"The SAQ is a healthy association".

Many associations have to reinvent themselves in the VUCA world. The SAQ is no exception - at least in certain areas. Under the new management of Marlyse Roulin, the association is now moving forward with a modernisation.

Ms Roulin, what is your first interim assessment after six months as SAQ Managing Director?

Marlyse Roulin: For me as a physicist, the most important thing at first was the figures: How many members from which industries and regions does the association have? For example, I was most surprised to learn that we have certified 13,000 client advisors from 70 different banks over the past 15 years. That is just under a third of all banks in Switzerland or 70-75% of all client advisors in the Swiss financial centre and, in my opinion, a great achievement. In terms of content, I have noticed that the topic of "quality" has developed greatly in recent years and new topics such as operational excellence, lean management or agility have emerged. Therefore, it is important to me to address not only those responsible for quality in companies, but also other management levels. With digitalization, new, less hierarchical management styles have become prevalent, which have a strong influence on the organization. For us at SAQ, this means drawing the right conclusions and adapting our actions.

And what personal impression did you gain of the association itself?

The SAQ is a healthy association. We still need to be more active in some areas, such as personal certifications. In addition, more and more companies are offering internal training. Here we want to become more involved as a partner in order to be able to issue the corresponding certificates. And we want to concentrate on new topics in which we can competently support our members.

What have you already done in this regard since you took up your post?

In the first three months, I wanted to get to know the association better, its key figures, structure and history. I visited each section to better understand their expectations of me and the association. In the meantime, the new vision is in place and the team is ready to implement it. We are currently changing from a silo to an entrepreneurial team. But change takes time, but we now know the direction we want to move in. Discussions are also taking place with possible new partners, be they universities of applied sciences or other associations, for example in the field of risk management.

What were the most exciting experiences or insights from the first few months?

These were certainly the personal contacts with the sections and the FOREP event. I felt a lot of positive energy everywhere, characterized by the spirit of constantly improving. That is a pleasure. And I saw how professionally the sections are run, even though the board members all work on a voluntary basis. This also applies to the IT, Medical Technology and Watchmaking Sections. Their work is also very important for the SAQ. I will therefore continue my regular visits to stay close to the pulse of what is happening. This also helps us as an office to further improve our services for the sections.

Where do you see the greatest development potential for the association as a whole?

The SAQ must become even more visible in the business world. Therefore, we will strengthen our advertising measures accordingly and also appear more actively on social media platforms. The SAQ should become the "Preferred Information Provider" in matters of quality, business excellence and operational excellence. Our members should not only be able to meet in person, but the professional exchange should also be increasingly possible via online platforms. To this end, we are setting up an information and expert platform. We will also be able to launch new topics on this "Advanced Quality Solution" platform. And finally, we want to further explore the potential for new services in the healthcare sector. In all these projects, I am glad to be able to count on the support of the Board of Directors.

That means a lot of work. What goals have you set yourself for 2020?

The year 2020 will be a year of reconstruction. In the middle of the year, the aforementioned platform should be available in its basic structure. It will be a toolbox with quality management methods, best practice examples, presentations and other information. We plan to structure it by industry, starting with the watchmaking industry. In addition to all our online activities, however, the Swiss Quality Day on 13 May will again be a key highlight.

Does the SAQ have the resources to do this?

Admittedly, our team is small. This requires a high degree of agility on the part of the office. Where it makes sense, we already work together with external experts; to do so, we will have to find new solutions and partnerships.