As of 1 January 2018, Swiss TS Technical Services Ltd, IWT Institut für Werkstofftechnologie AG and Swissi AG (formerly "Safety Institute") have been merged into the new Swiss Safety Center Ltd, which is wholly owned by the SVTI Group. For clients and business partners, this means that in future they will have access to an even broader range of services from a single source in the fields of technical safety and risk management, such as

• Certification of management systems, products and persons
• Plant safety, assembly conformity, functional safety 4.0
• Safety calculations, simulations, model calculations
• Fire protection, occupational safety, health protection, operational environmental protection
• integral risk management
• Stationary and mobile materials technology
• destructive and non-destructive testing, damage analysis

The already extensive training activities will also be further expanded.

As of 1 January 2018, all rights and obligations of Swiss TS, Swissi and IWT will be transferred to Swiss Safety Center AG. The CEO of Swiss Safety Center AG is Dr Raffael Schubiger (picture).

As a company of the SVTI Group, Swiss Safety Center Ltd is part of the competence center for technical safety and risk management. Within this framework, the Swiss Safety Center offers a comprehensive range of services for industry, trade and commerce. These include tests, approvals and inspections in the areas of pressure equipment, welding technology and hazardous goods, as well as conformity assessments. Other services include CE markings and certifications, assessments, expert opinions and specialist training and further education.

The Swiss Safety Center also has recognised expertise in the fields of materials science, metallurgy, materialography and corrosion and prepares damage analyses, expert reports and expert opinions. To this end, the Swiss Safety Center carries out a wide range of non-destructive material tests, either stationary in its own testing laboratory or mobile on site. Loss prevention and fire protection are another focus of the Swiss Safety Center's activities, as well as environmental and occupational safety, health protection, security and risk management in particular.

The Swiss Saftey Center maintains close cooperation with experts in a wide range of specialist fields, is actively involved in standards committees and is closely networked internationally, for example through SVTI's membership of the VdTÜV.

Further information can be found at www.safetycenter.ch.

Leading people and organizations - this task already had dignitaries in ancient times; regardless of whether they were "leaders" in the service of the Egyptian pharaohs or Roman emperors, for example. Religious leaders also faced this challenge - for example, those of the Catholic Church. For after the Christian faith became the Roman state religion in the year 380, the Church developed into such a large and powerful organization that it can be compared to a multinational company with many subsidiaries, with its numerous bishoprics, orders and monasteries.

Seven deadly sins that are still relevant today

A relevant question for the decision-makers in the church was thus: According to which principles do we lead our organization? And: How should their "leaders" behave? For it was clear to them: If our ministers misbehave and do not give behavioral guidance to their staff, our organization will fall apart.

Pope Gregory I also dealt with this topic and formulated the "Catalogue of Vices" at the end of the 6th century. In it he lists 7 root sins, which are often mistakenly called mortal sins. They describe attitudes and behaviours that lead to misbehaviour and thus to undesirable developments. These 7 root sins are still relevant today. Managers who are true leaders intuitively avoid them.

Root sin 1: Superbia (arrogance, glory-seeking, pride)

For Gregory I this was the most serious sin. For it was for him the expression of a self-centeredness. That is, the arrogant person no longer sees himself as part of a greater whole. He feels superior to those around him and indulges in fantasies of omnipotence. "I can do anything - control, dominate, do." The arrogant person lacks humility: he is no longer aware of his dependence on others and his limitations.

Even managers are not immune to arrogance - especially if they have often demonstrated their excellence and achieved above-average results. If they live in an ivory tower and are surrounded only by admirers and "courtiers", there is a danger that they will lose touch with reality. Then failure is foreseeable. Because, as we all know, pride comes before a fall.

Prevention:

• Surround yourself with people with backbone who will give you honest feedback.
• At times, consciously move into milieus where your professional status counts for little.

Root sin 2: Avaritia (avarice, greed, avarice)

"The main thing is to win," "The main thing is to do well and get ahead." He who thinks and acts only in such categories and always tries to get the best for himself becomes lonely. He finds neither friends nor allies - except those who make a temporal pact with him in order to pull him over the table at the first opportunity. Just as the greedy man would do in his turn.

For greedy people, contracts, promises, relationships only have value as long as they profit from them. Their fellow men sense this. So they don't develop trust with them. That's why, when push comes to shove, greedy people stand alone. No one backs them up - except a few paid lawyers.

Many a manager is threatened by "Avaritia". Because if you want to get to the top, you have to have a certain bite, i.e. ambition. Many an organization has also been gripped by avaritia. The result: customers are duped, suppliers and employees squeezed like lemons. The result: disloyal customers, suppliers and employees, from which success suffers, at least in the long term.

Prevention:

• Realize how important reliable partners are for achieving (life) goals.
• Remember once in a while: being (and living) is more than having.

Root Sin 3: Luxuria (waste, debauchery)

What is really important to our boss? The success of the company? Or is it rather his own elevator and chauffeur? Or good press? (Not only) employees have a fine nose for such things. They sense exactly when the boss is really concerned with the big picture and when he primarily wants to satisfy his ego.

Accordingly, business leaders should be careful about enjoying their personal success - publicly. For example, by ostentatiously adorning themselves with the insignia of power and status symbols. Because by doing so, they send the wrong signals to their employees. Those who bask in the glow of success with too much self-absorption also create a lot of envious people - envious people who wait for "missteps" to then publicly denounce and exploit them. Many an "ex-manager of the year" can sing a song about this.

Managers, as representatives of their companies, should also always keep the right balance when it comes to enjoyment. After all, everything they do is ultimately identified with their companies - regardless of whether this happens inside or outside the company walls.

Prevention:

• Ask yourself regularly: How do my actions affect those around me?
• Remember, modesty is also a virtue.

Root Sin 4: Ira (Anger, Rage, Retaliation)

The outbursts of rage of some "alpha dogs" at the top of the company when something displeases them are almost legendary. And some enjoy "dissecting" subordinates or weaker people with words in front of an audience.

Only masochists like to work with "sadistic despots". Self-confident employees either turn their backs on their own initiative or they are "fired" - because they dared to speak openly. The result: The Ira-plagued company leader is at some point surrounded only by "kippers" whose entire thinking and actions are aimed at pleasing the "master". In other words, the boss becomes an isolated patriarch to whom only selected and often embellished information reaches. This reduces his power of judgement and increases the danger of wrong decisions - which are gleefully registered by the teased "partners" and "subordinates".

Prevention:

• If you feel angry, sleep on it first, instead of giving "partners" spontaneous, possibly hurtful feedback.
• Remember, one wrong word in the wrong place at the wrong time has destroyed many a long-term relationship.

Root sin 5: Gula (gluttony, gluttony, intemperance)

"No pain, no gain" - "No pain, no gain". Almost all managers have internalized this maxim. Therefore, there is a danger that at some point their lives will revolve only around work, while other areas of life wither away. This shortcoming is also felt by those affected. So they have to compensate - for example with drugs like alcohol. Or with tablets that help to bear the stress. Or with the search for the ultimate kick - be it in some affairs or other adventures that give the sufferers the feeling: I'm still alive.

But unfortunately, this is usually associated with little enjoyment, because: Enjoyment requires time. Accordingly, things quickly lose their appeal. So the "dose" must be increased in order to still feel something. Thus begins a vicious circle purchase, which often ends in a breakdown or in a cynical attitude to life.

Prevention:

• Listen to the warnings of friends and relatives.
• Allow yourself some time out now and then to ask yourself: Am I still on the right path in life?

Root Sin 6: Invidia (Envy, Jealousy)

To compete with others and to emulate them - this seems to be a central driving force of human beings (... and this is also the basis of the market economy).

However, this creative drive becomes destructive when it results in the maxim: I must always be the best, the greatest, the most successful. For then jealousy and envy grow out of this. In other words, the other person's success is not grudged because it apparently calls one's own into question. So the success of the other person must either be destroyed or relativized, i.e. diminished, so that it does not eat away at one's own ego. This makes it impossible to learn from the other and possibly forge an alliance with him from which all parties benefit. Envy destroys any form of cooperation.

Prevention:

• Be aware of your own successes instead of always staring at the successes of others.
• Allow other people and organizations their success too. Because they have earned it too.

Root Sin 7: Acedia (Sluggishness of the Heart and Mind)

In contrast to Gregory I, today I would see the acedia as the "gravest sin". For whoever suffers from a sluggishness of heart and mind, ultimately does not care about anything. That is, for lack of curiosity and interest, he no longer perceives much in his environment. And if he does? Then it triggers no emotions in him: neither joy, nor anger, neither curiosity, nor motivation. So there is no reason for him to think about what is happening around him and what is changing there. And certainly he does not see in it any reason to question his own thoughts and actions. The consequence of this laziness of thinking: The "sufferer" does not develop further, which is why at some point she gropes through life (and the corporate landscape) like a fossil from the past.

People and organizations suffering from acedia suffocate over time in their routines of thought and action. Even if they were once at the top, they increasingly slide into mediocrity - often without registering this. For lack of curiosity, they hardly communicate with their environment anymore.

Prevention:

• Go through life with your eyes open.
• Seek out targeted conversations with people who (want to) make a difference - be it in the field of culture, technology or business.The root sins are ultimately basic principles for a balanced life and for avoiding too much ego-centricity - something that would do many leaders good. Perhaps a new (old) contribution to the current discussion on the topic of "leadership in the digital age"?

About the author: Dr. Georg Kraus is managing partner of the management consultancy Dr. Kraus & Partner, Bruchsal. He holds a degree in industrial engineering and a doctorate in project management from the TH Karlsruhe. He is a lecturer at the University of Karlsruhe, the IAE in Aix-en-provence and the Technical University of Clausthal.

Managers are used to setting the tone and calling the shots. They are convinced that many employees expect exactly that from them. But something is quietly and continuously changing here. Younger employees in particular want to bring their own ideas into the workplace. This requires attentiveness from both parts.

What does mindfulness mean? What are the different types of mindfulness?

Mindfulness means carefully perceiving what is. It is especially important to direct mindfulness towards oneself. This can happen in small and of course also in larger units of time. An important part of mindfulness is to just perceive without judging what is perceived. Just perceiving, not holding on, letting it pass by.

First and foremost, you need to be aware of yourself. You always have the opportunity to do this. It is a good idea to introduce a mindfulness ritual in the morning. Wise men from East and West, but also quite normal people of today have had the best experiences with this. They sit down in a quiet place - preferably always in the same place - close their eyes and ask themselves one of these questions:

• What is my body telling me right now? There can be many different answers: Well-being, pain, fatigue, getting fidgety, or something else entirely.
• Where can I feel this in my body? It can be a dumpling in the throat, pressure in the stomach, pain in the limbs and joints, the eyelids twitching, hand clenching into a fist, tension in the neck or something else entirely. Of course, a pleasant tingling sensation of pleasure is also possible.
• What feelings are surfacing right now? Well-being, sadness, joy at a long-awaited event, impatience, anger, fear, excitement, fear of being late, impatience, worry about not passing an exam, or something else entirely.

Perceiving the environment: Sounds from the environment, smells, voices, temperature or something else entirely. People can perceive mindfully visually, auditorily or kinaesthetically, i.e. with their eyes, ears, sense of touch or nose. After such a morning ritual, one can also perceive other people, e.g. a conversation partner, more impartially. His voice, tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, the individual words. Unbiased, i.e. attentive perception, means immediately recognizing one's own assumptions as such and not assigning them to the interlocutor.

Managers evaluate too quickly

Many people find it difficult not to immediately evaluate what they perceive, as mute expert Edith Karl knows. Managers in particular are often far too quick to judge. The entrepreneurial guide Edith Karl knows the advantages of not immediately evaluating what is perceived. We have to sort perceptions first: What evaporates quickly anyway. What seems important to me? How can I mindfully question what I have perceived with my senses? Preferably free of assumptions. In this way one experiences much more.

An example of this: The manager sees one employee sitting behind his computer screen, smiling. Most of the others look serious. What do you think he's doing? Is he not working hard enough, one quickly thinks. But this manager asks: What makes them smile? The employee shows her his new further training programme, which he is working on during working hours as agreed. Now they can be happy together about a training program that not only imparts knowledge, but also joy. The employee has even applied parts of what he has learned in his work. This makes both the employee and the manager happy.

Further information:

Edith Karl is managing partner of PowerManagement GmbH, motivational speaker and inspiring interview partner. Her podcasts are already listened to in 106 countries. Edith Karl's thesis, Europe's 1st mute expert, is: "It can't go on like this. People and business have to move together again in a more meaningful way!" Over the course of three and a half decades as an entrepreneurial guide, she has developed the "new rules of the game for people and business today".

Here it goes to a live lecture by Edith Karl

The study, entitled "Digital Fragmentation: Adapt to Succeed in a Fragmented World", makes clear that political specifications at national level are often made with good intentions, for example to improve data protection or increase security on the Internet. However, this has the side effect of placing restrictions on companies, which have to comply with different national regulations and invest in increased security measures. What is needed, he says, is a closer exchange between companies and governments in order to implement political requirements while at the same time maintaining their innovative strength and driving the use of new technologies.

"The key to success in the digital economy of the future lies in the use of data," explains Thomas Ruck, Managing Director at Accenture Digital - Accenture Interactive. "Data is the foundation for new digital services around connected products. With the smart combination of both, business can gain a decisive competitive advantage. We must therefore be careful to strike the right balance between necessary regulation and necessary freedom."

More than 400 chief information officers (CIOs) and chief technology officers (CTOs) from eight countries were surveyed for the study. More than 80 percent of respondents believe that globalization barriers are leading to greater vulnerability in their company's IT strategy and systems. Two comparisons show that new barriers are being created internationally: G20 members' measures restricting trade, for example, quadrupled from 324 to 1,263 between 2010 and 2016. Moreover, the number of countries with data protection laws tripled between 1995 and 2015, from 34 to over 100.

Regulation slows down business activity and innovation

The study also shows what concrete effects new rules and regulations can have on business activity. For example, more than half of the respondents worldwide believe that the use of cloud-based services, the use of data and analytics services, and the handling of business processes across different national IT standards are hampered by overgrowing regulatory barriers. "Regulation can serve as a safety net for the digital economy, but at the same time it should promote growth and innovation, not hinder it," said Thomas Ruck. "For the Swiss economy in particular, this is an existential issue. Our most important industries are all dependent on exports and are in the process of reinventing themselves with digital business models and services. We should be encouraging that, not putting the brakes on it."

According to the study, more than half of the executives surveyed worldwide feel compelled by increasing regulatory hurdles to realign their future activities in many areas. This is especially true for global IT architecture (60 percent), IT infrastructure location (52 percent), and cybersecurity strategy and resources (51 percent).

Increased cooperation required

In addition, more than 90 percent of the study participants worldwide expect IT costs to increase within the next three years. According to the study, the biggest cost drivers are above all the more expensive search for IT talent, the necessary expansion of the IT infrastructure to include new data centers, for example, and compliance with different national IT standards. "Contrary to the general tenor of the advocates of digitization, national borders still have great significance," comments Thomas Ruck. "Business leaders are increasingly recognizing their responsibility in shaping the rules for our digital future. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence development, bio-technology and the Internet of Things make it clear that this journey has only just begun - and that it requires close collaboration across national and industry boundaries."

Source and further information: Accenture

The practical handbook Legal OperationsManagement (Springer Verlag; EUR 79.99 / CHF 82.50) is currently being published in bookstores; more than 40 experts from universities, public administration and the private sector from Germany, Austria and Switzerland have contributed to it. The new standard work deals with the structure, management and organization of legal structures in companies and public authorities.

The estimated legal costs in German-speaking countries are estimated at over 200 billion euros annually. Well-managed legal departments in companies and public authorities therefore have a major influence on operational and public efficiency. For a sustainable further development of legal departments, the two co-editors Roman P. Falta and Christian Dueblin present an 831-page standard work. Well-known personalities such as Prof. Dr. Heinz Riesenhuber (former Federal Minister of Research), Alfred N. Schindler (Schindler Holding), Prof. Dr. Heinrich Koller (Director of Justice in Switzerland), Prof. Dr. Rolf Dubs (former Rector of the University of St. Gallen HSG), as well as numerous other top managers and general counsels of well-known companies from Switzerland, Germany and Austria have contributed to this book. They all share their personal experiences in managing law and legal functions; insights that are extremely rare to obtain in this form.

The publisher (Springer-Verlag) positions the Legal Operations Management Practice Handbook as a source of inspiration for the establishment, operation and optimization of professional legal structures. For general counsels, heads of legal services and lawyers in companies and public authorities, the new practical handbook is an important source of information and inspiration with contributions on all interface functions associated with legal operations.

In 55 chapters, the authors deal with key topics such as identity, positioning, leadership, structures, resources and processes of legal operations in a practical manner and address current challenges. The practical handbook Legal Operations Management thus provides a basis for the efficient management of legal affairs in companies and public authorities.

R.P. Falta, C. Dueblin (Eds.): Legal Operations Management Practice Manual. 1st ed. 2017, XXV, 831 p. 80 illus, 52 illus in color. Springer Verlag, ISBN 978-3-662-50506-9. http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783662505052

Axians IT&T is a pioneer in the modernization of its specialist application for e-government purposes of the residents' registration offices (EWK): the Infoma newsystem municipal software is the first Swiss EWK solution to go live with version 3 of the eCH0020 interface standard. The latest version of the interface standard leads, for example, to simpler birth notifications and better correction notifications between the EWK specialist application of Lucerne municipalities and the cantonal register platform Lureg. The benefits of the technological upgrade have already been felt by the pilot municipality of Rothenburg since May 2017 and currently by several other municipalities. By the end of the year, all Lucerne customers will have been migrated and will thus benefit from a considerable reduction in the effort required to correct technical errors.

Improved data quality

"With the new version of the Infoma newsystem municipal software, we can already see a significant improvement in data quality," says Enrico Moresi, member of the management team and responsible for the Lureg data platform at Lustat Statistik Luzern, the central statistics office of the canton of Lucerne. Moresi also expects this to have a positive impact on the use of the data by his customers such as the cantonal police, the military administration, the road traffic office and the compensation office. At the beginning of next year, Axians IT&T will also carry out the main certification for the Geres platform used by many cantons with the canton of Nidwalden. The canton-specific features will then be certified separately for the corresponding cantons.

Further building block for e-government

Version 3 of the eCH0020 interface standard specifies the possible reasons for reporting that lead to mutations in the data in the population registers and the codes to be used for the electronic exchange of reasons for reporting. The standard takes into account the exchange of messages between the population registers and the cantonal data platforms, the Infostar register of civil status, the Zemis central migration information system, which is used to process personal data from the area of foreigners and asylum, and other offices of the public administration.

Further information is available on the website of the eCH association: https://www.ech.ch/vechweb/page?p=dossier&documentNumber=eCH-0020

Further information on the EWK specialist application Infoma newsystem from Axians IT&T: https://www.axians-infoma.ch/loesungen/einwohner/

The impulse event wants to show the diversity and the possibilities of Lean Management. The aim is to create the necessary basic understanding of lean management, to make opportunities visible and to provide participants with concrete methods and tools. The program is exciting and varied: enlightening inputs, field reports and success stories from practice, interviews with doers and workshops on various lean topics round off the event. The Lean Management Practice Days also serve as an opportunity to network, share knowledge and learn from others. The event is aimed at managers and specialists in production and administration, managing directors, members of the board, consultancies in the field of lean management, CIP/KAIZEN and other interested parties.

Information and registration

Analyses, forecasts and decisions are the fuel of our economy, society and private life. There should be no mistakes! The book sets out which questions to ask in order to identify and avoid the thinking traps when compiling data and evaluating it. With this, and the many practical examples, the book is aimed at the following target groups:

• Managers in companies and decision-makers in organizations and politics The book provides the tools to systematically and specifically question statements by experts and available data.
• Experts who provide and interpret information Practical tips help to avoid mistakes when using supporting methods and to arrive at rationally justifiable statements.
• Consultants and trainers who introduce, train or use tools Every tool has its limitations. With the information in the book, they can be clearly named and observed.
• Interested citizens who follow factual issues in the media will learn where weak points may be hidden in the arguments or figures presented and what should therefore be critically questioned.
• Anyone who is faced with a decision: private, professional or as an entrepreneur For every type of decision - to buy a product, for investments, planning the future or deciding between possible alternatives for action - the book offers arguments on how to evaluate essential criteria and weigh them against each other.

This book is not about the "misperceived, misunderstood" that has often been described, but about the usually much more important system of "How do I go about it the right way?" and avoiding misinterpretation by asking, "Why can't something be right?"

The author Dr. Bernd Rodewald himself advises companies on modeling and improving their processes and structures as well as on change management. In his workshops and trainings he experiences again and again how strongly individual and corporate decisions are dependent on personal assumptions and imprints, wrong or inadequate use of methods and techniques as well as insufficient knowledge about how to interpret information correctly.

Bernd Rodewald: Your guide to rational analysis and decision-making. How to avoid mistakes and draw the right conclusions. Publicis Pixelpark, 2017, 247 pages, 58 illustrations, paperback with dust jacket, ISBN 978-3-89578-466-8.

In the course of Industry 4.0, i.e. the networking of industrial and control systems across plants and locations, companies and critical infrastructures (CRITIS) are increasingly coming into the crosshairs of cyber attacks of all kinds. With malware of all kinds, from Stuxnext to CozyBear, HammerPanda to Winnti, social engineering or vulnerabilities in outdated software, criminals are repeatedly succeeding in gaining access to companies and infrastructures. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) itself cites the attack on a German industrial group in 2016, publicly accessible control systems of waterworks, and power outages in Ukraine due to hacked power plants as examples.

Scanner not a solution for industrial security

The advantages of increasing networking, such as flexibility or optimization, are obvious. But the question arises as to how automation environments can be networked and industrial plants and CRITIS secured at the same time. The answer: It is necessary to identify all devices in the network, to know all vulnerabilities and to scan them as continuously as possible in order to discover vulnerabilities as quickly as possible - the BSI also advocates this continuous network monitoring.

Regular, commonly used active scanners are not a solution here. They generate network traffic themselves and slow down networks. Many companies are therefore reluctant to regularly scan their systems for outdated patches or vulnerabilities: The systems are designed for continuous operation, which ensures profitability.

Passive monitoring as the method of choice

Passive monitoring is quite different: Passive monitoring starts at the switching fabric of the network or its egress points and analyzes traffic end-to-end to detect signs of security breaches and unusual behavior. They do not slow down ongoing operations and can continuously look for vulnerabilities and unusual incidents in the network. So they don't just create a snapshot, they continuously monitor the network. This makes them the ideal tool for immediately detecting vulnerabilities in highly sensitive production and control systems so that they can be remedied as quickly as possible.

Rethinking Industrial Security

However, there are a number of requirements for the corresponding solutions. They must cover numerous ICS, SCADA, production and other systems from various manufacturers, such as Siemens, ABB, Rockwell or GE. The basis is that they support numerous protocols. These include standards such as BACnet, DNP3, Ethernet/IP or IEEE C37.118.

Networking plants and infrastructures is necessary - but industrial security must be rethought just like production or service provision in Industry 4.0. This is the only way for operators to benefit and at the same time make life difficult for criminals.

Source and information

Metrology, materials testing, analysis equipment, optoelectronics, QA systems and service - with this portfolio of products and services geared to industrial practice, the past Control - International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance was able to successfully stage itself for the 31st time in spring 2017. 52,500 m² gross exhibition space, more than 900 exhibitors from 31 countries, almost 30,000 trade visitors from 106 countries and an increase of around 10% in all areas were the successful trade fair results. The organisers from the Schall group of companies are taking this as an incentive for the next Control, which will take place at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from the 24th through the 27th of April, 2018.

Control 2018 will continue to grow

The signs for another significant growth are good, as can be seen from the remarks of the long-standing project manager of Control, Gitta Schlaak: "A good five months before the start of the trade fair, we can report a booking level of more than 90%, based on the exhibitor numbers and exhibition areas of the 2017 session. This makes us confident that we will be able to top the 2017 figures. Especially as we are adding Hall 8 for Control 2018, which means that the world's leading trade fair for quality assurance will have more than 60,000 m² of hall space at its disposal. Planning is already in full swing, because we will find new and significantly improved conditions for both exhibitors and trade visitors at Landesmesse Stuttgart for the 2018 session."

New infrastructure brings relief

Indeed, the new exhibition hall 10, which will be available from January 2018, the associated new construction of the WEST entrance area and accompanying infrastructure measures such as access roads, parking spaces, seminar rooms, utility rooms and restaurant, will result in a new layout, which will not least bring with it a better distribution of the morning visitor flows. In the future, the two entrance areas EAST and WEST are to be weighted equally, so that the streams of visitors are distributed more evenly, which provides relief in the entrance zones and allows exhibitors to plan capacity with regard to stand and support personnel. In addition, the hall layout for Control is now even more visitor-friendly, as Halls 3, 5 and 7 (strand with odd numbering) and 4, 6 and 8 (strand with even numbering) are now laid out in a "block-like" arrangement. This results in short distances between the individual areas, which in turn allows for targeted visitor planning with time-optimised access.

Proven cooperation partners

The information and communication offerings at Control 2018 will be rounded out by the renewed commitment of the proven cooperation partners Fraunhofer Vision Alliance and Fraunhofer IPA. On the other hand, by the popular exhibitor forum which features top-class presentations, and finally by the awarding of the Competence Prize for Innovation and Quality Baden-Württemberg 2018, which will already be taking place for the 11th time, initiated and carried out by the private trade fair company P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG and the TQU-GROUP. The patron is the Steinbeis Foundation for Economic Development.

Control - International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance will take place from 24 to 27 April 2018 at the Landesmesse Stuttgart. For further information: www.control-messe.de

Expensive mistakes: A defective pedal causes a car to accelerate unintentionally. Processing of defective peanuts causes an industry-wide sales decline of 25%. Each of these incidents triggered major product recalls resulting in billions of dollars in losses. Product-related risk is one of the biggest threats facing companies today. Recall risks have increased significantly over the past decade and the potential for larger and more complex claims continues to rise, warns industrial insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) in a new report. The evaluation of 367 global insurance claims shows that the automotive industry is most affected by product recalls, followed by the food and beverage sector.

Rising number of product recalls

The number of product recalls has risen steadily over the past decade. "We are now seeing record numbers of recalls in terms of size and cost," says Christof Bentele, Head of Global Crisis Management at AGCS. He sees multiple factors contributing to this, including stricter regulation and tougher penalties, the rise of large multinationals and more complex global supply chains, growing consumer awareness, the impact of economic pressures in research, development and manufacturing, and the increasing importance of social media.

The study, "Product Recall: Managing The Impact of the New Risk Landscape," analyzes a total of 367 product recall claims from 28 countries across 12 industries between 2012 and the first half of 2017. The main cause of recalls is a defective product or design, followed by product contamination. The average cost of a major recall is over €10.5 million, with the cost of some recent large recalls far exceeding this total. Over 50% of the losses are due to just ten recalls. The IT/electronics sector is the third most affected industry after the automotive and food and beverage industries, according to the AGCS claims analysis.

Automotive industry faces most expensive recalls due to "domino effect

"Automotive recalls account for over 70% of the total claims analysed, which is unsurprising given recent record activity in both the US and Europe. We are seeing more and more recalls with more and more vehicles affected in the automotive industry," said Carsten Krieglstein, Regional Head of Liability, Central & Eastern Europe, AGCS. "Factors such as more sophisticated technology, shortened product testing times, outsourcing of research and development and increasing cost pressures are all contributing to this. The technological shift in the automotive industry towards electric and autonomous mobility will bring further recall risks."

In one of the largest recalls in the automotive industry to date due to defective airbags, 60 to 70 million vehicles from at least 19 manufacturers worldwide are likely to be recalled to workshops. The costs are estimated at almost 21 billion euros. This case highlights the increasing "domino effect" affecting the automotive sector, as well as other industries. Since many common components are used by many manufacturers at the same time, a single recall can have an impact on an entire industry.

Product recalls in the focus of the Swiss food and beverage industry

The food and drink industry is the second most affected sector, accounting for 16% of the losses analysed. The average cost of a significant product recall is almost €8 million. Undeclared allergens (including ingredient mislabeling) and pathogens are a big problem, as is contamination from glass, plastic and metal parts. "In Switzerland, product tampering and product recalls are also a big issue with our clients in the food and beverage industry," explains Christoph Müller, who is responsible for AGCS business in Switzerland. The increased demand for insurance solutions in Switzerland comes mainly from large end customers who want to insure themselves against the difficulties of their key suppliers. "Another driver in the market is the claims experience of the past, which can be directly attributed to product recalls or product tampering," says Müller.

Products from Asia, the AGCS study found, continue to trigger a disproportionate number of recalls in the U.S. and Europe, reflecting the eastward shift of global supply chains and historically weaker quality controls in some Asian countries. But increasing safety regulations and growing consumer awareness are causing recalls to increase in Asia as well.

Early crisis management as part of the corporate DNA

Forward planning and preparation can have a major impact on the size of a recall and the financial and reputational damage. As part of a holistic risk management approach, specialist product recall insurance can help companies recover more quickly by covering the costs of a recall, including business interruption. Such insurance policies also provide access to crisis management services and specialist consultants. These review a company's procedures and assist with regulatory liaison, communications, product tracing, and laboratory testing of contaminated goods, including genome sequencing and DNA testing, in the event of product contamination worldwide.

"Much more attention is now being paid to how companies deal with faulty or contaminated products, how quickly they respond and how reliable they are when it comes to product safety. More than ever, consumers are also speaking up and making their consumption decisions based on how companies handle crises. A company that sees crisis management as part of its DNA is far less susceptible to a major scandal," says Bentele.

Further information

Until now, all gas companies have only tested the quality of comparable products internally. Messer Schweiz AG is now the first and only supplier in Switzerland to supply the first officially certified medical nitrogen. "No healthcare provider can afford to compromise on safety and quality," says CEO Dr. Hans Michael Kellner. "It's about our health and we don't compromise on that." As a result, the Lenzburg-based industrial gases company offers customers a guarantee of the highest quality. "We started this registration process early and at the same time built a new large nitrogen filling plant so that we can deliver to the whole of Switzerland immediately and without delay," says Dr Kellner. "We already have the first orders and assume that no gas company will be able to do without Swissmedic approval in the future."

Strict requirements of Swissmedic

For the registration of medical nitrogen with Swissmedic, detailed documentation of production, quality assurance and process flows is required. This means that all three areas are firmly defined and regularly audited. Messer Schweiz AG is liable for the medical product supplied, in terms of compliance with processes and quality. Medical facilities thus receive a guarantee that the nitrogen is always produced and supplied in accordance with the strictest regulations.

Use of medical nitrogen

Particularly in the case of medical products, such as in the production of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, nitrogen is used as an auxiliary substance to displace oxygen. This is a prerequisite for compliance with the specifications of the European Pharmacopoeia. This property is of particular benefit in the production and packaging of pharmaceuticals in order to achieve long-term stability of active ingredients. Cryogenic liquefied nitrogen is also used in cryotherapy (icing) to remove warts, etc. by dermatologists. In this case, it can replace surgical interventions or drug treatments.

Other applications in gas form are:

• Inert gas for protection against oxidation
• For X-ray contrast imaging
• For flushing and displacement of air
• For inhalation with oxygen (maximum 80 vol.-% N2)

Frozen liquefied:

• For cryotherapy (cold wind treatment) for rheumatic diseases
• For cryosurgery (for operating cryosurgical instruments)
• For freeze-preservation of biological materials (cells, tissue, blood, semen etc.)

Messer Schweiz AG employs over 100 people and is part of Messer Group GmbH, the world's largest owner-managed industrial gases company with over 5,400 employees and over one billion euros in sales. Today, Messer Schweiz AG is strongly anchored in the Lenzburg region and is continuously growing throughout Switzerland.

www.messer.ch