) (e.g. sales and support professionals).

Fewer terminations due to downsizing measures

On the other hand, in 2021 far fewer dismissals were due to downsizing measures, namely only 23 percent, according to von Rundstedt. However, another figure is worth noting: at 25 percent, a relatively large number of individual terminations were due to performance deviations in 2021. But the good news is that those who have been made redundant are once again finding a new job much more quickly than a year ago. The average search period has fallen from 6.9 to 5.3 months. The situation has improved particularly among the over-50s, where the search period has fallen from 8.3 to 6.9 months. This value is even lower than that of 2019. However, the fundamentally pleasing development should not hide the fact that there is still a large difference between the marketable and the difficult profiles in all age groups, according to the report. The search duration varies from 3.2 months (marketable easy profiles) to 9.2 months (difficult profiles). This shows that it is still difficult for some people to find a new job despite the shortage of skilled workers. This polarization between the winners and losers on the labor market is increasing more and more in the course of the digital transformation. Even the shortage of skilled workers is not changing this.

More industry mobility

Thanks to the shortage of skilled workers, however, companies are more willing to consider applicants from outside the industry, according to another of von Rundstedt's findings. Industry mobility has reached a record level of 52 percent in 2021, he said. This is good news, because it is precisely this flexibility that a labor market needs in a major structural change such as the digital transformation, von Rundstedt writes in this regard. These figures would prove that there is a causal link between a shortage of skilled workers, selection flexibility and mobility opportunities for applicants. The difficult situation in some industries as a result of COVID-19 has certainly also contributed to this, because many people have had to change careers and reposition themselves.

Not only labor markets, but the world of work as a whole is changing

The Corona pandemic has changed the labor market and the world of work as a whole. According to a joint study by the OECD and the jobs site Indeed, the acceptance and spread of home offices in companies has also increased sharply worldwide. According to this study, the proportion of home office users in most countries of the international community (with exceptions) has skyrocketed. Especially where the measures to contain the pandemic were particularly strict. But even after they were relaxed, a much predicted decline hardly became reality - on the contrary. Overall, the average home office share in the 20 OECD countries studied has more than tripled since the start of the pandemic, according to the study. While just under 2.5 percent of job ads listed this option in January 2020, by April 2021 it was 7.9 percent. That increase was due in large part to pandemic-related restrictions that led to high adoption of home offices - in jobs that can be done well from home. Despite easing measures, the average percentage of home office ads remained near its peak, at 7.5 percent in September 2021. In Switzerland, it was 7.08 percent at that time and currently stands at 7.2 percent.

Sources: von Rundstedt, Adecco Group, Indeed

The last two years have not only given the digital transformation of companies a considerable boost, but have also advanced internal communications in many places. In order to connect decentralized teams and mobile workers quickly and securely, new communication channels need to be adopted. Business messengers are clearly on the rise here. We have identified and worked out six trends in business messaging for 2022.

Trend 1: Push-to-Talk - from voice message to walkie-talkie in the business messenger

Direct voice communication via push-to-talk, which was previously only possible via digital radio, can now be realized with the help of a business messenger. Additional devices such as walkie-talkies are supplemented by on-duty smartphones. Push-to-talk allows direct voice exchange, which not only makes communication more efficient, but also makes it immensely easier to interpret. At the same time, this new ease of use simplifies receiving and sending audio messages. Mission-oriented teams in particular - for example in the areas of BOS, rescue services, construction, logistics, delivery services and tourism - benefit from a push-to-talk function in Messenger. In addition to audio recordings, images and documents can also be transmitted in the same communication channel, such as an operation chat about an observation. The entire communication on an incident can be stored in the organization's archive and retrieved at any time, which significantly simplifies the creation of reports and evaluations, among other things.

Trend 2: Implementing the social intranet idea in business messaging

Messenger as a social intranet not only promotes the vision of including all employees in internal communications, but also accelerates information distribution and takes feedback cycles to a new level. Status messages are used to share company news, both for 1:1 and group chats as well as broadcasts. Color-coded messages are visible to all users of a chat. An additional overview allows chat histories to be filtered by message type, and thus also by status messages, and to quickly find the information they are looking for. At the same time, employees can interact with the content by "commenting" on it using emoticons. The goal of this is to activate and drive team collaboration across the entire workforce - from mobile workers to desk employees, but also from trainees to C-level managers - and guarantee optimal exchange.

Trend 3: New user interfaces and smart devices for messengers

Not only the messengers themselves are becoming more and more sophisticated, but also the end devices. In addition to smartphones, tablets and the like, which have long since established themselves as the standard for messaging apps, smart devices with new user interfaces will conquer the market. Smartwatches, for example, have undergone rapid technical development in recent years and are in widespread use. They are lightweight, robust and particularly well-suited for mobile forces, such as police officers and rescue workers. But data glasses, so-called smartglasses, are also already in the starting blocks. In combination with messenger apps, they can offer remarkable advantages. For example, they enable doctors to easily view patient records with colleagues during an examination and communicate at the same time - while keeping both hands free. Smartglasses also help logistics staff locate stored goods and exchange information about transport. It is conceivable that the position of the goods to be loaded - including directions in the case of a larger warehouse - can be called up and colleagues called in for support while the employee is on the move with the forklift truck. In this way, new smart devices make it easier and faster to implement use cases.

Trend 4: Even more sophisticated Messenger functions for more productivity

Sending documents, photos and videos, sharing locations and making VoIP and video calls - all this is part of the standard repertoire of a good business messenger. Yet the pinnacle in terms of innovative features is far from reached. Messaging apps are integrating more and more functionality to cover all use cases across industries and make information sharing even easier:

• Alertsto ensure direct emergency communication and coordination using acknowledgement options and alarm reports;
• Surveysto create uncomplicated surveys and simplify scheduling;
• Image editingto anonymize data and make faces unrecognizable.

In 2022, the range of functions will increase even further and individual functions will be refined - and this will be individually tailored to industries such as blue-light organizations, healthcare, logistics, retail, production and construction.

Trend 5: Georeferencing in Messenger - live location functions reach new level

Sharing locations in messengers is a popular feature - especially among mobile workers. It is ideal for sharing current whereabouts, providing directions, and arranging meeting points. However, in everyday business, there are often use cases where users' locations change dynamically and knowing real-time or live locations can be of great importance to colleagues and business partners. Typical scenarios include operations by law enforcement agencies, police and emergency services, production workers, and transportation and delivery service rides. Here, there will be next levels of innovation to further improve geo-referenced coordination. Advanced map applications through to the provision of mission-relevant location information by artificial intelligence are conceivable.

Trend 6: Messenger with maximum data sovereignty and simultaneous networking

Data sovereignty and security are two topics that are becoming increasingly important for companies. As messenger functionality and technical capabilities continue to evolve, so does the threat of cyberattacks. Federated servers increase resilience to hacker attacks - after all, in the worst case, only the attacked server fails. Federation is also a significant step into the future to improve data sovereignty. In addition to secure containers on the end device, functions for holistic data and access management are becoming increasingly relevant for security. Further strengthening encryption algorithms for communications and establishing additional security functions are also among the key developments in business messaging. Compliance and audit-proof archiving will become a significant issue for all companies and industries in 2022. This is because it is now clear that messaging is part of business communication and, as such, falls under the documentation requirements of commercial, professional and data protection law. Companies can easily implement their compliance and data protection requirements with leading business messengers - a key advantage over American cloud solutions.

The future can come

Professional communication will continue to change. New technologies are accompanying this change and driving it forward. Today, business messengers already enable device-, time-, and location-independent collaboration within teams and between multiple teams - even from other organizations. But their potential is far from exhausted, as the expected trends make clear. Business messaging is ready for the future.

Author:
Tobias Stepan is founder and managing director of Teamwire GmbH (teamwire.eu), which specializes in secure and confident instant messaging for business, government and healthcare. 

The acquisition of Credit Suisse Life & Pensions AG by Octium Group, announced in December 2021, has now been completed following the granting of regulatory approvals. This transaction by the Luxembourg-based insurance group follows the acquisition of the insurance business of UBS. Octium says it now has life insurance assets of over EUR 10 billion, a growing presence in Europe with offices in Luxembourg, Dublin, Vaduz, Zurich and Milan, and a specialized team of over 75 employees. With a solvency ratio of its two insurance carriers of more than 170% (as of Sept. 30, 2021), Octium is a highly capitalized group in the cross-border life insurance industry.

"Trusted partner"

The acquisition is complementary to the existing business from a customer, product and sales perspective, while being strategically important for future development plans, according to the statement. In particular, the presence in Liechtenstein guarantees access to additional markets and the development of new products and solutions, Octium says. The transfer of the internal units of the two largest Swiss banks to Octium is clear evidence of the group's reputation within the industry as a trusted partner that enhances its clients' life insurance solutions, it said.

Further strategic step of the Octium Group

The acquisition represents an expansion of Octium's organization, which previously also consisted of Octium Life DAC, an insurance company based in Ireland, and its insurance intermediary, Octium International Insurance Agent AG, based in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Octium's insurance solutions and services are generally focused on estate planning. Thanks to its long experience in the insurance and wealth management sector, the Group is able to offer optimal solutions to meet its clients' needs. The group is led by Jean-François Willems, Chairman and Dara Hurley, CEO. "This new acquisition represents the next stage in the implementation of our long-term strategy to become a leader in the international PPLI market," Willems is quoted as saying.

Source and further information

As with the Acquisition of Sage's Swiss business announced, the new owner company Infoniqa is actively investing in the further development of local software products and services. A number of new functions and basic work will be implemented for the new versions of the Swiss products Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra. The brand presence will be gradually adapted. "With these investments, we are expanding our customers' long-term options for running their businesses in an even leaner and simpler way. We are now paving the way for innovative further developments that mean more transparency, more automation and less administration," says Thomas Hersche, Managing Director of Infoniqa Switzerland Software and Services AG.

First step towards HCM integration

An initial integration has now been developed for Sage 200 Extra and Infoniqa ONE HCM. This makes HR master data, payrolls and wage statements from Sage 200 Extra available in Infoniqa ONE HCM. Further expansion steps towards a fully-fledged integration are being developed together with pilot customers and will be included in the next updates. Infoniqa ONE HCM is a modular, cloud-based solution for Human Capital Management (HCM) and provides companies with a 360° view of their workforce and digitizes all areas of HR work from recruiting to e-learning.

Expanding connectivity with REST API

Sage 50 Extra launches new web services for accounting. Via the Web REST API interface, all financial data from general ledgers and sub-ledgers can be exchanged bidirectionally with third-party solutions, mobile apps and web applications. This innovation forms the basis for further expansion steps together with Run my Accounts for fiduciaries.

Simplified expense handling

Furthermore, a new function for expense recording will be delivered for Sage 200 Extra and will enable the payment of expenses directly via accounts payable. A mobile expenses app is already in the works and is expected to be available in February. This will allow employees to easily photograph their receipts, add data and submit them to their supervisor. The manager can validate the expense receipts online via the web front end and forward them to accounts payable. For Sage 50 Extra customers, this extension is on the roadmap for the coming year.

Microsoft Power BI for more informed decisions 

The analysis tool 'Power BI' is a standard tool from Microsoft, which is integrated in Office 365. For Sage 200 Extra, a standard financial model is delivered with its own tables and scripts. This allows users to create their own financial reports based on company data - provided that Power BI is licensed. Infoniqa also delivers initial predefined financial and cost center reports in the data model itself.

Rebranding from Sage to Infoniqa completed in April 2022

The completed purchase marked the start of a transition phase for the new brand identity from Sage to Infoniqa. This transition will be complete by the end of April 2022. The solutions will be rebranded. Sage Start will become Infoniqa ONE Start, Sage 50 Extra will become Infoniqa ONE 50 and Sage 200 Extra will become Infoniqa ONE 200.

Source and further information

The Zug-based SAP consultancy retailsolutions, which specializes in wholesale and retail, is expanding further: it is strengthening its presence in Scandinavia and opening a branch office in the Swedish capital Stockholm. This step seems consistent if you take a closer look at its activities. After all, the company has already been active in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland since 2015 with projects at retail companies.

Closer support for customers possible

The establishment of a first branch office in Sweden is therefore now intended to further strengthen SAP's presence among medium-sized and large companies in Scandinavia. Michael Niestroy, Managing Partner for UK and Nordics at retailsolutions, says: "With the establishment of the branch office in Sweden, we will be able to serve our customers even more closely and assist them with implementations, services and application support in the respective national languages. We intend not only to offer consulting services, but also to be certified as an SAP Value Added Reseller and SAP Partner Centre of Expertise directly in the region with other locally based specialists in due course." In addition to its headquarters in Zug and its newest branch office in Stockholm, retailsolutions is present in four other locations in Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom. The branch is headed by Måns Nilback. He comes from the SAP consulting company Sapliment and has been working as a consultant and solution architect in the SAP retail environment in Scandinavia since 2006.

Scandinavia as a growth market for the SAP consulting company

The Nordic market is an essential part of retailsolutions' growth strategy and has contributed significantly to the success of the company's expansion. The company is positive about the prospects for further growth with existing and new customers in Scandinavia. Both customers and partner SAP welcome the idea of having an internationally experienced organization specializing in SAP Retail in the regional partner ecosystem. Among other things, the RapidRetail solution developed by retailsolutions as a supplement to SAP Retail, as well as complementary products based on SAP technologies, are expected to contribute to achieving the sales targets. 

Source: retailsolutions

Digital invoicing is on the rise and appears to be enjoying increasing popularity. In 2021, more than 50 million transactions were made via eBill for the first time, according to SIX, which operates the infrastructure for processing digital. Banks Around 100 Swiss banks offer eBill to their customers. With around 2.5 million users, the digital bill now reaches a good half of all Swiss households, according to the statement. The payment of a bill takes place in online banking with one click or can be automated if desired. Incoming bills are therefore not lost and can be accessed at any time in online banking.

More and more companies are turning to digital invoicing

Business customers are also benefiting from the advantages of digital invoice processing. They are also increasingly switching their invoicing to eBill. More than 4,000 well-known companies already send their invoices via eBill and thus directly into their customers' online banking. Thus, all leading telecommunication providers, health insurances, energy providers, transport companies, public administrations and credit card providers already rely on eBill. And more providers are joining every month.

Further innovations announced

This year, further innovations for eBill are on the horizon. For example, it will be possible for companies to not only send invoices via eBill with their business software, but also to receive and process them directly without media discontinuity. This will create a significant efficiency advantage over conventional methods, from which SMEs in particular are likely to benefit. Foundations and donation organizations will also be able to use eBill to collect their donations from autumn 2022, in a way that is very transparent, secure and convenient for donors. SIX describes this as another important step towards the full digitalization of accounting in Switzerland.

More info at: www.eBill.ch and www.einfach-zahlen.ch

The last two years have been an object lesson in the power of events to throw the carefully calibrated machinery of global trade into chaos. In early 2020, it was Covid and the associated global power outages that threw supply chains into disarray. In March 2021, it was the container ship Ever Given that blocked the Suez Canal, the world's most strategic waterway. Companies need to prepare for the following in particular in 2022:

1. something unpredictable will happen

My first prediction is therefore the simplest of all: There will be an event that comes completely out of the blue and for which most manufacturers and suppliers will not be prepared. This event will further highlight the vulnerability of just-in-time supply chains. By this I mean the whole model of supply chains in general, where every broken link has an impact on the whole world.

Buyers and suppliers are increasingly aware that the models they have built over the past decades are no longer fit for purpose. They recognize that a paradigm shift is urgently needed to create the robust, resilient and agile supply chains of the future.

2. supply chains 2022: volatility is the new normal

Before the pandemic, companies were preparing for local or, at most, regional disruptions. Covid was an order of magnitude bigger than anything we had prepared for: hardly anyone had played out such a scenario or conducted a stress test on this scale. We will be busy for years to come trying to understand the implications of Covid, but we can predict one of the medium-term outcomes, which is that volatility will be a feature of global trade well into 2022.

This is already clearly evident: The Index of Global Trade Health Q3-2021 shows a significant decline in trading activity on our platform, with order volumes down 24 points - the sharpest decline we have seen since the peak of the first lockdown. Longer lead times, tightening bottlenecks and rising commodity prices are beginning to influence buyer behavior. With no compelling evidence that suppliers have begun to manage their backlog, we can expect a bumpy ride for the foreseeable future.

3. technology will not replace people, but support them

There is a fear that automation will drive unemployment, but in reality it is the other way around. As robots and artificial intelligence become more widespread, so will the need for people to analyze and interpret the information they generate.

In 2022, companies will find themselves in a race for talent like never before. They will quickly realize that their biggest procurement challenge is not sourcing raw materials or components, but how to secure the expertise they need to successfully drive innovation as well as make intelligent, data-driven business decisions to maintain the overall stability, integrity and diversity of supplier relationships.

I would go even further and say that the companies that are most successful at doing this are not simply hiring top talent, but are able to leverage the capabilities within their supplier network. To navigate the events of the coming year - be it changing consumption patterns, supply chain revolutions or changing user experience expectations - companies will need to work closely with their suppliers. They will need to pool their resources, including the insights and analytics they generate, to develop solutions that deliver results across the value chain.

The demand for these skills will lead to a "revolution of the human" in everything from recruitment to education in the coming years, but its impact will be felt first in the supply chain - and it will undoubtedly be one of the defining themes of the year ahead.

4. truly mean environmental awareness

In one respect, 2022 will be like all the years before: companies will continue to stress their environmental friendliness and sustainability, paying lip service to saving the planet. These claims are often little more than hot air, as a study this year found that 42 percent of "green" claims of companies are false or misleading.

Over the next 12 months, that will change. Not only are consumers more concerned about climate change, pollution and other sustainable issues. They are also increasingly intolerant of companies that talk about sustainability without making real changes, recognize so-called greenwashing and denounce it.

In 2022, companies will be under pressure to prove that they are taking meaningful action on sustainability. There is no question that it is in the interest of companies to be demonstrably green. The problem is measuring this across complex international value chains. Deloitte recently found that 65 percent of the companies have limited or no visibility into their first-tier suppliers.

I predict that the most effective standards will not be hammered out at climate summits or in corridors of power, but will evolve organically - as a byproduct of the ongoing quest for digitization and transparency throughout supply chains.

5. the move towards more technology

Digitization cannot fix global volatility, but it will give companies the agility they need to respond effectively - but only if it is accompanied by a change in mindset. Instead of looking at each element of the supply chain individually, we need to take a step back and see it as a whole. The companies that stand to gain the most from this crisis will be those that figure out how to connect buyers and suppliers more dynamically as part of a richer, digitally focused ecosystem - a community where interconnectivity creates a network effect far more powerful than any technical application.

Companies are recognizing how technology can help create end-to-end resilience that protects not only their own interests, but the interests of the entire ecosystem. Innovation will accelerate in areas such as trade finance, which has not adequately supported suppliers during the pandemic. A new wave of digitized financing products will close this gap and provide suppliers with faster access to working capital, encouraging them to replenish their depleted inventories.

The use of B2B marketplaces will also continue to grow as procurement teams look to build more flexible and diverse supplier relationships. The curated marketplace model plays an important role in helping buyers and suppliers brace for disruption by intelligently aggregating supplier capabilities and aligning them with high-demand areas.

Source reference: 

• https://hub.tradeshift.com/research-and-reports/the-tradeshift-index-of-global-trade-health-q3/
• https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/42-percent-of-companies-exaggerate-sustainability-claims-says-new-report/2021020253349
• https://www.truthinadvertising.org/six-companies-accused-greenwashing/
• https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/media-releases/articles/deloitte-finds-leaders-dont-have-visibility-supply-chain-070318.html

Author:
Christian Lanng is CEO of Tradeshift. Tradeshift is active in e-invoicing and accounts payable automation as well as B2B marketplaces and access to supplier financing.

More information: www.tradeshift.com/de

In the study "Why Shopping's Set for a Social Revolution," the consulting firm Accenture looks at the market potential of social commerce. The term "social commerce" covers a person's entire shopping experience, from product discovery to the final purchase transaction, which takes place on a social media platform. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of social media users surveyed said they had made a social commerce purchase in the past year, which Accenture estimates equates to nearly two billion social commerce consumers worldwide.

Pandemic also fuels social media shopping

The fact that social platforms serve as an entry point for online activities and that users consume news, entertainment and communication offerings there was demonstrated once again not least by the pandemic. The continuous increase in the amount of time users spend on social media underscores the importance of online platforms in everyday life. This also influences people's buying behavior. This opens up new revenue streams and opportunities for platforms and brands to design user experiences.

Attractive for smaller brands

Smaller brands and individual companies can benefit from this development. 54% of the surveyed social media users:inside expressed that they would like to support small and medium-sized businesses when purchasing via social commerce sites. At the same time, 64% and 57% of the respondents, respectively, said that they would rather buy something for themselves when buying through social commerce platforms, considering the same sellers:ins or influencers:ins. This confirms the importance and potential of correct positioning on social commerce platforms.
"Social commerce can make it easier for smaller brands and individual entrepreneurs to creatively engage with customers, while also requiring big brands to rethink traditional e-commerce strategies," said David Holtmann, Accenture's managing director for consumer goods and services. "The right approach to social commerce requires manufacturers, sellers and brands to take their products and services to where consumers are and will be. A dynamic ecosystem is emerging in which platforms, marketplaces, social media and influencers interact. Data and expertise should be shared. This is the only way to create the right incentives for customers and offer the best customer experience in an integrated digital marketplace."

Create trust

Despite the upward trend in social media shopping, half of the social media users surveyed are concerned that purchases are not adequately protected or refunded when necessary. A lack of trust is thus becoming the biggest obstacle to the new sales channel, similar to the situation at the beginning of e-commerce.

"One of the main reasons for the reluctance to engage in social commerce to date is the lack of trust in the credibility of providers. Active social commerce users point to inadequate guidelines for returns, refunds or exchanges and see room for improvement here," says Holtmann. "Lack of trust is a problem that can only be overcome slowly. However, sellers:inside that focus on these consumer:inside concerns are in a better position to gain market share."

Who buys what in social media shopping?

Accenture predicts that by 2025, most purchases via social media shopping worldwide will be in apparel (18%), consumer electronics (13%), and home textiles (7%). In China, fresh food and snacks are also among the big product categories, accounting for 13%. Cosmetics and personal care, while smaller in terms of total social commerce sales, will quickly gain ground on traditional e-commerce. This category is expected to account for over 40% of digital spend on average in the major markets by 2025.

Source and further information: Accenture

The Bernese bear and the St.Gallen bear, the heraldic animal of the city of St.Gallen, are making common cause in matters of digitization in eastern Switzerland: Bern-based Edorex AG, a developer of individual software, is expanding to St.Gallen and means a reinforcement of the IT location there. As a well-connected company, it can hope for rapid growth. "We see great potential in the SME environment in particular. Eastern Switzerland is characterized by market-leading, innovative SMEs and offers the ideal basis for new projects and the further growth of Edorex AG," says its CEO Robert Benetik.

Large enterprises and SMEs as customers

The customer base of Edorex AG ranges from public administration, to medium-sized SMEs, to companies such as Swisscom, SBB or Migros. The company with its approximately 60 employees relies on modern methods such as Design Thinking, Design Sprint and develops agilely according to the framework SCRUM. In addition to its core business of individual software development, it supports its customers in the database area. The company is a Gold Partner of Oracle and a certified Microsoft Partner.

Nico Dudli will set up Edorex's Eastern Switzerland location

Edorex AG is anchored in the Bern region and focuses on Swissness. Now it wants to bring its expertise to the region of Eastern Switzerland. In building up the region, the software company is deliberately relying on Nico Dudli, a native of eastern Switzerland. He is excited about his new task and says: "Right now, in a time of digital upheaval, many companies are facing major challenges. They have to break new ground, optimize their core processes or meet growing customer needs. We can support companies right from the idea generation stage with various workshop formats and, if required, take over development & operation of a software."

Source and further information

It became apparent in recent days that major events would have a hard time in January. The organizers of the 27th Rheintaler Wirtschaftsforum already suspected this in December and looked for a possible alternative date with the speakers - and found it: The popular Rheintaler Wirtschaftsforum will take place this year on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

Keller-Sutter and Schneider are at WIFO

Of course, the survey of the speakers' schedules did not result in a perfect match on which all of them would have been able to attend. But both Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, despite her session, and Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider chose June 2. The moderator, Sonja Hasler, was also able to "shovel" this day off. Gerd Gigerenzer and Ursula Nold are currently clarifying whether the date also suits them. If not, the organizers are convinced that they will be able to engage competent substitute speakers.

Registrations remain valid

More than 600 registrations have been received for the Rheintaler Wirtschaftsforum. Registrations for January naturally retain their validity for the June date. The organizers will gladly accept additional registrations. Tickets are available at www.wifo.ch available.

In fact, it is already becoming apparent that 2021 was one of the most successful years for cybercriminals. In the first half of the year alone, the theft of almost 19 billion data records became known. Damage caused by cybercrime reached a record sum of 223.5 billion euros in Germany in 2020, for example (source: Bitkom). Here, it is not only companies offering online services that have a duty to take security precautions. It is just as important that private users take responsibility for their security online.

10 cyber security resolutions

Security software maker ESET reveals the ten worst habits of Internet users that they should reconsider in 2022.

1. Use outdated software: Vulnerabilities in operating systems, browsers and other software on PCs and devices are one of the most important attack opportunities for cybercriminals. The problem is that more and more of these flaws are being discovered every year. The good news is that this task doesn't have to interfere too much with everyday life if you enable the automatic update function and click through when prompted to update.
2. Poor password hygiene: Passwords are the keys to the digital four walls. On average, Internet users have to remember about 100 passwords. Using the same password for multiple accounts and easily guessed login data gives hackers a big advantage. They have software to crack weak encryptions, try commonly used variants, and try to use cracked passwords for other accounts. Instead, use a password manager to create and retrieve strong, unique passwords or passphrases. And enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all accounts that offer it.
3. Use of public WLAN networks: Nowadays, we are all on the move more. This also leads to more frequent use of public WLAN networks. But that carries risks. Hackers can use these same networks to eavesdrop on users, access accounts, and steal identities. To be safe, you should avoid these public hotspots altogether. If you must use them, don't log into important accounts while connected. Moreover, you should always have a VPN enabled while doing so.
4. Don't think before you click: Phishing is one of the biggest cyber threats ever. The attacker tries to trick his victim into clicking on a malicious link or opening a malware-infested attachment. The attackers take advantage of the gullibility of many users and often try to force quick decisions by giving the message a sense of urgency. The most important rule to thwart these attacks is to think before you click. Verify with the person or company sending the email that it is a legitimate sender.
5. No security on all devices: It goes without saying that in this age of numerous cyber threats, all PCs and laptops should have an IT security solution installed from a trusted vendor. Research shows that users spend nearly 5,000 hours on smartphones and tablets every year. And during that time, there are many opportunities to encounter malicious apps and websites. That's why these devices should be protected with a reliable security app as well.
6. Use of unsafe websites: HTTPS websites use encryption to protect traffic between the browser and the website in question. This serves two purposes: It authenticates the website as genuine and not a phishing or fraudulent one, and it ensures that cybercriminals can't eavesdrop on the communication to steal passwords and financial data. This is not a 100% guarantee that nothing bad will happen, as even many phishing websites use HTTPS these days. But it's a good start. Therefore, users should always look for the padlock icon while browsing.
7. Do not separate work and private life: The Corona pandemic has led to a blurring of the once clearly defined boundary between work and private life. As that line has become increasingly blurred, cyber risks have crept in. One example is the use of work emails and passwords to register on shopping and other websites. What happens if these sites are hacked? Attackers could use them to hijack the company account. Using unprotected personal devices for work also poses an additional risk. Keeping work and personal life separate is worth the extra effort.
8. Giving out data on the phone: Just as email and SMS phishing use social engineering techniques to trick users into clicking, voice phishing, also known as vishing, is a popular method of eliciting personal and financial information from victims. The scammers often disguise their real number to lend legitimacy to the attack. The best rule of thumb is not to reveal confidential information over the phone. Ask who the caller is and where they are calling from, then call the company directly to verify - and don't use phone numbers provided by the caller.
9. No backups: Ransomware costs companies hundreds of millions of euros every year. That's why it's sometimes easy to forget that there are still variants lurking for consumers. One horror scenario: the home PC is locked and no access is possible anymore. All the data on it, and possibly cloud storage, could be lost forever - including family photos and important work documents. Regular backups give you peace of mind in case the worst happens.
10. No protection for the smart home: Almost a third of European homes are equipped with smart devices such as voice assistants, heating thermostats, smart TVs and security cameras. However, by being networked and connected to the Internet, these devices are also an attractive target for criminals. They can be hijacked and turned into botnets to launch attacks on others, or used as gateways to the rest of your devices and data. Change default passwords at startup to ensure the security of your devices. Also, be sure to choose a vendor that fixes known vulnerabilities in their products and learn about potential security holes before purchasing a device.

Source: ESET