Digitalization Trends in Selected Swiss Industries Smart Regio Basel

Digitalization trends in selected Swiss industries Smart Regio Basel

Bachelor Thesis 2020

Client: Smart Regio Basel, Elias H. Schäfer Authors: Lukas Tadeu Anjit Maliyekal Supervisor: Dr. Marc K. Peter Place, Date: Olten, 7. August 2020

Authors: Lukas Tadeu Klosterstrasse 21 6003 Luzern [email protected]

Anjit Maliyekal Brunnmatte 4D 5647 Oberrüti [email protected]

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland [email protected]

Client: Elias H. Schäfer [email protected]

Smart Regio Basel c/o Fluxdock AG Freilager-Platz 3 4142 Münchensteint

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Declaration of Authenticity

We, the undersigned, declare that we have prepared the present paper independently and without the use of sources other than those indicated in the reference list. All statements and information contained herein are listed and indicated as quotations and / or paraphrases. This project work has not been published to date. It has thus not been made available to other interested parties or examination boards.

Signatures of authors

Lukas Tadeu Anjit Maliyekal

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Acknowledgment

The project team would like to express its thanks to our client Elias Schäfer of Smart Regio Basel, who gave us the opportunity to realize this project work. Special thanks are also expressed for the support, the arrangement of interview partners and the know-how transfer in the field of Digital Transformation. We would like to thank Christian Hansen for his helpful additions. Additionally, many thanks for all interview partners who have taken the time to reflect on the digital developments in their companies. We have gained valuable inputs for our project. Finally, a sincere thanks to our supervisor, Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter, who guided us all along the way.

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Management Summary

Major international companies with purely Digital Business models, such as the frequently discussed companies like Amazon or Google, are not the only ones to be considered. The highly innovative Swiss business environment is also subject to Digital Transformation, regardless of the form of their actual core business. Trends in the retail, hotel/gastronomy, construction (building construction and civil engineering) and extension/craftsmanship industry are to be identified, analyzed and described, and in a general overview and consolidated in an industry comparison. As a result, this research paper defined several research questions within the context of Digital Transformation in Switzerland in the specified industries. Based on the findings of the research, the authors conclude that the main Digital Trends in the retail and hotel/gastronomy industries are customer-driven and thus pursue the Customer/User Experience, whereas the construction industry is infrastructure-driven and consequently perceives the trends of Cloud Computing and Big Data as more relevant for their businesses. Additionally, a rather substantial number of companies in the extension and crafting industry remain in the early stages of digital development based on their limited resources as well as fear of risk. However, the more highly digitalized craft businesses employ Big Data as their core technology. The degree of Dig- italization of Swiss SMEs varies. The larger companies generally showcased a substantial readiness for the development of Digital Transformations. For smaller SMEs, it is important to stand confidently in the face of change and to observe the market closely. It takes a courageous decision to take a significant step forward. Swiss SMEs are advised to perceive the digital opportunities as a chance to adapt to the changing future properly.

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Table of content Declaration of Authenticity ...... 2

Acknowledgment ...... 3

Management Summary ...... 4

1 Introduction ...... 8

1.1 Project subject...... 8

1.2 Project objectives ...... 8

1.3 Project scope & limitation ...... 9

2 Methodology...... 10

2.1 Research structure ...... 10

2.2 Data Collection ...... 10

2.2.1 Desk Research ...... 10

2.2.2 Field Research ...... 11

2.2.3 Data Analysis ...... 11

3 Theoretical Framework ...... 13

4 Literature Review ...... 16

4.1 Definition Smart City...... 16

4.2 Digital Business ...... 17

4.3 Digital Transformation ...... 18

4.4 Digital Trends ...... 20

4.4.1 Augmented and Virtual Reality ...... 20

4.4.2 Mobile Technology ...... 22

4.4.3 Internet of things...... 23

4.4.4 Robotics ...... 24

4.4.5 Cloud Computing ...... 26

4.4.6 Artificial intelligence ...... 28

4.4.7 User and Customer Experience ...... 29

4.4.8 Big Data ...... 30 Bachelor Thesis 5

4.4.9 Agile Business ...... 31

4.4.10 Cybersecurity ...... 32

4.5 First Synthesis: Literature Review ...... 34

5 Swiss Industries Overview ...... 37

5.1 Hotel/Gastronomy ...... 37

5.2 Construction (Building and Civil Engineering) ...... 38

5.3 Retail ...... 39

5.4 Extension and Craftmanship ...... 40

6 Desk Research ...... 42

6.1 Retail ...... 42

6.2 Extension and Craftsmanship ...... 47

6.3 Hotel and Gastronomy ...... 50

6.4 Construction ...... 53

6.5 Second Synthesis: Desk Research ...... 56

7 Field Research ...... 61

7.1 Interview Retail: Riviera, Andrea Otto ...... 61

7.2 Interview Retail: Bider & Tanner, Carmen Stocker ...... 64

7.3 Interview Construction: Rofra Bau AG, Remmo Oser ...... 68

7.4 Interview Construction: Tozzo AG, Mirko Tozzo ...... 71

7.5 Interview Hotel/Gastronomy: Krafft AG, Eldar Hernandez ...... 74

7.6 Interview Hotel/Gastronomy: GAIA Hotel, Philip Moser ...... 78

7.7 Interview Craftsmanship: Morath AG, Oliver Scheidegger ...... 82

7.8 Interview Craftsmanship: Anonymous Company ...... 85

8 Data Analysis Desk and Field Research ...... 88

8.1 Analysis Retail...... 88

8.2 Analysis Building and Civil engineering ...... 89

8.3 Analysis Hotel/Gastronomy ...... 90

8.4 Analysis Extension and Craftsmanship ...... 93 Bachelor Thesis 6

9 Third Synthesis: Findings ...... 95

9.1 Obstacles ...... 97

9.2 The 4 Personas ...... 99

10 Discussion ...... 101

11 Best-Practice ...... 104

11.1 Advanced customer experience with Quibit ...... 104

11.2 Ambassador Zurich – simplifying the customer journey ...... 105

12 Recommendations ...... 107

13 Conclusion ...... 109

13.1 Limitations ...... 111

13.2 Recommendations for future researchers ...... 111

14 Bibliography ...... 113

15 List of Figures and Tables ...... 129

16 Appendix ...... 130

16.1 Interview Questionnaire ...... 131

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1 Introduction 1.1 Project subject In order to have a common background for this study, this section provides the reader with a short introduction about our principal, the initial problem definition as well as the objectives of this work. The instructions for this project work were given by the association Smart Regio Basel, which wishes to expand its knowledge about the current Digital Trends in the Swiss industries. Smart Regio Basel is an independent association with its members and business partners which are driving the development of the Basel region into a Smart City (Smart Regio Basel, n.d.). To be able to ensure that Smart Regio Basel can provide market-oriented consulting/solutions services surrounding the Smart City and the broader ecosystem, it requires a baseline of Digitali- zation Trends in the specified sectors. With the appropriate digital instruments, it should be feasible for businesses to reposition themselves in the context of a Smart City.

In summary, the goal of Smart Regio is to build a bridge between companies of the individual industries towards the Smart City, in order to allow the companies of the city of Basel to make use of their potential in Digitalization in the future.

1.2 Project objectives The overall goals of this project work include the following points:

 Documentation of Digital Trends in the Swiss retail, hotel/gastronomy, construction (building and civil engineering) as well as extension and craftmanship  Execution of desk and field research  Development of a model illustrating the latest Digital Trends in Swiss industries  Analysis of the individual industries’ potential in terms of Digitalization  Development of characteristics regarding the human perception of Digital Transfor- mation

Subsequently, five project objectives are pursued. Most importantly, the ongoing Digital Trends of the selected Swiss industries are analyzed. In a next step, the main and most influential Digital Trends regarding the development of a Smart City are presented. Furthermore, the importance and application of these Digital Trends are assessed with the help of a desk and field research. Eventually, the findings will be presented with an Illustration as well as a comparison between the Desk and field research.

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Accordingly, the authors developed the following research questions, which are to be discussed and analyzed in-depth throughout this project work:

 Which trends in the field of Digitalization are pursued by the Swiss industries?  What is the current position of the corresponding Swiss industries with regard to the Digital Transformation?  Which are the best-practice examples in Switzerland for the implementation of digital technologies?  What are the gaps and obstacles in the Swiss industries to become digital?  Which are the recommendations for Swiss industries to benefit from Digitalization?

1.3 Project scope & limitation The scope of this project work was limited to the retail, hotel/gastronomy, construction (building and civil engineering) and extension and craftmanship industries in the northwestern region of Switzerland. The project subject revealed itself to be underlined by a broad research area. Dis- cussions with the allocated supervisors as well as experts in the respective field have reflected this assumption. Consequently, various limitations were carried through this project work. Most importantly, the authors of this research paper have decided to focus on ten Digital Trends, which are contributing to the development of a Smart City in the context of Digital Transformation. There- fore, not all existing Digital Trends mentioned online are defined and considered. Moreover, only the relevance and implementation of those ten Digital Trends in the specific Swiss Industries are discussed and included in the analysis.

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2 Methodology A methodology consists of a range of approaches or guidelines on how to conduct the gathering and evaluation of information on the given topic. To help that Smart Regio Basel in providing a market-oriented range of advice around the Smart City and the wider ecosystem in the northwestern region of Switzerland, it will require a foundation of Digitalization Trends.

2.1 Research structure Literature and data will be collected through existing case studies, articles and websites. Fur- thermore, as part of this research, the authors will examine information from various companies within the selected industries in order to identify the Digital Trends and assess their potential for implementation. The literature review provides the basis for this paper, outlining the definitions of Smart City, Digital Transformations generally and reviewing existing Digitalization Trends. All the information obtained during this research is intended to eventually form a new synthesis. As a next step, descriptions of the various industries will be undertaken as a means of acquiring a clear understanding of their relevance to the economy of Switzerland, and in particular to that of Basel. An in-depth desk research will be conducted by investigating what Digitalization Trends are being pursued in various companies, using the knowledge gained from the literature research. Therefore, a number of companies will be selected and a further synthesis will be developed. As a follow-up, the field research will be initiated. The selected companies will be interviewed according to the results of the desk research. The objective is to obtain more insights into the companies' Digitalization processes and to identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as their potentials in this area. The results will be presented by using models in order to create an illustration that summarizes all the results.

2.2 Data Collection Secondary data regarding the Digital Trends, as well as information about the specific industries, will be collected through qualitative research. Furthermore, newspaper article, documents as well as company websites will be examined to obtain an overall picture of the topic. Ten Digital Trends that generate an impact on the development of a Smart City are identified and their impact and possible potentials in the individual industries will be evaluated.

2.2.1 Desk Research As part of the desk research, the authors will choose specific companies exclusively from the Basel trade association. A total of eight businesses encompassing the four specified industries

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will be researched and analyzed based on their progress within the context of Digital Transfor- mation. The subsequent findings are then compared to the insights from the industry overview and literature review of the identified Digital Trends in order to summarize and highlight the main differences and similarities between the two researched fields. A table is developed in order to provide an overview of the researched companies and their subsequent relation to the Digital Trends.

2.2.2 Field Research The field research is carried out through semi-structured interviews with selected companies. Semi-structured interviews are held in a relatively open framework that enables focused, dialogue-oriented two-way communication. The interviewer pursues a guideline, whereby he or she is able to follow thematic progressions in the interview, which may deviate from the guideline where appropriate. The creation of semi-structured interviews necessitates thorough planning, which includes the identification of the interviewees, the choice of the number of interviews and the preparatory work for the interviews. A comprehensive analysis is carried out as soon as the interviews have been completed (Keller & Katharina, n.d.).

2.2.3 Data Analysis The beginning of the data analysis will be embodied by identifying the available frameworks to appropriately support the research paper. For this purpose, articles from several Smart City- related sources will be selected. In a next phase, the authors will identify ten Digital Trends which have experienced an emphasized relevance in the last few years and are becoming more important within the next years/decade while also stating a significance within the context of Smart City.

Furthermore, the specified industries will be analyzed based on their progress regarding Digital Transformation in the Swiss environment. In a next step, the desk research of selected companies from the Basel trade association will be initiated. The objective is to observe and evaluate the digital progress based on the available information from company-websites and subsequent reports. The field research will portray the last part of data collection. Businesses operating in the northwestern region of Switzerland are requested to participate in a thirty-minute interview. The interview will be conducted in a semi-structured form and will be subject to slight changes based on the course of the interviews. The interview answers will be summarized and evaluated in a next phase.

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The last part will be dedicated to the overall findings from all researched fields. Each industry is summarized with its findings from the industry overview, companies from the desk research and company interview insights from the field research. Subsequently, the findings allow for an analysis of each of the ten identified Digital Trends within the selected industries leading closer to the conclusion regarding the potential, issues/challenges of the Digital Transformation and the recommended future actions.

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3 Theoretical Framework The paper is contextualized through the simplified version of the Smart City wheel created by Boyd Cohen (Canton of Basel-Stadt, 2018). Ph.D. Boyd Cohen is an urban strategist focused on the areas of urban innovation, entrepreneurship, Smart Cities and urban mobility (LinkedIn, 2020).

Figure 1: Smart City Wheel Framework by Cohen (2018)

The Smart City Wheel is categorized into six different dimensions, namely Smart Government, Smart People, Smart Living, Smart Mobility, Smart Environment and Smart Economy. The latter dimension is what broadly embodies this research paper as the four researched industries are built around it.

Smart Governance

The digital technologies support the administration to communicate transparently, to inform openly as well as networked, cross-departmental and to act efficiently. The administration provides its open data freely at disposal. Digital technologies support in planning and development and in the participatory decision making.

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Smart People

Digital infrastructure and services facilitate social cohabitation and promote the social cohesion. People who live and work in Basel can participate in society, are informed and networked. Digital services furthermore bring people together in analogue form.

Smart Living

Digital technologies support in the process of allowing people to live self-determined. Smart applications enable the inhabitants to satisfy their basic needs and promote well-being. It has a greater emphasis in the fields of living, education, health, security, and livelihood security

Smart Mobility

Smart Mobility is easily usable thanks to the digital networking through by everyone, while saving resource, staying energy efficient and saving space. Digitalization enables the networking the of the public transport, multimodality and supports sharing-approaches.

Smart Environment

Smart applications also make contributions in the environmental field, in order to increase the efficiency and guarantee a harmless use of resources. It is especially vital to the development of building constructions and infrastructure. For example, digital technology allows for information gathering through sensors as well as connecting and optimizing systems.

Smart Economy

Digital Technologies and open data assist development, research, innovation and participate in increasing the attractiveness of a location and the forming of added value. The network supports circular economy while sharing economy increases efficiency and spares resources.

The dimension of Smart Economy underlines this paper as it defines measurements designed to turn and improve the economy of a city. The major goals are the enhancement of the overall business environment, the appeal of a city for start-ups, investments, enterprises, emerging high skilled talent, and innovative and sustainable economic expansion to strengthen the city's competitiveness. The utilization of (digital) technologies and smart practices results in economic

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welfare, which itself generates robust and beneficial conditions for all stakeholders. From the perspective of the government, smart economic development is an essential instrument for taking active steps to capitalize on opportunities and develop environments that promote the creation and growth of businesses and new jobs (Bee Smart City, 2020).

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4 Literature Review The first part is dedicated to the major terms/definitions that the research topic of this thesis embodies. The terms are elaborated and further put into the context of today’s business environment and stating their importance in it. The second part represents the ten Digital Trends that this paper focuses on for all its research purposes. Each trend is explained in detail with current developments and/or future outcomes within the economy mentioned as well. The authors of this research paper have identified ten Digital Trends through an in-depth analysis of several articles, reports and peer-reviewed sources. Whitepapers contracted by Swisscom (Hackman, 2018) and Deloitte (Brigg, Buchholz, & Mike, 2020, p. 2) represented an emphasized significance in researching the most vital trends of the last and coming years. Several Digital Trends were found to generate an immense increase in interest. Lastly, the trends were analyzed within the context of Smart City based on the Smart City wheel created by Boyd Cohen (Canton of Basel-Stadt, 2018) in order to ensure the relevance of the displayed trends for SRB.

Figure 2: Literature Review Structure

4.1 Definition Smart City Smart Regio Basel (SRB) defines the term Smart City a city that is structured in a way fit for the future, through the relationship of its participatory government and self-determined, independent, and attentive people. In particular, it is characterized by intelligent use and effective Bachelor Thesis 16

management of all available technologies and resources in the areas of the economy, people, politics, mobility, environment, and housing (Smart Regio Basel, 2020). Their website (2020) elaborates on how the city's collective knowledge can be used by linking physical, social, and technical infrastructure. Services can be optimized in this way; preventive maintenance initiatives can be designed and services can be maximized for the citizens. The physical environment and the behavior of the residents in a Smart City can be more and more accurately recorded with the help of constantly improved sensor and transmission technology. By assessing and connecting the anonymized data, more efficient control of infrastructures and services can be created. Smart Regio Basel (2020) suggests that a continuous consumption and interaction between residents, administration, businesses, and the physical environment in a Smart City can reduce resource consumption and greatly raise the standard of living. SRB further emphasizes and strengthen their view on the term by referring to other authors such as Guan (2012) explain- ing the definition of a Smart City as follows: A Smart City is a city that is willing to create conditions for a healthy and happy community under the difficult conditions that global, environmental, economic and social trends can bring. Techtarget (2019) follows a similar explanation by expressing that a Smart City is a city that utilizes ICT to improve efficiency and productivity, exchange information with the public and keep improving both the delivery of public services and the welfare of community members. A Smart City's underlying objective is to improve a city's central elements and stimulate economic growth while enhancing the citizens' quality of life through the use of smart technology and data evaluation. The Smart City is given a value based on what they decide to do with the technology, rather than just expressing how much of it they possess (Techtarget, 2019). The website further suggests that initiatives for Smart Cities should appeal to people they seek to help: Citizens, business people and tourists. Local city leaders not only need to boost awareness of the benefits of implementing Smart City innovations, but also to encourage the use of accessible, liberalized data for their people. If the consumers are aware of what they are involved in and the value of the investment, they are more likely to participate.

4.2 Digital Business According to Chaffey (2015, pp. 14-15), Digital Business is defined as the application of digital technology and media to improve the organizations’ competitiveness by the optimization of internal processes involving digital and physical channels for market and supply. However, there are various perspectives on the precise definition of Digital Business. The term can be also explained as “the creation of new business designs as blurring the digital and physical worlds” (Chaffey, 2015). Digital business contributes to overcoming barriers that are today between

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industry segments, while simultaneously creating new value chains and business opportunities which cannot be exploited by traditional companies (Fischer, 2016). For most digital companies, the key goal is to generate value at new frontiers around their core business, while others use digital technology in order to enhance growth, revenue and performance beyond the limits of traditional models (Liferay, n.d.). A successful use of Digital Business is based on three pillars – market insight, collaborative leadership team and one or more technology platforms. The combination of market insight and technology reflects the company's ability to identify market challenges that create new opportunities to meet consumer’s needs through the employment of technology (Crosland, 2016). Furthermore, the deployment of technology platforms serves as a primary component of Digital Business, allowing companies to meet their goals, build their vision and accomplish their objectives (Szajda, 2017). In terms of innovation, the use of technology provides the key for businesses to continuously develop their capabilities by increasing the speed of business activities, processing competencies and models. Gartner mentioned, that Digital Business itself should not be seen as an IT program, but rather should be seen as a business mindset that leverages digital expertise throughout the enterprise and value ecosystem. In fact, they estimate that a shortage of Digital Business competence may result in 25 percent of companies suffering a loss of competitiveness (Gartner, 2014)

However, a Digital Business model is essential for companies because a transformation plan is required. It is their responsibility to reflect on where they stand in terms of competitive advantage and how they will apply this advantage to develop digital offerings for their customers (Woermer, 2018). A Digital Business model is defined as a model that relies on digital technologies to improve various aspects of an organization and increase its value proposition. There are different types of models, such as the open source model, which allows free access to software, a subscription-based model, an on-demand model, which allows people to consume content as they wish regardless of time and place, and many others. In general, the creation of a company- specific digital model demands time, customer feedback, a vision, market awareness and also the potential development of new markets (Cuofano, n.d.).

4.3 Digital Transformation The term, Digital Transformation is described as a change that concerns the economy as well as the entire business community and thus is seen as a holistic and comprehensive change process (Peter, 2019, p. 9). Another definition explains Digital Transformation as a continuing process of embedding digital technology into all business areas that fundamentally create new or modify existing ones such as business processes, customer experiences, and organizational Bachelor Thesis 18

culture (Jarocinski, 2020). Digital transformation offers many opportunities for companies but also some challenges, which are agility, enthusiasm for innovation, simplicity and intellectual use of data (Châlon & Dufft, 2016). Major challenges and prerequisites for Digital Transformation are agility and adaptability, as the speed and dynamics of digital change play a central role here. Businesses have to be highly agile to cope with the speed of Digital Transformation and, if necessary, to change direction in response to rapidly changing markets and competitiveness (Newman, 2019). The point is to quickly develop and test products and services, and in case of failure to draw conclusions, to either improve or cancel a project (Peter, 2019, p. 9). Alongside the use of digital technology, Digital Transformation also demands the empowerment of people who are capable of developing new ways of thinking in order to solve problems, promote innovation and change the experiences of those involved (Jarocinski, 2020).

The advantages of Digital Transformation may be the reduction of time-consuming manual processes due to business process automation which helps to increase the productivity of an organizations as well as reducing costs (De Vos, 2019). Further benefits of the Digital Transfor- mation include increased flexibility and scalability, reliability, reduced risk and the creation of new value for consumers and shareholders (Jarocinski, 2020). One of the major benefits of Digital Transformation is empowering organizations to achieve real data-driven management through a wide range of tools used to track metrics and analyses data. Leveraging the information gained from data allows companies to optimize their strategies and processes to generate even better results (Mroczkowska, 2020).

The Digital Transformation in Swiss companies is less advanced than their potential allows. According to Gisi (2019), concerning the Digital Transformation, executives perceive the Digital Transformation of their organization quite differently than those in charge of implementing new technologies. These executives are completely mistaken about the status, the digital maturity of their company. The reasons for this disillusionment are long-term barriers such as data protection, cyber-security, insufficient budgets and resources as well as a lack of internal expertise and a poor digital culture in the company (Schneider, 2019). Although the Swiss economy has a relatively high global ranking in the production of innovations (Global Innovation Index, 2019), the majority of SMEs have to adapt to the Digital Transformation in order to become more agile and support new innovations. In addition, several companies in Switzerland create unequalled innovations, but it is insufficient to merely have 5 % of these companies. It is necessary to guarantee that the other 95% become aware and are willing to change their business models and operating methods (Bürer, 2019).

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4.4 Digital Trends The literature has shown that the term “Digital Trend” is a rather vague and general expression that is widely used. A LinkedIn article (2016), written by Laurent Francois, is used as the main source of information to properly explain a Digital Trend in the following paragraph.

Francois has chosen to describe a digital phenomenon by using the concept of "stories", as a trend has to be implemented and witnessed in order to be understood, as well as to move from one group of individuals to another - similar to the transfer of a good story. He further reckons that a trend can be brief or intangible; that a trend can be merged, collecting small bundles of purposes into one broad definition, or that a trend can profoundly reinventing principles at a level of society (François, 2016). A trend - like a story - requires relevant parties (e. g. stakeholders) who can imitate it and make it visible to a larger public. In the digital environment, they may be influencers or power users of a network but also random passengers who are unintentionally and unconsciously going to impact other bystanders-by (e.g. a review on Tripadvisor). Like stories, Digital Trends have narratives of their own. Not exactly an intent but at least a tension that makes the right groups identifiable, interesting and compelling. Eventually trends - like digital stories - have to convey their messages to consciously share their popularity or their performance (François, 2016).

4.4.1 Augmented and Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) can be described as an artificial environment designed by software and presented to the user with the belief that the user has the perception of a real environment. The experience of virtual reality on a computer is mainly experienced through two of the five senses which are vision and hearing (Rouse M. , 2015).

Augmented Reality (AR) is a concept for integrating digital information with the user's surround- ings in real-time (Rouse M. , Augmented Reality (AR), 2016). Furthermore, it allows interactive elements or animations such as sound, text or graphics etc. to be integrated into live scenes provided by the camera, thus enhancing the meaning of the content (Dirk & Tschanz, 2015, p. 23).In some cases, the term "augmented reality" is commonly mistaken for "mixed reality", and there is an ongoing discussion about what is covered by each term. The AR technology can be seen as the bridge between reality and virtual relativity, whereas mixed reality is rather a more advanced form in which virtual content is embedded in the user’s environment and different Bachelor Thesis 20

elements can interact with each other (Interaction Design Foundation, n.d.). Since the introduction of this technology, several companies have acknowledged the benefits of VR/AR and integrated into marketing strategies in order to bring an added value for the end-user (Salman, 2019). Besides using it as an additional marketing tool, there are numerous other users of VR/AR technology, including Smart City application. For instance, AR would be capable of sharing information with the public with greater efficiency, providing route descriptions, giving information on urban planning etc. Also, by applying AR/VR, the user would be able to access a virtual model of a planned building or extension that should be built on the existing room (Ross, 2018).

Regarding business, the integration of AR/VR brings many benefits, especially in the field of marketing. By incorporating VR and AR technology into the company's marketing strategy and combined with Artificial Intelligence-supported e-commerce tools, an entirely new shopping experience is created for customers (Salman, 2019). Through interactive and realistic functions, this technology allows an emotional approach to the customer. Thereby the brand awareness is increased and customers are encouraged to buy the product (Tokareva, 2017). It will also enable consumers to assess the competitiveness, performance and quality of products, because businesses have then a greater capacity to gather information on how products are received by consumers. Providing more resilient data, marketeers use them to optimize the quality of a product and improve customer loyalty (Stefanuk, 2019)

Multiple companies have implemented AR/VR technology as part of their business strategy, such as IKEA, which in 2017 launched a mobile application that allows customers to place pho- tographic furniture on the screen of their smartphones. The furnishings in the app are correctly scaled down, and the users can directly go to the front and have a close look at the materials and colours of the chosen furniture (IKEA, n.d.). Another example is provided by Migros, the Swiss supermarket chain, that has launched a play app that enables users to immerse themselves in a virtual Migros branch with the company's own product. Each of the 21 Migros products that are targeted with the user's eyes becomes alive and tells its own story (Migros, 2017).

Ultimately, these types of technologies have already begun reshaping the work and interaction of people with customers and the environment. Furthermore, AR/VR is continuing to be adopted in various industries such as gaming, high-tech retail displays as well as the entertainment business, whereas virtual reality is being applied extensively in industrial design, construction and

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social media (Slesar, 2019). Nonetheless, both have tremendous potential in the marketing field, that is only beginning to be unlocked.

4.4.2 Mobile Technology According to Riddell (Riddell), Mobile Technology is capable of moving with the user or a certain device and delivering date regardless of geographic location. Using mobile devices, this technology can create a virtual connection linking a variety of parties, allowing them to communicate and collaborate. Owing to the accumulated development of mobile communications technology throughout the years, the provision of high-speed Internet, as well as the availability of commu- nicative interface in those devices, many new and innovative experiences in the area of mobile computing has been developed, including the implementation of mobile applications (Oza, 2017). Across the world, Mobile Technology has expanded at a significant rate with more than 5 billion people being estimated to possess mobile devices as well as Migrosmore than half of these being smartphones (Silver, 2019). In particular, Mobile Phone Technology serves as a core element for the development of Smart Cities which create added value for the whole ecosystem including the enhancement of life quality, public health, etc. More specifically, mobile devices form the basis for the concept of Smart Cities and other technologies in order to develop a variety of possible applications, that need to be thoroughly investigated and designed to facilitate the spread of Digitalization (Pragnesh, 2018).

From a business perspective, smartphones increasingly prove to be an effective tool in helping companies closing the gap in technological capabilities that many companies currently are confronted with. And thanks to Mobile Technology, people everywhere can instantly complete their work, while keeping their customers satisfied and accessing a real-time view of the entire organization. In today's business world, there are mobile enterprise applications that are specifically designed to improve workforce productivity in various industries and turn smartphones into an efficient business tool to boost customer service and efficiency (Scioscia, 2019). An additional benefit is a real-time access to information, since Mobile Technology provides continuous communication, guaranteeing complete transparency and allowing faster and more accurate decision-making based on the instant flow of information (Riddell, 2017).

One example of a company that has incorporated Mobile Technology into its business operations is the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), which in 2008 developed a mobile application called SBB Mobile, which has become the most successful application in Switzerland. The application

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featured a user-friendly and personalized timetable search and a user-friendly online purchase of tickets for various means of public transport (SBB, n.d.). Furthermore, an integrated travel companion provides real-time information on delays, track changes, train cancellations and the current availability of seats on the train, highlighting the next digital step in today's mobility (bahnonline.ch, 2016). With the growing popularity of online banking, the banking industry has been investing much research into mobile applications to enable customers to manage their regular banking activities via their smartphone (Samojło, 2019). One of the most popular banking applications is the Swiss digital wallet known as Twint, which enables users to make payments conveniently and securely with their smartphone. It also allows for sending money directly to other people and digitally storing customer loyalty carts (Twint, n.d.)

As more businesses adopt digital technologies, mobile devices are increasingly becoming a critical business tool. By providing a user-friendly interface, smartphones help fill the vast gap in terms of technological capabilities that most businesses are confronted, particularly since almost anyone owns a smartphone nowadays. Besides boosting the accessibility to customers and the user interaction, Mobile Technology enhances the efficiency and productivity of an organization by strengthening and accelerating the flow of information.

4.4.3 Internet of things The term Internet of Things (IoT), covers everything that is connected to the World Wide Web, yet this concept is widely applied for defining objects that interact with each other (Burgess, 2018). The network of IoT is immense, and it is not only connecting things, but also encompassing people (Morgan, 2014). Through a combination of these linked devices and an automated system, operators will be able to capture and study information before taking certain actions either to perform a task or to gain a deeper understanding of a process (Burgess, 2018). Beyond this, the use of integrated systems like processors, sensors or communication instruments assists the IoT ecosystem in the collection, transmission and processing of data from their sur- roundings (Rouse M. , n.d.). Consequently, it reveals the virtually limitless potential and interconnectivity of IoT, of which many individuals might struggle to fully understand the implications of today (Morgan, 2014). As the Internet of Things has become a valuable component of the Smart City network that can combat the growth rate or environmental problems of the metropo- lis, city governments have begun to use this technology to create more efficient, sustainable, resilient urban networks as well as economic growth (Horwitz, n.d.). A major factor in the creation of Smart City is connectivity, which is enabled by IoT and strengthened with a resilient 4G or soon 5G network for achieving coverage of the entire urban environment (Ismail, 2018).

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The Internet of Things is having a strong impact in the business world, since it enhances business efficiency through linking devices or sensors to certain processes so that valuable information can be obtained for continuous process improvement (Chaurasia, 2017). It also supports businesses in their development of innovative products and services through the use of smart devices that monitor consumer’s behavior and shopping habits (Kambala, 2018). Since most companies are operating in a rapidly changing environment, the IoT provides an effective instrument to recognize business changes by speeding up and reacting better to changes in demand. As global networking expands, the acquisition and high-speed processing of data will be vital for the success of businesses because it enables insight into potential disruptions and opportunities in the competitive marketplace (Goerlich, 2016).

Over the years, the IoT market has been growing steadily and experts forecast that by 2020 the market will have grown up to 5.8 billion connected devices (Goasduff, 2019). One example of an IoT device is an adapter developed by the Swiss start-up autoSense AG, which converts a car into a "connected car" allowing to transmit valuable information via mobile application (autoSense, n.d.).The app documents the user’s journey including distance and in case of a breakdown, the driver is able to find out on the smartphone exactly which problem has occurred (Amag, 2018). A further IoT device is the Amazon Echo, which is a voice-activated smart loud- speaker equipped with a customized voice assistant known as Alexa. The virtual assistant manages tasks such as setting various timers or alarms, integrating a Google calendar and listening to music and audio books with commands received by the user's voice (Black, 2019).

Altogether, Internet of Things is expected to expand further in the future, as there are many advantages offered by this technology including connectivity, productivity, efficiency, etc. Know- ing there are numerous ways on how the Internet of Things changes people's lives, so it is even more significant to preserve and invest in this technology. Consequently, IoT is a valuable asset for businesses in terms of decision-making and operational performance. It provides a strategic advantage in today's competitive markets. Worldwide, this trend is continuing to grow.

4.4.4 Robotics A robot is described as a software-based machine capable of physical interaction with its environment the ability to execute a series of intricate actions either autonomously or semi-autonomously (Nichols, 2018). The potential of this technology resides in its ability to improve life and

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work practices, enhance productivity and security, as well as achieve higher levels of service. A new generation of self-operating devices and cognitive artifacts will be the driving technology behind Robotics, whose inherent learning abilities permit them to communicate seamlessly with the outside world, forming the lacking connection point separating the digital from the physical world (EU Robotics, 2017).

With the emergence of Robot Technology and automated processes, the labor market is in a state of change (Chesky, 2019). According to an analysis by Oxford Economics, by 2030 it is estimated that robots will replace up to 20 million production jobs worldwide. Additionally, that large scale replacement is unlikely to be evenly distributed around the world, as robotization has proven to have negative impacts in areas with a weaker economy and higher unemployment rates (Oxford Economics, 2019, p. 6). According to Cellan-Jones, (2019), however, implementation of robotic automation results in higher productivity and enhance the economic growth, thus providing the same number of jobs created as lost. In broad terms, Robot Technology typically undertakes physically challenging tasks such as lifting and moving massive objects, whereas humans are able to engage in and specialize in other analytical and creative thinking tasks. Other benefits of the deployment of robots in companies include improved quality in production by preventing human error, enhanced safety, increased speed of performance and lower costs (Chesky, 2019). Further, research has been conducted and concluded that in the urban context the experimentation of Robotics and automation offers a superior form of decision-making and acting in the city that will help to improve efficiency, augmenting and improving the infrastructure, healthcare and everyday life. In the context of Smart City, the introduction of Ro- botics and Automation Technology will ease decision making and performance in the urban environment, thereby ensuring efficiency and improved infrastructure, better medical care and an enhanced quality of life for citizens (Macronie, Marvin, & While, 2019, p. 15).

For instance, the multinational technology company Amazon has already embedded Robot Technology in its routine operations. In 26 of the companies' fulfilment centers, robots and staff are involved in several logistics activities, where robots pick and transport packages while employees gather customer orders, as well as focus on tasks that require a high level of judgment, common sense and adaptiveness. Over 300,000 full-time jobs have been created in the IT and maintenance area since the implementation of Robot Technology at Amazon, including the fulfilment center, since additional staff is needed due to the increased efficiency (Amazon, n.d.). Another company specializing in Robotics is the Swiss start-up ANYbotics, which has developed a mobile four-legged robot for industrial purposes. The robot is capable of conducting predefined

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takes, whereas the integrated autonomous system allows safe and reliable navigation through industrial plans and it is equipped with sensors for the acquisition and evaluation of equipment and environmental data. ANYbotics (2019) further emphasizes that the use of autonomous mobile robots will be revolutionizing the company's inspection strategy by enabling an optimized plant structure in this sector in the future.

Finally, advancements in Robot Technology brought a revolution in-line production, resulting in a number of advantages and cost-saving factors in the manufacturing sector. Alongside the prevention of injuries to workers, Robot Technology also includes greater productivity, improved product quality, expanded capacity and also the ability to develop new or improved products. With the increased use of automated workers, the future of manufacturing is further shaped by job creation, strong partnerships with human resources, and enhanced competitive advantages in the manufacturing industry.

4.4.5 Cloud Computing According to Dobran (2018) Cloud Computing is considered as a means of delivering computing services that includes databases, servers, software, etc. over the Internet, thereby permitting the user to circumvent the direct management of these systems. In other words, Cloud Compu- ting acts as storage and access to data and programs using the Internet, instead of storing the data on the user's hard drive (Knorr, 2018). To be defined as Cloud Computing, and on-demand self-service service is required with broad network access and bundling of resources, as well as a fast elasticity that enables services to be measured (Mell & Grance, 2011, p. 2). There exist three different types of clouds, one is the public cloud, in which people share the digital space between them to develop a system. Another is the private cloud, which is constructed internally and primarily used by business to operate, and the hybrid cloud, in which the internal database is user-controlled and accessible to the public cloud (Dobran, 2018).

Moreover, the availability of Cloud Computing services is enormous. For instance, SaaS (Soft- ware as a Service) defines a form of public Cloud Computing wherein applications are provided using Internet browsers like Microsoft Office 365 or Google's G Suite with the option for customers to customize and add their own modifications and enhancements. Another type of cloud service is IaaS (Infrastructure of Service), which provides both storage and computing services to support highly scalable databases or virtual private networks. Further, the Service type PaaS (platform as a service) covers a range of services and processes to expedite the development,

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testing and deployment of applications (Knorr, 2018). The key benefits of Cloud Computing include constantly available storage rentable at a low price, faster and inexpensive emergency backups as well as consistent updates since the software undergoes continuous enhancements for greater security and reliability (Dobran, 2018). Through the deployment of Cloud Computing, businesses can mobilize capital, simplified IT maintenance, enable modern business practices, ensure security and elasticity in terms of services and workflows, assist customers in innovative ways, as well as expanding into rapidly shifting markets (Cisco, n.d.). Offering such advancements, Cloud Computing provides a virtual infrastructure for developing Smart Cities, in which it operates as a system for storing and analyzing all the data used for urban environments (Buni, 2019). The involvement of Cloud Computing in Smart Cities is crucial since large amounts of data are required to be processed incessantly, represent a key factor for the implementation of Internet of Things devices, and react quickly and reliably to fluctuating changes in computing demand in the urban environment (Kinney, 2016)

The file hosting service called Dropbox represents a typical example of Cloud Computing services which allow users to store files online, synchronize between different devices or share files with others. Since its establishment, the company has improved its services and in 2019 introduced Dropbox Space, the first smart workspace featuring additional features such as machine intelligence or admin functions. The concept of the smart workspace refers to a digital landscape which combines the whole content of a team and the offering of different tools enabling them to dedicate themselves to the task at hand (Dropbox, 2019). One other computer service used by the cloud is the software platform Zoom, in which users can arrange audio and video confer- ences, as well as the possibility of recording and storing meetings in order to access them wherever and whenever the users desire (Zoom, n.d.). The ease of use and compatibility with mobile devices has made the cloud-based platform into a valuable tool for private consumers as well as various organizations in the field of communication (Torman, 2020).

As a whole, Cloud Computing facilitates the establishment of a virtual office and permits flexibility of connection with the company, regardless of location or time. By supporting environmental proactive management, cloud infrastructures power virtual services such as PaaS or IaaS than relying on physical products and hardware (Salesforce.com, n.d.). Additionally, with the growing number of Internet-capable devices in today's business environment, like smartphones and tablets, it has become more convenient to access corporate data storage.

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4.4.6 Artificial intelligence The following paragraph about the general findings around the Digital Trend of Artificial Intelli- gence (AI) is mostly based on the insight from a McKinsey Global Institute report from 2017 (Bughin, et al., 2017). AI usually refers to machines' ability to demonstrate human-like intelligence for instance, solving a problem by using hand-coded software that includes specific instructions. Different ways are used to categorize AI technologies, but a list that is mutually consistent and universally comprehensive is difficult to draft since people often mix up different technologies to build solutions to individual problems. Often those inventions are viewed as separate technologies, sometimes as sub-categories of other technologies, but also as applications. According to the McKinsey paper (2017), many frameworks use simple functionality to group AI. Technologies like text, voice, or image recognition group them into business applications such as commerce or Cybersecurity. The expectation is that Artificial Intelligence will greatly help the sustainable creation of future Smart Cities. AI 's diverse rising fields can lead to the transformation of traditional cities into fully equipped Smart Cities. The plan to raise living standards by integrating technology into people's day-to-day practices is the prime aim of evolving Smart Cities (Navarathna & Malagi, 2018). In recent times, AI technologies have dramatically improved. Nevertheless, implementation remains at its early stages. This makes evaluating the true future impact of AI on businesses and sectors difficult. It is known that several non-adopters are struggling to make the business case for investing in AI, but there should be an emphasized focus on the firms that have adopted it. Looking at case studies of digital natives and the results from the survey conducted by the writers of the McKinsey paper, early signs of favorable results from AI applied on scale became visible. Through a study of a significant number of case studies in five industries, it is furthermore shown how AI can transform some market practices and can radically alter others. It means that AI can offer substantial competitive advantages, but only for businesses that are completely committed to it. Taking away any ingredient results in losing a good digital starting point, significant AI adoption or a constructive strategic role and profit margins become far less significant (Bughin, et al., 2017).

Artificial intelligence has already seen extensive use in the real world. AlphaSense, a fintech company located in New York City, has developed a financial search engine powered by Artifi- cial Intelligence to assist investment firms acquire advantageous knowledge/ information (Daley, 2020). It does so by examining the key information throughout 35,000 financial institu- tions using a combination of linguistic search and natural machine learning. The ability of the system to inspect vast amounts of data and produce actionable findings based on relevant financial data saves incalculable hours of labor for analysts (Daley, 2020). Over 800 financial

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companies use AlphaSense, as well as a few Fortune 500 (500 largest firms in the U.S.) businesses, according to the firm's site.

To conclude, Artificial Intelligence are related to machines with the ability to perform cognitive functions such as perceiving, learning, reasoning and solve problems that are deemed to hold an Artificial Intelligence. Artificial intelligence exists when a machine has cognitive ability. The benchmark for AI is the human level concerning reasoning, speech, and vision. The potential for this trend is immense although the actual implementation is yet to be realized industry wide.

4.4.7 User and Customer Experience Customer experience covers every component of a company's offer – customer support's efficiency, marketing, branding, product and service functionality, ease of use and reliability. None- theless, hardly any of the people responsible for these actions have acknowledged how their different decisions are shaping the customer experience. To the degree that they think about it, they all have differing views of what customer service entails, and nobody else supervises the contributions of all (Meyer & Schwager, 2007). Customer experience is reflected by the consumers’ internal and personal reactions to any direct or indirect interaction with a business or its product., Direct interaction usually takes place during the sale, usage and service process and which is typically established by the customer. Most commonly, indirect interaction includes unforeseen interactions with representatives of the goods, services or brands of a business and comes in the form of word-of-mouth endorsements or critiques, ads, news stories, reviews, and similar. According to a Harvard Business Report (2007), the secret to a good experience is not the multiplicity of features on offer. Microsoft Windows, which is considered to be carrying an abundance of features, can provide a satisfactory experience for a corporate IT chairman, however some home users may prefer Apple's Macintosh operating system, which delivers limited functionality and configuration options. A customer's interaction with an apple product generally begins well before the user turns it on — taking the iPod as an example, maybe with the dancing human figures in the television commercial (Meyer & Schwager, 2007).

The Harvard Business Report (2007) expresses that Consumer dissatisfaction is common, and increasingly difficult to handle because of the customers' increased ability to control the situation. Though businesses learned about the purchasing behaviors, earnings, and other attributes of consumers used to identify them, they know less about the feelings, emotions, and mental state that cause consumer experiences with goods, services, and brands. Unless companies

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are aware of these subjective experiences and the involvement that each function possesses in shaping them, customer satisfaction is rather a slogan than an achievable objective.

In conclusion, a good customer experience means that the individual's experience during all points of contact matches the individual's expectations. To compete in a world where more and more products and services are commoditized more quickly than ever before, companies have to consistently deliver great customer experiences at every point of interaction in their business. A stable customer experience is challenging to replicate and may represent a sustainable competitive differentiator for any company.

4.4.8 Big Data Digitalization represents a necessity for the business of today. Currently, the manufacturing industries are moving from mass production to customized production. The rapid developments in manufacturing technology and industrial applications help to improve productivity. Rising efficiency is driven by the rapid developments in production technology and business applications. The word Industry 4.0 reflects the fourth Industrial Revolution described as a new level of organization and control of the entire value chain of the product life cycle; it is tailored to the rising individualized consumer demands (Vaidyaa, Ambadb, Prashant, & Bhosle, 2018). Industry 4.0 is still futuristic but a realistic idea that encompasses the Internet of Things, industrial internet, smart manufacturing and cloud-based development. It also includes the strict incorporation of humans into the manufacturing process in order to constantly develop and concentrate on value- added operation and waste avoidance (Vaidyaa, Ambadb, Prashant, & Bhosle, 2018). SAS (2020) reports Big Data as a concept that describes the vast amount of data (structured and unstructured) that saturates an organization on a daily basis. But what is relevant is not the quantity of data. It is what the companies do with the crucial information. Big data can be collected for insights leading to improved business decisions and strategic actions (SAS, 2020). The IT industry describes Big Data under different categories/criteria such as volume, velocity and variety. Looking at volume, businesses collect data from a multitude of sources including business purchases, smart devices (Internet of Things), manufacturing equipment, videos, social media and more. Saving it may have been a challenge in the past – but affordable storage space on platforms such as data lakes and Hadoop has reduced that responsibility (SAS, 2020). Considering velocity, data streams into companies at an unparalleled pace with the rise of the Internet of Things and must be managed in a reasonable time while variety concerns the data which may come in all formats available - from structured, numerical data in standard databases to unstructured text records, emails, videos, audios, and financial transactions. An organization may have vast amounts of data monthly so it is important for them to evaluate the data and get Bachelor Thesis 30

expected results from it, however dealing with large amounts of data is not realistic with simple resources though if used properly, it would still take days to get precise results. Hence, Big data systems are being used to manage the data and produce reliable results in a short time (Hussain, 2019). These analytical tools will become essential during the next few decades in order to precisely collect the large amounts of data and carefully study them. According to Hussain (2019) are the three primary reasons why Big data is so relevant and efficient: Cost reduction - Big data applications such as Hadoop and cloud-based analytics introduce considerable cost benefits when handling large data sets. Improved decision-making processes - with Hadoop 's speed and in-memory analytics coupled with the ability to assess different types of data, companies are able to quickly quantify information and make decisions based on the acquired knowledge. Better products/ services - Through the ability to measure customer needs and satisfaction with analytical tools comes the possibility to provide what customers desire (Hussain, 2019).

In summary, a proper Big data management enables organizations to store, manage, and ma- nipulate vast amounts of disparate data at the right speed and at the right time. Companies must find a practical way to deal with Big Data to stay competitive — to learn new ways to capture and analyze growing amounts of information about customers, products, and services. Data is becoming increasingly complex in structured and unstructured ways. New sources of data come from machines, such as sensors; social business sites; and website interaction, such as click- stream data. Meeting these changing business requirements demands that the right information be available at the right time.

4.4.9 Agile Business Business agility is concerned with adapting the changing values, behaviors and skills. These allow individuals and businesses to be able to adapt, innovative and resilient when having to deal with complexity, uncertainty and adjust leading to better well-being and better results. The Agile Business is an organization, encompassing the agile concept and values at its heart, ranging from its people and community to its structure and technology. The Agile Business is therefore customer-centric based (Agile Business, 2020). Agile practices have been used in business areas such as marketing, human resources, legal and more. Agile will change not only the software development strategy of a company, but also the departmental functions of the business, project management activities and product development (GSA, 2020). In addition, developing more dynamic, cross-functional, and multidisciplinary teams that create growth and increase skills and abilities has become essential in order to navigate the entire business in a constantly

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changing world. According to GSA (2020), seeking an Agile approach may improve self-organization and employee engagement of business teams while removing organizational silos which pose obstacles to communication and cooperation. The Business Consulting Group (2020) explains that Agile business is not static but rather dynamic. By reworking and adjusting their environment and the way they operate, teams are constantly recognizing new ways to make themselves more efficient. Often, the observation shows teams continuing to improve their efficiency dramatically, including four or five years after starting the agile transition.

According to the Boston Consulting Group (2020), Most businesses are trapped in outdated forms of operating, and that can have an unfavorable effect on the progress and adaptability of a business to change. In order to stay competitive in the digital age, businesses are required to reach agility at scale. Steve Denning from Forbes (2018) reported that most of the major corpo- rations are not agile. A survey of more than 10,000 senior executives by Deloitte disclosed that fewer than 10 per cent of senior executives consider their company as "highly agile today”. Alt- hough over 90 percent of those managers see "agility and collaboration" as vital to the success of their business. This, in turn, reflects McKinsey & Company's observations that companies and divisions adopting Agile Business are performing better economically than those that do not.

In conclusion, Agile Business focuses on continuous improvement, scope flexibility, team input, and delivering essential quality products. Agile working can be defined as a spectrum of working arrangements that enable people to work when, how and where they like for their organization.

4.4.10 Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is the process of protecting against malicious attacks on computer systems, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data (Kaspersky, 2020). This is also defined as security of information technology, or security of electronic information. According to Kaspersky (2020), the concept refers from business to Mobile Technology in a number of ways, and can be categorized into a few other specific categories. The literature review shows clearly that Cybersecurity is a rather immense field of topic which can be further explained in meticulous detail. For the sake of this paper, the definition of said Digital Trend will be kept as simple as possible without sacrificing the quality of the content. Network security is the practice of securing a computer network from intruders, whether targeted attackers or opportunistic malware. The protection of digital processes can fall under various categories such as network, information, application and security operation while the different types of cyber threats are defined as cyber- Bachelor Thesis 32

crime, cyber-attack and cyber terrorism (Kaspersky, 2020). Cyber-crime involves individual ac- tors or collectives attacking or disrupting systems for personal profit. Cyber-attacks frequently refer to the gathering of politically driven information and cyber terrorism is meant to under- cut electronic systems in order to create chaos or fear. An article by TÜV Rheinland (2020) shows how smart devices are increasing in popularity in individual homes, continuing to make them an extremely desirable victim to cyber-attacks which is why they need to be guarded. A digital society is always producing personal data - hence it is essential to maintain confidence in digital solutions, by offering secure storage options. Future technologies in the logistics industry, in the automotive sector as well as in healthcare, require viable protection mechanisms to avoid cyber-attacks (TÜV Rheinland, 2020). According to Digital Trends (2020), Cybersecurity is not what it once was. Once uncommon and with a low footprint, violations and leaks are becoming routine and made the society’s personal data more insecure than ever before. Anything from the social security number to the health data now remains online, and while preventing these threats can prove challenging, keeping up to date with the latest news and safety practices may be the first phase in prevention (Digital Trends, 2020).

Dorit (2020) identified/forecasted several potential threats that will be in focus in the next years such as the “cyber cold war”, the rise of Artificial Intelligence, weaponized means of communication and increased vulnerability through 5G development and Internet of Things (IoT) devices (Dorit, 2020). A recent Cybersecurity report from Swisscom (2019) indicates that the situation regarding the threat stays complex. The rising importance of virtual assets increases the impetus for a targeted attack. New possibilities for threats are increasing, e.g. by technological advancements. The threat condition is nevertheless stable compared to last year (Swisscom, 2019).

To conclude, Cybersecurity refers to the practice of ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability (ICA) of information. The world relies on technology more than ever before. As a result, digital data creation has surged. Today, businesses and governments store a great deal of that data on computers and transmit it across networks to other computers. Devices and their underlying systems have vulnerabilities that, when exploited, undermine the health and objectives of an organization.

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4.5 First Synthesis: Literature Review Digital transformation in its entirety represents an ongoing approach to the integration of digital technologies in all fields of business that create or modify fundamentally new technologies, for example, operating processes, consumer interactions and corporate culture. Within this domain, Digital Businesses will be considered a strategy that applies digital technologies to optimize multiple elements and deliver additional value. Simultaneously, the concept of Digital Business is a fundamental core component for the growth of Smart Cities, which is particularly defined by its ability to use and effectively manage all currently available technologies and resources related to the individual areas of the economy, people, government, mobility, environment and living. This digitalized environment spawned many Digital Trends of which ten are being further researched and are perceived as currently significant in the Swiss economy.

Figure 3: First Synthesis based on Literature Review

According to the literature review, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) aims to create an improved interaction between the customer and the business as well as their sur- roundings through the use of visualized means such as 3D models or animations for example. This trend therefore, stands as an enabler of information flow. Leading from AR/VR, improvements in Mobile Technology can generally improve the easier access to greater amounts of data and create more flexibility internally in companies and create a new channel of the customer engagement. Moreover, the consumer behavior is changing through the elevated use of smartphones and other handheld devices. With that in mind, companies have to adapt their way

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of conducting business accordingly by using/implementing Mobile Technology as part of their products or as a supporting tool for the employees to work more efficiently if the circumstances allow it. These Digital Trends allow for an improved customer and user experience, as the companies’ availability is broader, diverse and increased competitive advantage through various different means – such as mobile devices, online or in-store. Internet of Things portrays an optimal use of different technological devices in order to collect as much data as possible. Lead- ing from IoT, the connection to Big Data can be made as this trend emphasizes the importance of data in a digitalized business environment greatly. In order to manage vast amounts of data of different kinds, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to process the information flow efficiently so the companies can make profit from the most vital figures. The implementation of AI can be observed in Robotics through modernized machinery by introducing increasingly automated instruments/tools which allow for more efficient and safer work processes. Although Cy- bersecurity does play an important role in keeping various types of data under control and protected, it is often outsourced to dedicated IT-companies that have the necessary knowledge to properly guard the data through their systems. The matter of outsourcing certain duties can be connected to Cloud Computing as well: To manage and store vast amounts of information, the appropriate infrastructure has to be provided as well, which is mostly given through external companies that offer their servers for storing the data. Agile Business has a general importance in the age of Digitalization. The pace at which the business environment is changing, customer demands are reshaping as well – these circumstances require companies to become increasingly more agile and thereby to constantly adapt their business processes.

As the literature review has shown, businesses are increasingly becoming data-driven. How- ever, it has to be considered that all the specialists and companies cited in this paper are at the forefront of the Digital Transformation. The majority of Swiss companies are still at the beginning of this development, and many are likely to face the challenges as complex and unmanageable because of completely new processes, technologies and business models. Digitalization will change many aspects of the way business is being conducted in the future – although it is certain that these new technologies can be mastered. The immense challenges stem from the ability of an organization to change, the processes and a dynamic mindset among management and employees. The drivers of transformation are more efficient and faster processes, changing customer requirements, cost reductions and technical improvements. Technical developments in small and medium-sized enterprises possess slightly higher priority here than cost savings in large companies. The two main transformation hurdles are the time necessary for it, and the lack of knowledge among managers and employees. The market is a powerful driver of

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Digitalization. Companies usually move with it in a highly digitalized environment. They do not want to fall behind their competitors after all. This leads to the following conclusion: By taking a pioneering role in Digitalization, a company can gain an advantage over its competitors - provided it takes the right measures. As one of the biggest risks (data security), components such as lack of qualified workers, potential job losses and impact on corporate culture are again named as the biggest transformation risks. It can be said that there are sufficient technologies available, although the human factor (e. g. changing the mindset) proposes to be a critical success factor for transformation projects.

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5 Swiss Industries Overview During the Industries overview, the specified sectors, were analyzed based on their contribution and importance to the Swiss economy as well as their progress and perception regarding Digital Transformation in the Swiss environment.

5.1 Hotel/Gastronomy The hotel industry is the section of the service industry that deals with guest accommodation or lodgings. By most definitions, the hotel industry refers not only to hotels, but also to many other forms of overnight accommodation, including hostels, motels, inns and guest houses. However, it does not usually include long-term or permanent forms of accommodation. Due to the nature of hotel services, it is closely associated with the travel and tourism industry (Revfine, 2020).

The Swiss hotel industry is one of the main pillars of the country's tourism industry. For the year 2016, turnover in the accommodation sector was 7.54 billion Swiss francs. In 2017, the luxury hotels of the Swiss hotel association 'Swiss Deluxe Hotels' alone generated a turnover of around 1.56 billion Swiss francs. The hotel market also plays an important role as an employer. In 2017 the Swiss hotel industry had more than 31,950 full-time employees (Wollny, Statistiken zum Hotelmarkt in der Schweiz, 2019). Digitalization within the hotel industry plays an immense role as an article by Hotellerie Suisse (2020) states that at around 58 percent, direct booking channels still represent the most important sales channel for accommodation providers. Guests appreciate the advantages of the direct booking channels. According to a survey conducted by the Austrian Hotel Association (Eric, 2020) the main advantage of direct booking in Switzerland is the information on available booking capacity. Furthermore, guests rate direct contact with hotels as very positive and find it much easier than via external channels.

The gastronomy industry, which is a sub-sector of the hotel and restaurant industry, has been able to record slightly increasing sales figures in recent years. From around 13.4 billion Swiss francs in 2009, these rose to almost 14.6 billion Swiss francs in 2014, although sales of 14.3 Swiss francs were provisionally expected for 2016. The share of this industry in the total gross value added in Switzerland has also fallen slightly. For 2016, Swiss gastronomy was provisionally attributed a share of 1.09 percent of total gross value added. In 2011, this figure amounted to 1.2 per cent (Wollny, 2019).

The recent occurrences with the presence of the Coronavirus have shown to have a profound effect on the digital development of this industry. Within a few weeks, start-ups and online Bachelor Thesis 37

service providers in particular had shown themselves to be innovative and reacted immediately to measures taken by the federal government. The result: an unprecedented Digitalization push in the catering industry (Presse Portal Schweiz, 2020). However, these are just the developments from the last few months because of the pandemic. On a broader picture, the hotel industry is divided in regards to the speed of adaption to Digitalization: A publication from PWC (Greif, Kühnis, & Warnking, 2016) suggests that consumers are progressively choosing digital platforms as the starting point for a buying decision. Some hospitality companies do not use digital platforms to provide a beneficial service experience to individual customers, which means that they have to face the threat of new competitors. There is then a risk that traditional business models will not produce the same results in the future. With that being said, the hotel industry reckons a few Digital Trends to be useful to their future businesses. Internet of Things could be of enormous relevance within the industry as it enables hotels to reduce energy costs while optimizing hotel rooms without human interference. A number of hotels use smart energy systems to automatically decrease the power of light bulbs during the day or to deactivate the heater when rooms are vacant or when the occupied rooms exceed a specified temperature. It may also be utilized to intelligently adjust temperatures automatically prior to the arrival of guests (Revfine, n.d.). Another best-practice example from Switzerland is provided by Hotellerie Suisse (2019) from Ambassador Zürich, a hotel in the luxury segment.

Their overall aim was to implement Digitalization in order to generate an improved customer journey. This was done through the adoption of Cloud Computing for the use of a hotel property management system (PMS), which allowed the customers to conveniently check-in via their handheld device (Mobile Technology). AI was used to create a chatbot which acts as a touchpoint for the customers’ inquiries. Altogether, the use of cloud-based software combined with a user-friendly Mobile Technology interface allowed the hotel to make the most important information available for the customer and the employer.

5.2 Construction (Building and Civil Engineering) Structural engineering refers to the sub-area that deals with buildings above the terrain line. This includes both the previous planning and the actual construction of the buildings / objects. Civil engineering, on the other hand, comprises structures below or at the surface. The fields of civil engineering include road construction, foundation engineering, tunnel construction, canal construction and some other areas (Experte Für, 2018). The turnover in the main construction industry in Switzerland currently amounts to 20.71 billion Swiss francs. It is distributed relatively

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evenly between building construction and civil engineering with 10.65 and 10.06 billion Swiss francs respectively.

There is a high demand in city centers and the surrounding agglomerations. This is also where most rental apartments are built. The publication suggests that there is still a dichotomy in the cities: rents for apartments freely available on the market remain above the rent level paid by long-standing, long-established tenants. The new rental apartments will help to close this gap further and rents will become increasingly affordable (Schweizer Baumeisterverband, 2020)

The literature review shows that the Swiss association of master builders (SBV) is committed to contributing more information and plans with respect to Digitalization. As the nationwide professional, economic and employer organization for companies in building construction, civil engineering and related branches of the main construction industry, SBV is giving the topic of Digi- talization the necessary weighting with the Baumeister 5.0 concept. The concept is outlined by a clear vision of what a future construction worker will have to confront and how he/she will tackle the upcoming challenges that come with Digitalization. Investments in software and new technologies such as collaborative robots, wearables and smart sensors are an integral part of the corporate strategy of tomorrow's contractors - primarily to increase productivity. However, because the Digitalization of the construction industry is not only a question of new technologies - but also means new processes, working methods and speeds, the critical success factor for the Digitalization of the construction industry is the entrepreneurs themselves. Ultimately, it is they who decide whether they are prepared to drive forward the Digital Transformation or whether they will stick to the status quo (Schweizer Baumeisterverband, 2018).

5.3 Retail The retail sector consists of a wide range of consumer goods segments including food, clothing, furniture, cosmetics, sporting goods, toys and electrical goods, as well as, in a wider sense, car dealerships, petrol stations and pharmacies. As defined, the retail sector is divided into stationary and online trade, whereas the online share currently represents 8.3 per cent of the overall retail market based on value (Schultz, 2020). By its very nature, the retail sector in Switzerland constitutes a dynamic and innovative industry. It links the manufacturing industry with private households, providing services to over two million customers every day and thereby ensuring a reliable supply. Being one of the largest private employers in the country, the retail sector is a significant contributor to the economic value creation of Switzerland (IG Detainhandel, n.d.). The annual turnover in the Swiss retail sector is estimated at CHF 91.6 billion, of which CHF 31.7 billion is derived from food and non-alcoholic beverages, forming the largest sub-market in the Bachelor Thesis 39

retail sector (Schultz, 2020). In fact, the two large cooperatives Migros, with headquarters in Zurich, and Coop in Basel, dominate around 70% of the retail trade in Switzerland, but this figure has been shaken by the introduction of foreign chains such as Lidl and Aldi. (EDA Schweiz, 2017). Since 2010, the retail trade has shrunk by an average of 0.6 per cent annually, although this decline is explained by the increasing foreign competition and online purchases from international providers due to the high price level in Switzerland. (Schultz, 2020).

In the Basel region, the number of jobs in the retail sector has been decreasing over the last few years. In 2017 it was around 6 900 full-time employees, in 2011 there were 8 000. Approximately 2 000 full-time employees operate in the area of goods of various kinds, which mainly includes supermarkets. (Gräf, Hofer, Schriber, & Zaugg, 2020). Currently, the key drivers of the Swiss retail sector have been the consequences of shopping tourism, especially in the Basel region, as this is located along the French and German borders and offers Swiss consumers greater price appeal for shopping abroad. Similarly, the effects of globalization and the instantaneous influence of e-commerce are leading to a reorientation of the Swiss retail. (Greenliff, n.d.).

There are two sides to Digitalization for the retail sector. On the one hand, it offers a great opportunity but also poses an immense challenge. At the same time, the Internet is available for shopping around the clock and new technologies improve the efficiency of processes continuously, as well as mobile devices enable a new shopping experience (Swiss Retail Federation, n.d.). As a result, it is pushing the retail sector to consider the issue of providing optimum support to consumers from the process through to their purchasing decision. (Widmer, 2019). In fact., Digitalization influences retail on various levels: Manufacturers are designing new products which should generate stimulus for retailers in terms of product lines or consultation. Further, there is an increased demand for digital interfaces between manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in order to reduce costs and increase the performance of processes, but they involve a high degree of effort and are usually capital-intensive (Altermatt, 2019). Overall, Swiss retailers are forced to develop strategies in order to manage the new digital age, like reorganizing the distribution chain, changing corporate culture through social media, establishing multi-channel strategies or reflecting on possible uses of shop space in the future (Greenliff, n.d.).

5.4 Extension and Craftmanship The extension sector, also referred to as the secondary building industry, consists of the activities of construction companies that are engaged in the extension of buildings. This sector is

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characterized by small and micro-enterprises, the majority of which can be classified as craftsmanship (Statista.com, n.d.). Based on data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (2019), the manufacturing sector in Switzerland has over 4683 enterprises and 422 162 employees, making them to one of the biggest economical sector in the country. Beyond this, 8.8% of the industrial sector's workforce is specialized in the expansion and craft industries, with the largest group being the watch industry (Germanier & von Aesch, 2019, p. 2). Since 2011, some craft professions such as bricklayer, mason, carpenter, etc. have been losing their appeal to younger people in the country and various unions are all concerned about this development, as crafts and industry are the core and the growth engine of the Swiss economy. In order to address this critical problem, a growing number of industrial sectors have begun to adopt the approach of the overall construction industry, that has provided a good example of filling this gap with labour from abroad (Schillinger, 2011).

The topic of Digitalization in the finishing and craft sectors is often in circulation. An important area of Digitalization for the craft sector in building services engineering are internet platforms Building Information Modelling (BIM), the computer-aided design and drafting CAD and 3D (swisstech Nordwestschweiz, 2017, p. 12). However, König explains that this sector will only benefit from Digitalization if it is able to benefit from it in terms of the extent and form it is applied. Moreover, small and medium-sized companies hesitate to seek external advice and discuss the available digital capabilities, as they are unable to assess their benefits and may feel embar- rassed by their own business problems, whereas large companies have the opposite situation (König, 2017). It also demonstrates that the organizations have no interest in today's Digitaliza- tion. The majority of the craft sector remains of the opinion that Digitalization will have little or no impact on their business activities or business model (Alich, 2017). However, König explains, that craft enterprises who work exclusively as subcontractors for general companies require electronic data exchange for quality, manufacturing, delivery and accounting data, etc. In fact, organisations that operate actively on the market need to have the effective communication and service tools to make customers aware of them and to communicate with them simply and conveniently through different channels (König, 2017). Although Digitalization is a great opportunity for the craft sector, particularly in terms of saving time and money, it is also challenging due to the lack of digital competence of the employees. Therefore, outsourcing and investing in the appropriate software is crucial and to achieve their greatest possible potential in the digital age (Lindner, 2017).

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6 Desk Research Within the framework of the desk research, the authors selected individual companies solely from the Basel trade association (Gewerbeverband Basel-Stadt, n.d.). A sum of eight companies from the specified four sectors is examined and analyzed in terms of their progress in the Digital Transformation. Subsequently, the insights gained are compared with the findings from the industry overview and literature review of the identified Digital Trends in order to combine and highlight the main differences and similarities among the two examined research fields. A table is created to present an overview of the companies studied and their subsequent relationship to the Digital Trends.

6.1 Retail

Table 1: Retail desk research checklist

Manor AG

Located in Basel, Manor AG is the market leader in the Swiss department store sector and holds a market share of around 60 percent. The Manor Group encompasses over 59 department stores, 31 supermarkets and 27 restaurants. Its turnover is divided between the Non-Food (71%), Food (25%) and Restaurant (4%) segments. Altogether, Manor stocks over one million articles from approximately 2,800 suppliers throughout the world (Manor, n.d.). Due to the Bachelor Thesis 42

radical and rapid changes in the retail trade, the increasing competition, the changed consumer behaviour of the customers increasingly better informed by the internet and the increasing shopping tourism, caused a decline in the economic performance and profitability of Manor. With the aim of strengthening its competitiveness in the long term as well as becoming more agile and efficient, Manor launched a large-scale transformation plan in 2017 involving all corporate activities. The initial stage, centred around three main axes: structuring and modernizing the company, reshaping the structure of the own brands, and accelerating Digitalization, has proved to be essential for Manor to achieve a sustainable performance (Manor, 2017).

Throughout the years, the company has implemented many digital technologies into its business model with the aim of strengthening its competitive advantage and enhancing its customer relationships. In the field of Augmented and Virtual Reality, Manor collaborated with the web agency interpunkt, who created a virtual reality game to announce the Christmas season. Based on manor's Christmas elf campaign, the agency developed a suitable game in which customers were challenged to find as many elves as possible in a virtual Christmas landscape and earn points to beat the high score (interpunkt, n.d.). Manor's customers are increasingly using both desktop and mobile devices when searching and purchasing for products. For this reason, the e-commerce department planned to use well-established personalisation tactics to boost customer lifetime value and loyalty through both channels by integrating software called Qubit Aura. The software generates the product selection for each customer individually, according to the customer's interest, behaviour and actions. All this is performed in real-time by using Qubit's own machine learning algorithm (Qubit, n.d.). Since the mobile web plays a central role for Manor, it is crucial that they adapts to this trend. By integrating Qubit Aura, the company is able to create customized one-to-one customer experiences capable of scaling to millions of users through its integrated machine learning algorithms and AI component (Hoyle, n.d.). Since the use of mobile phones is a central topic at Manor, they also provide an app which serves as a mobile customer card and personal Manor department store featuring direct access to the online shop. By using the app, customers have the opportunity to collect loyalty points, redeem digital coupons, find out about new features, etc. The app is constantly being developed and enriched with new, useful functions (Manor, n.d.).

In an Interview with Markus Guggenbühler (2020), CIO at Manor AG, commented that the most important Digital Trends in retail will be particular applications with Artificial Intelligence, such as forecasting, pricing or customer-oriented features like chatbots. A focus remains the cross-integration between stationary and online channels with the goal of achieving total transparency

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across all distribution channels and platforms. Based on Manor's consistent orientation as an omnichannel retailer, they are developing processes such as Click & Collect, Click & Reserve, in-store ordering and customer service apps. Additional areas of focus are equipping the department store branches with mobile tablet solutions and extending the loyalty card with new functions (Güggenbühler, 2020).

Another project in collaboration with Microsoft Switzerland that Manor has been involved in is the Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations which is not only for an (Enterprise Resource Plan- ning) ERP solution based on Cloud Computing, but also directly for the corresponding Customer Relation Management (CRM) system with Dynamics 365 for Sales. The high degree of flexibility and accompanying stability during the development is a positive aspect for success in terms of project management for complex ERP systems, as well as the management of large data volumes that unify the trends Big Data, Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity. Moreover, Manor is confident that the decision for the Cloud for ERP and CRM applications will enable Manor to make significant progress in the area of analysis and customized management reports in the mid and long term, thereby providing the ability to make sustainable business decisions (Microsoft, 2018).

Focus Discount AG

Since its foundation in 1996 in Basel, Focus Discount AG has grown to 120,000 satisfied customers and has become the point of contact for office, health, catering, hygiene and cleaning supplies in Switzerland. The main goal of the company is to increase customer satisfaction. In order to achieve this goal, the employees are committed to personal consultation, flawless products and fast delivery. With a total of 85 employees, Focus Discount focuses more on personal and efficient customer service than on Digitalization. Nevertheless, with the aim of increasing their customer loyalty and experience, the company provides on its online web shop, a newsletter, a free call-back service as well as an online chat room for establishing a personal connection with customers via the internet (Focus Discount AG, n.d.). Furthermore, Focus Discount offers also an application for mobile devices in which customers can easily and accurately find the suitable office supplies for their printer models, such as ink and toner cartridges. Besides, customers are able to use the "device wizard", which guides them in three steps to all related products of the printer supplies they require. At first, they choose from the selection list the printer manufacturer (e.g. Hewlett Packard), followed by the model series (e.g. Color Laserjet CP) and at last the printer model. Also, by using the implemented full-text search, customers can search throughout the product range (Applestore, n.d.). Bachelor Thesis 44

Beyeler Optik AG

Beyeler Optik AG is an optician and contact lens company founded in 1974 and since then, has been bringing high-quality eyewear collections to Basel, consisting mainly of well-known and renowned independent labels and trendy brand products (Beyeler Optik, p. 2). The company primarily focuses on customer experience and emphasizes the environment of the store and customer-oriented approach with the use of various social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to increase customer loyalty. The interior design of Beyler OptisFrisch, is fresh, light and fashionable with basic lighting that sets new standards for optimum and pleasant room lighting through advanced LED technology. Through the use of natural material and specially manufactured functional furniture, Beyler creates a relaxed experience. Through the use of natural materials and specially made functional furniture, Beyler Optik provides a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere, allowing the stay to become a unique experience (Beyeler Optik, p. 5). Apart from that, the company also operates an attractive and modern website, where the customers feel truly welcome. The use of experience reports from satisfied past customers and the option of booking an appointment online, as well as a live chat function, where employees can consult with customers online, ensure that Beyeler Optik always remains customer-oriented (Beyler Optik).

Basler Läckerli

For over 100 years the original Basler Läckerli has been the symbol of the Läckerli Huus. From the beginning, Basler Läckerli, which is a traditional swiss biscuit, has been a constant part of the product range; until today, they are produced according to the original, unchanged recipe. However, nowadays Läckerli Huus connects tradition and innovation: a variety of premium choc- olate and biscuit delights as well as a large selection of attractive gift boxes packed with various Läckerli Huus specialities enriches the range. Overall, Basler Läckerli has a great presence on the Internet, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and offers free access to dessert rec- ipes that customers can try out to get the best value from the famous Basler Läckerli biscuits (Läckerli Huus, n.d.).

According to the CEO of Basler Huus Läckerli, Miriam Baumann-Blocker (Telesca, 2018), if a company keeps tradition as a core value, then customers assume there is very little innovation, which means companies must have a strong focus on areas relevant to customers. Despite all tradition, it is essential not to neglect trends, whether it be short delivery times or the individual- isation of a product. Customers at Läckerli Huss have even the opportunity to create their own

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box of chocolates online and upload a photo, thereby enhancing and personalizing the customer experience (Telesca, 2018).

Additionally, that, Läckerli Huus has developed a comprehensive omnichannel concept for its customers, covering everything from chain stores and retail outlets to its own web shop. To ensure that all customer requests can be fulfilled in spite of high process complexity, Läckerli Huus has decided to use a software called Tosca, an integrated ERP-system, which manages its stationary channels as well as its online trade (Bühlmann, 2020). Since the system is completely integrated, the process graph operates with no interfaces and without coordination between two or more systems. According to Dieter Mögerle (n.d.), the demanded agility on the market, the short time-to-market, the competitive advantage is controlled by the system, because in particular in the B2C area the route from the idea to its implementation should not belong.

Optiswiss AG

The company Optiswiss has been producing spectacle lenses since 1937 and operates a technology and production facility in Basel. Based on a continuous expansion, Optiswiss has become an international company and is one of Switzerland's leading producers of spectacle lenses. With the use of the latest technology, stringent quality control and advanced logistics, Optiswiss is a dynamic and successful company specializing in the development, manufacture, marketing and distribution of high-tech spectacle lenses (Optiswiss, n.d.). Through the integration of virtual software on the Optiswiss website, visitors are able to take a tour of a virtual factory and discover the individual production steps of a spectacle’s lens (Optiswiss, n.d.). Throughout the tour, it is possible to learn more about the company's different production processes, used to manufacture innovative and high-quality eyeglasses such as Swiss HD technology is the latest-generation software that allows digital cutting with extraordinary accuracy down to the mi- crometer equivalent to a hundredth of the size of a human hair (Optiswiss, n.d.).

Since the company is more oriented towards B2B markets and the main customers are opticians, Optiswiss applies various tools to enhance customer experience and boost the marketing activities of the optician shops with digital tools. A good example is the Optiswiss iPad App that provides an innovative, user-friendly sales tool for consultation with potential customers. By using this application, opticians can easily advise their customers about all aspects of spectacle lenses and they even have the possibility to evaluate different lens designs, shapes and sizes

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or simulate polarized lenses plus different colour shades to the customer. Further, Optiswiss, has developed another application, known as OS Centering, that enables to calculate all the centering data of the customer and other individual parameters in order to create matching classes (Optiswiss, n.d.). Another tool is Media Creator also from Optiswiss, which provides an advertising platform for opticians who wish to create professional advertising such as customer magazines, service-mailings and advertising mailings at low cost. (Mediacreator, n.d.)

6.2 Extension and Craftsmanship

Table 2: Extension and craftmanshio desk research checklist

Leonhardt Spenglerei AG

The company Leonhardt Spenglerei offers high quality roofing works with different materials for elaboration of roofs or flat roof, as well as sanitary services, and lightning protection. The company has around 17 employees, mostly from our own junior staff and long-standing employees are the driving force behind the company. In the future, the company aims to further increase the quality of its products by constantly expanding in the field of machinery and by promoting its employees, as skilled workers are the foundation (Leonhardt Spenglerei, n.d.). Apart from the appealing website, which allows customers to view Leonhardt Sprenglerei's construction projects demonstrating its quality and to request services and tenders online, there is no general tracking of the company's Digital Trends. According to its website, the focus lays more on the Bachelor Thesis 47

well-being of its employees and effective leadership skills with the aim of becoming more efficient and competitive as a company (Baud, 2019).

Grossmann AG

With a 10-person team, Grossmann AG undertakes painting and wallpapering work in the northwestern region of Switzerland and the main focus of these services is on a flexible working method with the highest quality results. Further, accurate and efficient work is a key strength of the company, and customer satisfaction is the goal of Grossmann. Based on excellent professional knowledge, Grossmann is always able to advise the customer individually and provide a precise damage analysis to ensure the highest quality of service for the customer's home (Grossmann, n.d.). In addition, Grossmann is still in the initial stages of customer experience by using testimonies from existing customers, recommendations from project partners as well as a detailed description of their services and so far, have not profited yet from the Digitalization.

Gebrüder Bürgin AG

Gebr. Bürgin AG Holzbau has been operating in traditional wood construction for over 125 years and is specialized in all wood construction works for interior and exterior use. The enterprise is located in the region Basel land and Basel in charge of the area’s carpentry, joinery, roofing, parquet and kitchen construction. In general, Gebrüder Bürgin is not following any particular Digital Trends and with their modern website the company shows future customers all timber projects built by Gebrüder Bürgin in the past so customers can convince themselves of the high quality of the company's craftsmanship (Gebrüder Bürgin, n.d.).

Cristofoli AG

Cristofoli AG, is a specialized company for ceramic tile work with its own tile and natural stone exhibition, which concentrates on the planning, laying and trading of various types of tiles. From the beginning of an idea to the choice of materials and installation, professional and material knowledge ensures competent support. Over almost 100 years, the company has been consulting architects, general contractors, private builders, the implementation of projects for wall and floor coverings made of ceramics, stone and glass (Cristofoli, n.d.).

The company aims to expand its network and to increase the efficiency of its customer service. For instance, the company can be contacted via WhatsApp and a claims specialist will contact Bachelor Thesis 48

you within a short time, provide you with a quotation if required or schedule a site visit on the same day. The aim is to have the customer's problem solved within 48 hours (Cristofoli AG, 2020). Moreover, due to the recent events of COVID-19, Cristofoli developed a new approach to communicate with customers and deliver full service regardless of the current lockdown. Therefore, an online consulting service has been set up directly and live from Cristofoli's showroom to allow customers to visit the showroom via video-telephone and receive advice and assistance despite the closed showroom (Cristoli AG, 2020). Overall, the company provides a great customer experience by giving the customer access to insights on the work of tiling, including expert tips, encyclopaedia of technical terms so that customers obtain a more complete understanding of the tile company's work and processes (Cristofoli, n.d.).

Stöcklin Möbel AG

Stöcklin Möbel AG is a traditional and high-performance family business in north-western Swit- zerland, which began 70 years ago as a carpenter's workshop and has since developed into a considerable company with state-of-the-art production techniques in the area of kitchens. From design to installation, Stöcklin Möbel develops solutions based on the needs of its customers, supported by its craftsmanship know-how and most modern production technologies (Stöcklin Küchen, n.d.). The plant of Stöcklin Möbel in Aesch, is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery by using 3D drawings, plans and component lists, for the production of new kitchens. At the same time, computer-controlled machines ensure efficient workflows achieving the highest pre- cision, leading to high-quality kitchen furniture up to the smallest detail of processing. (Stöcklin Küchen, n.d.). According to CEO Daniel Hofer (2017, p. 16), customers need to be involved more in the business process, as Digitalization opens up new opportunities in customer relationship management. That approach can be shown on the website of Stöcklin Möbel by integrating customers stronger into its business strategy by intensive newsletter marketing, increased social media presence and arranging online appointments to visit the showrooms (Stöcklin Küchen, n.d.).

Additionally, Stöcklin Möbel AG provides a special selection of kitchens which are ready for construction within 3 days after ordering. Based on a highly flexible EDP (Electronic data processing) system, processes ranging from the taking of measurements to the planning stage and production to the complete delivery can be executed much more efficiently. Such flexibility comes into play right from the start with the digital orders: Via a specially programmed interface, orders are entered directly as orders and flexibility implies also the possibility to intervene in the order at any time, even to the point of machine processing. (schreinerzeitung.ch, 2017). Bachelor Thesis 49

6.3 Hotel and Gastronomy

Table 3: Hotel and gastronomy desk research checklist

Parterre AG

Parterre Basel encompasses a combination of gastronomic, cultural and social activities located in the city center of Basel, which create the foundation for this company. Part of the business are 4 restaurants, 3 culture centers and other ventures. It is conducted through the employment of over 200 people (Parterre, n.d.).

The Digital Trend of Mobile Technology sees minimal usage in the form a tailored website layout specifically for smartphones for an increased ease of use for exploring their company online with a handheld device. Restaurants could use Big Data in various in order to optimize their offering of products. Based on the desk research, Parterre AG offers the subscription to various newsletters, instead of one general letter, that allows for the tracking of what their potential customer is specifically focused on. Agile Business is reflected throughout the history of Parterre’s development. It started out as a completely different business/organization in the form of a youth work before later on being combined with a coffeehouse called “Schlappe”. With the acquisition of further premises, the organization started to think economically on a greater scale and finally opening up a restaurant under the name of “Parterre” and getting rid of the traditional name “Schlappe”. The desk research shows a socially oriented youth coffee with an affiliated advice Bachelor Thesis 50

center which had developed in recent years into a profit-oriented, economically thinking company with social and cultural commitment and opening up different branches, which show how agile the company has performed throughout the years (Parterre Basel, 2020).

Swissotel Le Plaza Basel

Swissotel Basel is a 4-star superior hotel in a central location offering 238 rooms with Swiss hospitality (Basel Tourismus, n.d.). The agility of the Swissotel Basel branch is portrayed through the option of booking more than just hotel accommodation but also meeting rooms, ballrooms and weddings. Robotics – or in this case automated processes are reflected through Swissotel Le Plaza having smart implementations in case of various emergency settings during the daily running of the business. For example, the accommodating hotel guests will receive a wake-up alarm automatically in case of an emergency. Furthermore, the occurrence of fire will automatically inform the fire station as the hotel is linked to it.

Big Data has a crucial importance for the hotel industry in general, as is elaborated in the literature review – for Swissotel Le Plaza Basel it is no exception (Swissotel, 2020). The important information in that regard is that Swissotel is part of Accor S. A., a major hospitality company from France with around 5’089 hotels operating worldwide (Group, 2020). This gives Swissotel an immense database to work with in regard to foreign customers visiting Basel. Customer Ex- perience has another profound meaning in this industry. One of their key elements in customer satisfaction is displayed through the assistance of an experienced Meetings and Events Support Team that will help with planning all sorts of venues. Their social media presence is available in a grand scheme, covering all necessary aspects in order to represent a forward-thinking and social hotel business (Swissotel, 2020).

Restaurant Kunsthalle Basel

The traditional Basel restaurant Kunsthalle offers seasonal cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere in the brown section (Schluuch) and elegance in the white section (restaurant) with a view of the terrace in the garden (Basel Live, n.d.). With the Kunsthalle Restaurant in Basel being a traditional business, most Digital Trends are not be found during the course of the desk research – with few exceptions. The Customer Experience in case of this restaurant is shown by the implementation of an external reservation tool on their website provided by Bookatable (Bookatable, n.d.), an online reservation service software from London, which allows for a simplified booking

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process for customers (Kunsthalle Restaurant, 2020). The Kunsthalle also benefits from a great database acting under the portfolio of Candrian Catering AG (Candrian AG, 2020).

Restaurant Atlantis

Atlantis Basel has a rich history reaching back to 1947. Today it consists of a restaurant and a cultural center offering various events such as concerts for example. As a traditional gastronomy business, Atlantis holds very little in terms of Digitalization. Customer and User Experiences sees an elevated importance through the use of an online reservation tool provided by an external company called Quandoo, which is located in the United Kingdom and therefore offers a multilingual operation. They have established a reservation system that eases restaurant bookings, hence their product implementations and business collaborations allow customers to book from any device, at any time, with a steadily growing inventory of quality restaurants (Quandoo, 2020).

Restaurant Rubino

This gastronomy venture was created by Beat Rubitschung, who was dedicated to the IT-Indus- try before he started the restaurant Rubino (Rubino, 2020). It is another business that puts the Customer and User experience at the forefront of priorities. Their website introduces the director of the kitchen by highlighting her career path and thereby showing transparency and trust into who is responsible for what is consumed by the customer. As with all previously observed restaurants during the desk research, Rubino offers the option to make an online reservation through an external tool as well. The software is provided by Lunchgate which is a Swiss business, dedicated to the Digitalization of gastronomy businesses (Lunchgate, 2020).

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6.4 Construction

Table 4: Construction desk research checklist

Bisser AG

In the entire Basel region, Bisser AG realize buildings of all types and sizes. This also includes the extension, conversion and change of use of buildings. Together with their partners, they offer comprehensive services in all areas of building construction. Both individual services and comprehensive overall solutions (Bisser AG, n.d.). Based on their website, Bisser AG is perceived as a versatile company involved in a number of areas in the construction business. How- ever, the main representation is not emphasizing any form of Digitalization. It has a rather long- running history of activity in construction work but as a smaller sized company, none of the identified Digital Trends could be observed except for inclusion of User and Customer Experi- ence. Bisser AG provide a chronological insight into the highlights of their upbringing since the foundation in the year 1953, stating their strong presence/confidence and commitment to the craft (Bisser AG, n.d.).

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Egeler Lutz AG

Egeler Lutz is an SME in the Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering Industry. It was founded in the 19th century although the company as it stands today was born during the take- over by the two brothers namely Christoph und Martin Egeler. Today’s core business has been run by Andy Lutz since the year 2001 (Egeler Lutz AG, n.d.). Based on the desk research, none of the Digital Trends can be identified besides Customer Experience. Egeler Lutz’s online presence is simple yet contains a lot of information regarding their fields of expertise and expressing their utmost commitment to their craft. The company showcases past projects in support of their promised quality. Egeler Lutz is part of the Association of Building Contractors Region Basel (Bauunternehmer Region Basel, n.d.).

Frutiger AG

The foundation stone for today's Frutiger Group was laid in 1869 when the company was founded. The Frutiger Group is one of the leading providers of construction and real estate services. From 2003, the Frutiger’s growth began with the economic upswing. Various company acquisitions opened up new markets and services. The number of employees raised continuously to about 2’800. They generate an annual turnover of about 800 million CHF.

Looking at Augmented and Virtual Reality, Frutiger puts an elaborated emphasis on Building Information Modelling (BIM): Today several different digital models are created, for example architecture, structural framework and building services engineering. A so-called coordination model can be viewed virtually. Information with appropriate know-how employees are increasingly being used for project management and Project management needed: They optimize planning and work preparation, visualize construction processes and technical solutions, plan and monitor the development of costs and deadlines. The high transparency and multiple use of data promote a collaborative and efficient design. All parties involved in construction benefit from the added value. Regarding Big Data, much of the data and information can later be used for operation and maintenance. While Frutiger themselves do not show any reviews of customers, an external site called kununu.com gives employees the opportunity to rate the company’s efforts (or lack of it) in maintaining a healthy working environment for the employees.

Bachelor Thesis 54

Weber AG

Weber AG has been a competent company in the field of track and general construction as well as civil engineering since 1946. They also make its expert personnel and machinery available to external companies. Services in the field of facility management and consulting and training of complex topics complete the range of services (Weber AG, n.d.). References to past projects support their statement of high quality and reliable work processes and thereby enhancing the Customer and User Experience. A form of Agile Business is to be observed based on their statement regarding innovation. Due to their family structures, the decision-making processes are very short. This enables Weber AG to take up innovative ideas in an uncomplicated way and to put them into practice quickly. Innovative ideas of their employees, especially in the realization phase, are one of the most important success factors for achieving their objectives. With regards to Big Data, Weber AG are constantly developing their management system in order to continuously improve their performance. With respect to Robotics, Investment in machinery and materials are of constant necessity, so as not to miss the connection to the latest technologies (Weber AG, n.d.).

Implenia AG

Implenia is Switzerland 's leading construction and construction services firm. It has major construction and civil engineering operations in Switzerland, Germany and Austria and significant positions in several of its domestic markets' infrastructure sectors: Switzerland, Germany, Aus- tria, France, Sweden, and Norway. Implenia is furthermore a prosperous developer of properties in Switzerland and Germany (Implenia, 2020).

Regarding Augmented and Virtual Reality, Implenia focuses on Building Information Modeling (BIM) in order to plan construction projects efficiently and to implement integrative workflows. The focus here is on a digital value chain through the planning and implementation of a building (Implenia, 2020). Building Information Modeling (BIM) is used to digitally model buildings and other structures. This reduces project risks and expenses, optimizes schedules and leads to higher quality - both in planning and execution (Implenia, 2019). The consistent model-based approach supports the recording of complex building structures, the simulation of possible construction processes and the collision checks of different trades already in the bidding phase, which significantly improves the quality of planning. Implenia suggests that the use of AR/VR contributes positively to project understanding, especially for buildings with a strong public focus. In the project execution phase, the consistency of the data serves to optimize communication

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and networking between the project participants. Furthermore, deviations between target and actual are mapped. During the project, regular performance reporting helps to increase the transparency of the project progress. During the execution phase, additional information is used to digitally map all relevant data of the structure, which can then be used for the operating phase (Implenia, 2020). Implenia’s commitment to the continued advancement in the use of AR/VR is further portrayed through their activity in several future-oriented modeling organisations. Imple- nia is refocusing its group-wide functions. Henceforth, they will supply their services through divisional business partners and directly report to the corresponding heads of operation. Hence, the group should become increasingly more agile, especially concerning designing successful multidisciplinary processes and developing group-wide norms. The departmental heads of Ac- counting, Human resources, Legal, Strategy, IT and Marketing / Communications must now report immediately to the CEO of the Group. Controlling, Insurance, Reporting & Tax, Treasury & Investor Relations and Procurement report all to the CFO. The updated organizational structure reduced the pressure on divisional management levels, shorter contact paths and strengthened employee functional management (Implenia, 2019). The independent market analysis website Marketscreener (2020) suggests that drones (Robotics), Artificial Intelligence and Inter- net of Things will see permanent implementation at Implenia to properly track and service the infrastructure and to utilize information to optimize construction procedures in the near future.

6.5 Second Synthesis: Desk Research Based on desk research, it appears that the Swiss retail sector is one of the industries which is more engaged than others in digital innovation and communication. A key Digital Trend has become the User and Customer Experience, since today's consumers are reachable through multiple channels requiring companies to react more quickly and efficiently to the continuously changing environment. It is noticeable that the majority of retailers are focusing on omnichannel campaigning, which is a cross-channel business concept that enables increased visibility, enhanced sales and circulation, as well as embedding digital touchpoints. In fact, an omnichannel strategy allows retailers to enrich their customer experience and provide more buying channels either on mobile phones, online or in-store.

As retailers such as Manor and OptiSwiss are bigger and more internationalized companies and possess a broader range of stakeholders than smaller companies, they are primarily investing more in new Digital Trends like Cloud Computing, Mobile Technology, Agile Businesses to strengthen their competitiveness, accelerate work processes as well as managing large volumes of orders and customer relationships as efficiently as possible. Another focus of interest

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continues to be the interconnection between physical and digital channels, with the aim of achieving complete transparency across all distribution channels and platforms. On the other hand, smaller companies are only following one to two trends due to the limit of resources and know-how. Although Focus Discount or Basler Läckerli are bigger companies, they are currently in the process of increasing their digital integration and are taking advantage of all the new mobile and online channels for reaching a larger audience instead of focusing on smaller customer groups. In conclusion, the larger and more diverse a company's product line and customers are, the more it will leverage the Digital Transformation to sustain or enhance its productivity and operations.

Compared to the other sectors, the craft and extension sector has made very little use of Digi- talization in recent times. Based on the desk research, companies that are focused on the craft business are more likely to be smaller companies with a 10-50 employee workforce under family ownership and with closer connections to traditional crafts. It is generally evident that the companies are starting to leverage the customer experience through the online channel and build a community through reviews or online presentations of past projects so that potential customers are able to better understand exactly which services they will receive. The remaining Digital Trends such as augmented reality, Agile Business, Cloud Computing, etc. do not appear to be pursued by the selected companies.

However, bigger companies such as Stöcklin Möbel are making use of the Digitalization and especial use instruments such as machinery and data processes in order to perform the electronic order as efficiently and customized as possible. Overall, Digitalization in the craft sector is still considered to be simple software for incoming orders or bookkeeping administration, but it is much more than that. Operational processes are defined as "end-to-end" across the entire value chain and implemented with software support; it is more of a strategic restructuring where time and resources are needed as well as support from external partners which can demonstrate them the benefits of Digitalization (bauschweiz.ch, n.d.).

The selected companies from the gastronomy and hotel industry for the desk research displayed similar pictures throughout. Augmented and Virtual Reality did not represent and/or was not advertised as a Digital Trend in the gastronomy/hotel industry. While Agile Business does play a role, the process of it varies under the different companies. Mobile technology had a minimal emphasis as well by mainly offering a smoothened user experience through adding a

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smartphone-based layout in order to offer further ways of booking methods apart from the most commonly used electronic systems such as the desktop computer/laptop or on-site booking at the reception. Artificial Intelligence was not prominent in any of the selected companies either. Cloud Computing is externally managed and is hence not actively discussed in the gastronomy industry. Cybersecurity corresponds directly with Cloud Computing and Big Data (in terms of securing it) in general, hence it is mostly outsourced to the appropriate to IT-companies with the needed expertise regarding data management. Big Data plays an incremental role in every industry although in the gastronomy/hotel business, it is further emphasized through the existence of huge hotel groups that represent the umbrellas for thousands of hotel chains that register millions of customers worldwide, creating an immense database to work with. The vast amount of data of customers is what allows the hotel industry to tailor their products and services according to the continuously changing customers’ needs. With that in mind, User/Customer experience is of utmost importance in this industry. All observed companies show an enhanced emphasis on what they specifically offer to the customer and intend to create a comfortable booking and/or catering experience.

The desk research for the building and civil engineering industry revealed the following insights. Augmented and Virtual Reality is being discussed partially, hence the industry sees potential in this trend although it is mainly the larger companies (explain what bigger means) that have the possibility to get further engaged with it and conduct research as they possess the necessary resources for it. While the User and Customer Experience does play a role, it is not of priority, which will be explained in the synthesis of the field research. One way of showing their quality of work is done by displaying past projects on their homepages for the visitors to see. Robotics play a major part of the Digitalization process of building and civil engineering, although it is the larger companies that have the means to research the modern machines while SME’s do not have the capacity to successfully adapt newly developed machinery due to cost inducing factors. Mobile technology is not represented as a pursued Digital Trend. IoT is a known trend in the industry and has seen usage. Although no company talks about them or there are no reports on how they use it. Regarding Artificial and Virtual Reality, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has had an emphasized meaning in the building and civil engineering industry. Building Infor- mation Modeling (BIM) is a process that commences with the development of a smart 3D model

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and allows document organization, coordination and simulation across the complete lifetime of a project (planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance) (Autodesk, 2020).

Figure 4: Second Synthesis based on the desk research

As visualized in the figure above, Augmented and Virtual Reality and Mobile Technology are enablers for end-consumer devices. The trends Robotics and Internet of Things are more commonly used for industrial purposes such as manufacturing procurement. Additionally, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence have their objectives mainly for the Digitalization of infrastructure, while User and Customer Experience resonates closely with the end-consumer and therefore sits close to Mobile Technology. The trend of Agile Business creates a link to Digital Transformation while Cybersecurity is concerned with risk management when securing and managing Big Data. The graph highlights the retail and hotel/gastronomy industry as they cover all trends and dimensions, while the construction industry does not pass Cybersecurity. Further- more, Craftsmanship experiences interruptions in the infrastructure and risk-oriented areas.

Although the desk research did reveal a lot about the ongoing Digitalization processes in all four researched industries, it was apparent that the most vital and in-depth information regarding those processes was sourced from the larger companies such as Manor and Implenia. While they are located in Basel, they also perform country-wide unlike the smaller businesses that are solely dedicated to northwestern Switzerland. As a result, the ten observed Digital Trends are

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more actively pursued and documented online by larger companies rather than small and medium-sized enterprises

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7 Field Research In the field research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with two companies from each industry. The companies operating in the north-western region of Switzerland were asked to participate in a thirty-minute interview. These interviews have been conducted in a semi-structured form and can be slightly modified based on the course of the interviews. The interview questions primarily involve the companies' perception of Digital Transformation and Smart Cit- ies, the importance of the ten Digital Trends identified in the literature review and their obstacles for the realization. All answers from individual interviews were summarized in the following sec- tions.

The following table provides an overview of the interview partners, their organization and position:

First Industry Last Name Organization Position Name

Andrea Otto Riviera Founder Retail (clothing)

Bider & Tanner Marketing and Communica- Carmen Stocker Retail (books) AG tion Manager

Remmo Oser Rofra Bau AG Construction Foreman Construction

Mirko Tozzo Tozzo AG CEO Construction

Marketing and Sustainabil- Philip Moser Hotel GAIA Hotel/Gastronomy ity Manager

Eldar Hernández Krafft AG Marketing Manager Hotel/Gastronomy

Extension/Craftman- Oliver Scheidegger Morath AG Company owner ship

Anony- Anonymous Manager Corporate Con- Extension/Craftman- Anonymous mous Company trolling ship

Table 5: Overview interview partners for the field research

7.1 Interview Retail: Riviera, Andrea Otto Andrea Otto founded the fashion boutique Riviera in 2006 and is based in the city of Basel. The focus of Riviera lies on an outstanding selection of local-established brands, up-and-coming labels and new discoveries in fashion, accessories, shoes and jewellery. Regarding the

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definition of Digitalization, she has no fundamental knowledge in this area, however, in her opinion, she describes this term as a digital exchange between 2 or more parties. Also, there was no existing know-how about the topic of Smart Cities but after an introduction to the definition, Andrea Otto was able to get a good impression of the concept and realized that there is a potential to experience this in Basel in the future (Otto, A., 2020, June 24 Personal interview).

In view of Digitalization Trends that Riviera is following or realizing, is the deployment of a web shop, which resulted from COVID-19 and the initiated lockdown in Switzerland. Despite the fact that the project already existed before the global pandemic, it has not been implemented for various reasons. Once the blockade was implemented, the shop was forced to establish a web shop to preserve the revenues of the Riviera. Moreover, since the boutique is a relatively small shop, the interviewee was not familiar with the current situation in the retail sector in terms of Digitalization. The reasons for this were the lack of communication between local and smaller retailers. In general, she considers the overall view of Digitalization as an advantage in maintaining and sustaining her business through certain sudden events, such as a global pandemic, that have a negative impact on her business. However, as long as the company is small and easily managed by a small group of people, there is no need for automated processes or technology as it will be costly, time-consuming and expensive.

By listing the 10 different trends identified by the literature research, the interviewee was asked to evaluate each trend according to its importance to her business, as well as the trends that Riviera follows. The first trend, Augmented and Virtual Reality, was not known to the interviewee at first, but after further explanation it was comprehensible to her, but it was not considered useful for her current company. Nevertheless, she commented that the potential of this technology is attractive in the field of retail business and might also benefit from this technology in the later future. Along with the trend of Mobile Technology, Riviera has not included it in its business, with the exception that its new web shop has been optimized for mobile phone users, and Riviera uses smartphones mainly for managing their social media channels and general communication. As for the Digital Trends, Internet of Things, Robotics, Agile Business and Cloud Compu- ting, the interviewee has no knowledge of these trends and also here she is unable to see any value in her small clothing boutique from these technologies. For the management of data, Riv- iera employs a software called Banana, capable of managing the accounting, inventory and the entire administration of this small business. For this reason, Cybersecurity is also not a necessary trend that the Riviera needs to follow, since fewer digital tools are used in its business. Yet when the business is faced with a high volume of data, digital security is required to protect

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valuable data according to the interviewee. In fact, she believes that small businesses do not need automated processes as the volume of requests and tasks can be handled with ease. Still, she does see the benefit of automated processes for larger companies with numerous branches and more requests from customers. Although this type of process boosts productivity, according to her, the company would become more dependent on technology and the effort to train employees and acquire expertise on it, to effectively use is greater than Riviera's day-to-day business.

Additionally, the interviewee identifies the User and Customer Experience as the most important trend for her company, though not as digital. Instead, she aims to provide customers with a more personal, familiar and connected experience in her shop, as people come to spend some time and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at the Riviera. In the digital term, the user experience in the after sales are less used. Nevertheless, multiple social media channels and an online newsletter are being used to interact with customers online and keep them informed about new collections, promotions or special events.

If Riviera had the necessary resources, time and know-how, the interviewee would instantly increase its online presence, expand its communication channels and focus on customized and digital advertising to deliver a greater user experience. Since the shutdown was lifted, the web shop of Riviera is no longer managed, as the interviewee regarded this as an alternative tool to maintain her business. She considered the web shop more as a disadvantage, since she had to manage additional demands as well as returns, which would negatively affect her in-store purchases, due to the very limited stock. Nevertheless, she was satisfied with the introduction of the web shop and saw the first experiences with Digitalization as a valuable acquisition, which enabled Riviera to reach a greater customer segment and a wider audience. Also, if the boutique Riviera will become larger, then the interviewee will give more consideration to the use of digital technology.

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Figure 5: Level of Importance at Riviera

7.2 Interview Retail: Bider & Tanner, Carmen Stocker Carmen Stocker operates as Marketing and Communication Manager at the bookstore Bider & Tanner, which was established in 1942 and has expanded its services over the years in the areas of music, event organization, theatre and lectures as well as ticket sales for various events. As the largest independent bookstore in Switzerland, Bider & Tanner has grown alongside the trade to become a cultural institution. Despite the fact that the interviewee has no significant knowledge in the digital field, she explains her view of Digital Transformation as the development of digital processes designed to increase the company's productivity and customer satisfaction. In terms of the concept of Smart Cities, the interviewee was at first not familiar with this concept, however after careful explanation she realized the benefits of online networking with multiple partners as a way to achieve greater efficiency in the urban environment. Never- theless, she considers it essential that a balance is maintained between analogue and digital, as complete Digitalization is not entirely beneficial (Stocker, C., 2020, June 22, Personal interview).

Currently, Bider & Tanner is investing extensively in its website, online-shop and online visibility, to ensure that customers can rummage around the online shop and give them the impression of being in the shop themselves. In addition, the online shop is equipped with various features

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aimed primarily towards increasing the customer journey, like for instance an integrated ticket shop, videos from literature experts suggesting new book titles as well as podcasts by media scientist, Matthias Zehnder, introducing regularly new published books from Bider & Tanner. For the company, it is essential to enlarge its online connection with local book publishers or authors and constantly optimize its website with the aim of providing its customers with new and inspiring products. Although digital marketing is a major factor for Bider & Tanner and although they are actually trying to implement a project in which the customer has the opportunity to virtually visit the bookshop 360 degrees, the company is fully aware that the whole digital implementation is time-consuming and costly as well as demanding much expertise.

Overall, the book industry as a branch of the retail sector is rather behind in terms of Digitaliza- tion, since books are more analogue. In spite of the technology of e-book readers, consumers still prefer to hold an ordinary book in their hands instead of an electrical device. According to the interviewee, e-book readers are more popular on vacation or due to mobile transportation, in fact, the majority of consumers possess both forms of books, electronic and analogue. Addi- tionally, she also mentioned the crucial point that digital and analogue technology must drive each other towards the same goal and not burden each other. In fact, since the lockdown due to COVID-19, online shopping at Bider and Tanner has accelerated, but once the lockdown was lifted, the store became overcrowded with people eager to feel the real shopping experience instead of constantly purchasing online. In the opinion of the interviewee, it is difficult to refer to an entire industry as there are different categories of industry, especially in the retail sector, as well as different company sizes. Nonetheless, organizations are beginning to expand their online presence and digital marketing activities. Also, various processes, particularly in the back office and purchase transactions, have become almost completely digitalized, which also creates a kind of dependency for the company, to rely upon a properly functioning technology. By using ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, overall management in areas such as capital, personnel or production equipment can be automated and optimised as efficiently as possible. Besides this, Bider & Tanner also uses an ERP system which helps them to automatize various processes as well as to support their various product groups and analyse their sales figures.

Based on the 10 Digital Trends identified during the literature review, the interviewee considers Virtual and Augmented Reality as a valuable asset for Bider & Tanner, but is currently not pursuing it. On the other hand, she further noted that a virtual 360° showroom of the bookstore on her website would be a great way to provide a real experience for online users. One of the very important Digital Trends for Bider & Tanner is Mobile Technology, in which the interviewee

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added that nowadays websites have to be responsive and need to be modified for smartphones or tablets, since most people use them for online access. The company, once had a mobile application for iPhones, but was offered only reduced information about certain bestsellers and its cost factor was one of the reasons to discontinue this project. Using an app, according to the interviewee, is rather used for specialized topics like using coupons or redeeming promotions.

One other important Digital Trend for the book retailer is the Internet of Things. With the rise of e-books and reading devices, bookstores were concerned that no one would buy ordinary books anymore. However, this trend has not fully established itself over the years as people have preferred to use normal books for reading and studying. Nevertheless, the Bider & Tanner bookstore offers a whole department including support and specialized staff that focuses on the e-book reader. The company does not intend to incorporate this trend entirely into its business model, since it is not sufficiently profitable and customers favour a proper book. Other trends which are not of great interest to Bider & Tanner are Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence to the extent that the interviewee is not familiar with their benefits and after describing these technologies, she confirmed that those trends are not currently beneficial to their book store but will certainly be an issue in the future. Similarly, Robotics is not considered an interesting value, since the company's philosophy is to provide customers with the option of individual and competent assistance and consultation, as well as to allow employees to devote time to the customer.

On the other hand, Agile Business is a growing trend that Bider & Tanner is intensively following. Both its website and its sales process are constantly being adapted and optimized in order to deliver the best experience to the customer. Although this trend is relatively strenuous, all the employees are dedicated, thus motivating them and giving them a sense of belonging to the company. Customer and User Experiences are according to the interviewee the main trend which the company is striving to realize comprehensively. The goal of the company is to deliver a fully personalized experience to the customer, either online or in-store, along with additional information to assist the customer's purchase decision, for example an online-preview of books. Other remaining Digital Trends, such as Cybersecurity and Big Data volumes, also have great relevance for Bider & Tanner, as its data protection is extremely important, as well as the management of large amounts of customer data, whether internal or external. Besides, Bider & Tan- ner obtains from the Swiss Book Publishers Association vast amounts of data for identifying the latest book trends and to adjust accordingly in the business. All this collected and obtained data

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will be protected by use of security software's and stringent regulations are followed in order to safeguard customer data and retain consumer privacy.

In addition, the interviewee, mentioned that the barriers that companies encounter regarding Digital Transformation are their inhibitions or fear of something new, whether financial or emotional. This uncertainty is still anchored in most companies and also the unknown benefits that technology can bring to a company reinforce this insecurity. To implement a Digital Trend successfully, a partnership with specialists who deal exclusively with Digitalization is required, together with a careful evaluation of the individual trends to identify their benefits for the company. Only through support and professional guidance are companies able to overcome these barriers, but the pressure of competition also pushes the company to reorganise its concept and become more digital. Nowadays, businesses must be prepared for setbacks and consequently find new alternatives in order to successfully implement the Digital Trends. It also means that when it comes to the Digital Transformation, companies must be prepared to accept risks to ensure that they constantly evolve and adapt to the environment.

Given the necessary resources and time, Bider & Tanner would invest significantly in digital marketing to widen and strengthen the customer journey, implement automated and personalized mailing as well as employ multiple screens in the stores with the aim of achieving a balance between digital and analogy. In the end, the interviewee was delighted in participating in the interview since during the discussion she started to get ideas which she never would have thought of. Moreover, she adds that the key is to constantly monitor and adapt to the trends which provide added value to the business rather than simply implementing random ones which are inefficient for the business.

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Figure 6: Level of Importance at Bider & Tanner AG

7.3 Interview Construction: Rofra Bau AG, Remmo Oser Rofra AG is a construction business which has been operating for 50 years in the building and civil engineering sector, providing its customers with a full range of services from the initial idea to the completion of the building project. Remmo Oser works as a foreman responsible for the coordination of the construction process including important deadlines and has been active in the construction industry for 30 years. His perspective on Digital Transformation is defined as a technological development of the organisation. With regard to the concept of the Smart City, the interviewee is not familiar with the idea, and after further explanation he begins to see the advantages of having a digital city network. Currently, Rofra Bau AG is in the test phase of 3D planning and digital designs which are processed and presented with the use of digital media like tablets or smartphones. The objective is to move to a completely electronic planning process and according to the interviewee, the test phase seems promising. Despite minor technical dif- ficulties, Rofra Bau did not encounter any obstacles with this digital project and is currently pre- paring to implement the technology on all construction sites in the future.

The interviewee also mentioned that it could be observed throughout the construction industry that the Digitalization is steadily advancing, since both the organization and coordination on the

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construction site and contractors are becoming more and more digitally networked (Oser, R., 2020, July 16, Personal interview).

Referring to the 10 Digital Trends as identified in the literature, The interviewee was initially not familiar with the term Virtual Reality but after detailed explanations, he remarked that the potential for the use of this technology in the construction industry is quite high, particularly in the planning stage, but at present not advanced enough to be applied outside the construction site as a result of weather conditions. On the other hand, Mobile Technology has become a trend that is of great importance for Rofra Bau, as it uses cloud-based software to access and modify multiple building plans through mobile devices from any location and at any time. Another trend that organizations are following is the Internet of Things, whereby webcams are installed on every construction site as a means of monitoring the entire process as well as for security purposes. Referring to the trends in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, the interviewee noted that so far there has been no great benefit to be gained from the use of such technologies, as they do not add value for Rofra Bau AG in the coming 10 years. Moreover, the company regards the trend of User and Customer Experience as not of great importance, since the customer is more focused on the final product, which can be a building or a construction. Besides a professional and modern website, Rofra Bau AG is not using any other online channels to increase its online presence, as customers are generally local authorities or other major customers that need to be approached through several personal meetings.

According to the interviewee, Digital Trends such as Big Data and Cloud Computing are being followed closely at Rofra Bau AG, as the company uses a cloud-based software called Awaro, which is developed to support integrated and collaborative planning and construction processes, primarily for construction and real estate projects. The software is based on a common data environment, which acts as one repository, containing the design project information. Through the use of a single-source information, cooperation among project members will be facilitated, reducing errors and eliminating redundancy. Additionally, the cloud administers a large amount of data from different projects and processes it accordingly in order to be able to coordinate individual construction projects more effectively. As a whole, the interviewee also regards Cy- bersecurity as a highly digital tool for the protection of all other remaining digital instruments as well as data. Although no external software is used for the primary protection of Rofra Bau's data, it operates with its own server and all of its employees follow strict rules to protect the data. With regard to the trend Agile Business, however, Rofra Bau AG remains in the early stages since the construction industry itself is particularly difficult to become fully agile. Since several

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companies are working together on the construction project and there are many interconnected elements which, due to certain restructuring, can impede the entire construction project. Fur- thermore, the interviewee mentioned that this trend is rather effective in overall management or planning processes.

When it comes to obstacles, the interviewee sees the problems of digital tools in the construction industry facing the changing weather conditions, as most work is done outdoors and technologies are usually not waterproof or heat resistant. Nowadays, the advantage of digital technology lies in the planning and general administration, whereas the construction site continues to be based on conventional craftsmanship and machinery. Since Digitalization only entered the construction industry 5 years ago, rather older employees have difficulty adapting to the new technology due to the lack of experience, while younger employees can adapt more quickly. In this context, the interviewee also comments that it needs a certain amount of time to effectively work digitally in construction.

As the interviewee pointed out, Rofra Bau AG is already using most of the digital tools available on the Swiss market, which is beneficial to them. However, if he had the resources and time to implement further Digital Trends, then he would follow Robot Technology and 3D printers, though indoors in order to prepare all components for the construction site outside. Further, the interviewee continued to explain that he would invest in softwares to improve the productivity and efficiency of the construction processes as well as to implement augmented reality for better measuring and planning, but these also have to be weatherproof.

In general, the interviewee believes that at the moment the construction industry has reached its limits in terms of Digitalization, but already the next steps are being worked on to overcome these limits. For him, it is important that employees receive intensive training in order to be able to cope with the Digitalization. Additionally, he would appreciate workshops aimed at providing a better understanding of the latest technologies, but these workshops have to be industry- specific as every industry has its own characteristics and therefore a different kind of Digitaliza- tion is needed. At Rofra Bau AG the most digital part of the company is the planning and ordering management.

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Figure 7: Level of Importance at Rofra Bau AG

7.4 Interview Construction: Tozzo AG, Mirko Tozzo Tozzo AG is active throughout northwestern Switzerland and has grown into an innovative and enormously powerful group with a comprehensive range of products and services for civil engineering and road construction. It is an innovative civil engineering and road construction company that unites efficiency and size with the advantages of a family management structure (Tozzo, n.d.). The interviewed partner is Mirko Tozzo, the CEO of the Tozzo Group, who is also a board member of various associations and interest groups from industry and construction (KMU Magazin, n.d.) (Tozzo, M., 2020, June 23, Personal interview).

The interviewee perceives this term Digital Transformation as a catchword. To him, it is focused on workflow/processes and whether they are truly digitalized – although in any case, it is a transformation that does not take place only within a short period or just one stage. It is vital that different technologies are combined before the Digitalization is achieved. Ultimately, there is no structured time schedule as to when a trend is going to be worked on and successfully applied as it usually takes years to fully facilitate.

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For any execution within the building and civil engineering industry, the term Smart City has a rather weak meaning, according to the interviewee. He characterizes it as a catchword as well as a term mainly given by governmental entities without a clear support of definition for it. He connects the meaning of Smart Cities to the ideas on a construction site where there are also constant thoughts about a more seamless integration of new technologies.

According to the interviewee, since the past decade, measurement has experienced a great upheaval. Geomatic is a known and important science within the industry. The company receives data from the engineering offices which are then transferred to the machines at the construction site which the construction workers need in order to perform. It is a digitalized process as the workers now receive the fortified plans on a digital screen rather than an analog board. It allows for more accurate workflows. The general data management of processes that involve essential data such as the measurements of any instrument or working fields is what stood out the most and is being digitalized the most according to the interview partner.

There were initial challenges that stemmed from this transformation: The Digitalization process was mainly obstructed by a weakly synchronized collaboration between the building and civil engineering companies and the external engineering offices responsible for drawing up the necessary plans to work with. In the beginning, the plans were often not delivered as the engineers did not have the knowledge over the drawing/designing the exact plans which the company needed for their machines. Consequently, Tozzo AG had to correct the received data in order to make it usable. It is an issue that is still present although not as incremental as in the beginning. The interviewee considers the company to be in a good position regarding the adaption of Digitalization with some of the larger companies such as Implenia AG and Marti Holding AG standing above but multiple others positioned below them.

VR/AR does play an important role and it is gaining more emphasis in the industry. He perceives it as a useful trend to be used for a foreman (“Polier” in German) who could wear glasses which allow him/her to view the installed pipes underground and its surrounding environment with ease. Another helpful adoption would be the use of 3D-modelling in order to create visualized versions of construction processes. The trend is yet to be implemented although, according to the interviewee, despite it being a helpful addition, it is something that is most useful in order to give the customers a more attractive display of their construction plans. But part of the building and civil engineering industry’s customer base is the government which is not focused on highly

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modernized visualization as they already know exactly what they need. He sees the trend mostly as a selling point rather than an essential tool for the industry.

Mobile Technology is an important integration at construction sites. Employees are equipped with electronic handheld devices which house the digital plans and orders needed for the construction workers to perform. The interviewee is very much aware of Internet of Things. He goes on to explain how it is not yet something that has been properly realized but he believes that they are soon going to confront it. It could be useful for processes in which there is more than one worker engaged in the same process, such as roller operators (“Walzenfahrer” in German) which are strictly needed to communicate with each other as they are moving all at the same time. This could be realized through the use of IoT by measuring the driving process in live time rather than having to talk loudly over noisy environments. The issues in adopting the trend lay within the lack of proper planning, machines that are not up to date for such integration and the question of safety issues that are permanently discussed. Machines (Robotics) are being improved slowly and steadily. It is a trend that sees a relaxed implementation rather than great revolutions. Cloud computing is part of their business in the way that data management is getting a big change. It is in the process of being outsourced to external entities that will store the vast amounts of data. The reason for implementing it is the decentralized structure of Tozzo AG with offices in various locations. The outsourcing of data allows for setting the focus on other work- related processes and the data is being managed more professionally at the same time. Tozzo AG does employ some IT-professionals although they are not focused on the in-depth management of their data. The interview partner sees an elevated importance in the User and Customer Experience, although it is of no priority now. The matter of Cybersecurity is mostly externally distributed through IT companies. He firmly believes that the larger companies within the industry are discussing the topic/trend of Cybersecurity – but at the same time, he reckons that smaller companies are less compromised in case an attack is to occur. Regarding Agile Business, he perceives it as a general obstruction if a company is not able to adapt flexibly to the changing environment. It is a culture that is either present or absent in a business. Generally, this industry is limited in its way to be agile due to the nature of business. If, for example, a power line is to be installed underground, the company receives clear and non-flexible instructions as to how they are allowed to work instead of expressing any form of agility during the related work processes.

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The interviewee expresses the desire for an emphasized discussion and implementation of Dig- ital Transformation regarding Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. It is of great advantage to have the proper sourcing of vast amounts of data which is then evaluated and translated into quanti- fied and usable information for further use. A major issue is described by the fact that there are often multiple external entities (third parties) involved in their working processes, giving their inputs and objections regarding certain workflows. Although collaborating working processes are standard, they can sometimes lead to elongated operations.

Figure 8: Level of Importance at Tozzo AG

7.5 Interview Hotel/Gastronomy: Krafft AG, Eldar Hernandez The Krafft Group, based in Basel, has been operating hotels and restaurants in Basel since 2003. It is managed, among others, by its partners who are active in the various companies. The group's origins lie in the Hotel Krafft Basel on the banks of the Rhine, since then the Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel, the wine bar Consum and the brewery and bar Volta Bräu in Basel have been incorporated (Krafft Gruppe, n.d.). The interviewed partner is Eldar Hernandez, who has been working in marketing for 4 years (2 of them in the hotel/gastronomy industry) - focus on online/digital. Prior to that, Eldar was active on the agency side and has supported various industries and company sizes on their digital marketing path. Preparatory to his agency work, he was furthermore operatively engaged in the hotel/gastronomy industry under leading positions (Hernandez, n.d.) (Hernandez, E., 2020, June 26, Personal interview). Bachelor Thesis 74

The interviewee clearly states that Digital Transformation does not mean the simple change from analog to digital processes, such as going from printed paper to downloadable files (PDFs). To him, Digital Transformation is quite diverse through which many processes could potentially be simplified and or extended. The interviewee and the Krafft Group are undoubtedly aware of the importance of Digitalization in businesses. He perceives the idea of Smart Cities to be quite interesting/exciting. To him, the term Smart City is narrowly connected to Internet of Things, as in the ability for different devices to communicate with each other in order to optimize various processes. He goes on with giving an example for IoT for an optimized energy consumption outlined by a fridge that is used as a common space for multiple cooperatives.

The Krafft Group is still far away from implementing VR/AR. The closest implementation that resonates with this trend is the use of 360-degree recordings. The Krafft Group uses it for the option to walk around a digital version of the historical Pfister founding building. The building houses unique painting on the ceilings – it was decided that the art would be able to be displayed properly through printed medium, which is why VR was introduced. Other than that, the interviewee reckons that the industry in general is not on the verge of adopting VR/AR. He further mentions that if it were to be used on a greater scale, a useful adaption would be the digital representation of the Swiss mountains for example that would be beneficial for hotel chains which are located around hilly landscapes. He refers to an executed example by Switzerland Tourism that started a virtual method of flying over the mountains while giving additional information to each location as one hovers over them.

The Krafft Group uses an internal communication tool called Hotel Kit. It is a software developed by former hoteliers from Austria. Apart from internal communication, it can furthermore be used for the management of checklists, customer complaints and calendar schedules. While it is not listed under Krafft’s conditions as a compulsory tool to be installed on the employees’ phones, it is still a mandatory software that needs to be used, according to the interviewee.

Although he mentioned this trend on his own and recognizes the importance of it, it has not an emphasized implementation in the Krafft Group’s business so far. The interview partner goes on to explain that the Hotel Krafft is built with old and thick walls which on its own already make a fast internet connection barely achievable. It is not to say that the customers in all rooms do not have internet access – but it is a bit of an issue regarding the use of IoT. He sees a further

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potential adaption of IoT in the hotels’ kitchens for temperature measurements and other useful data collections. It would be beneficial as hotel/gastronomy businesses are required to keep a continuous record of various measurements such as the mentioned temperature of the kitchen or at the bars as it is where different consumed items are stored for a longer period of time. This data will be necessary as soon as an inspector will pay a visit to check for any serious fluctua- tions. Although he suggests that it will still take years to successfully adapt this trend for this purpose.

Another possible industry-wide concern was mentioned regarding the customer relationship. Depending on the consumer group, it is an essential part of keeping the visiting guests satisfied through high-quality services through personal face-to-face engagement which may get lost through certain digital advancements leading up to more automated processes which do not involve any customer-employee engagement. The interviewee, however, strongly disagrees with that concern and looks at such a development from a different angle: He sees the potential for a different face-to-face dialogue, rather than the lack of it, between said groups which would be possible through the loss for any administrative matters and instead of having a more natural conversation about non-hotel-related things. In regard to Robotics, the Krafft Group still values hand-made craftsmanship and kept executing it for many parts of its businesses such as brewing their own beer. However, he brought an example in which a hand working process was abandoned for an automated system, namely cutlery polishing machines.

The safe storing of data is controlled simultaneously through their own and external servers. Within the context of Cloud Computing, He addresses what he would like to see as an available option. An optimal platform for the hotel’s purposes would consist of one that acts as a website, booking software, a customer relationship management tool (CRM), a customer complaint tool and a newsletter mailing machine, which is connected with all social media platforms. As of today, all these points are supported through individual tools instead of being part of one single tool. As an example, he mentions how the hotel room management and room booking are controlled through two different tools. These tools depend on each other in order to show the proper results for the availability of vacant rooms, which is guaranteed to work if both have a common interface. The interviewee underpins this situation with the example of what should happen when Krafft hotel rooms are booked directly through them. As a room is booked through the Krafft hotel’s website it has to communicate with external booking websites immediately in order to assure the accuracy of the number of available rooms on all booking platforms. The Krafft Group is well positioned and is able to handle these processes well, according to the interview partner.

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Although he reckons that the whole industry is still facing issues when it comes to proper information-flow between different smaller-sized hotel businesses and booking websites.

In regards to a more unified platform, he follows up by talking about discover.swiss – a type of booking service. In his own words, the system is revolutionary and a Swiss invention. The following example is made to explain how discover.swiss works: A customer makes a booking for three different venues, namely a seat for a theatre play, a table at a restaurant and a room at a hotel – all on the same platform. The customer has the ability to see how all three venue providers are managing his/her data – in return, those providers can now send newsletters and market themselves to the customer for example. The great emphasis hereby is that the customers have the full control over their personal data and are able to decide which information the service providers (hotels e.g.) are allowed to work with – combined with a service that incorporates all tourism service providers at one place.

There are no major occurrences under the trend of Artificial Intelligence at the Krafft Group. The most obvious form of automated processes is the generated emails which are sent to customers upon arrival or departure from the hotel or other messages with a personal touch such as birth- day wishes. Regarding Cybersecurity, the following input was added: The Krafft Group has been supported by an IT-company for over 30 years. In this context, a partner hotel’s website had experienced a cyber-attack on its website, resulting in a 5-minute disappearance online, in the past which the external IT-company took care of.

The following answers are related to what the interview partner would like to see in the hotel and gastronomy industry. The mentioned platform discover.swiss comes quite close to their most preferred development. He firmly believes in the concept although he does not know whether the wider public will perceive it in the same positive way as it may still be too early for such an implementation and/or the multinational competition may just be too powerful. Another attractive trend lays within a modified customer and user experience. He suggests that in case that multiple processes regarding the check-in/check-out and other similar events become automated, employees would be required to learn new forms of customer engagement such as learning how to take the small talk to a new and elevated stage.

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To close out, he mentions what he thinks are some of the more prevalent issues/challenges regarding Digital Transformation in the hotel and gastronomy industry. The interviewee sees an issue in having an individualistic approach regarding anything in relation to becoming more digital. A business trying to become more digital on its own will not be able to execute certain trends successfully – hence, a collective approach by forming partnerships is vital to working towards a more digitalized hotel/gastronomy industry. He supports this statement by referring to discover.swiss.

Figure 9: Level of Importance at Krafft AG

7.6 Interview Hotel/Gastronomy: GAIA Hotel, Philip Moser Philip Moser, a former Master's graduate of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, started working at Hotel GAIA as Marketing and Sustainability Manager early this year. The Hotel St. Gotthard Basel has been managed by the same family since 1929 and has changed its name to Hotel GAIA in 2015. The hotel is dedicated to consistent sustainability, providing the comfort of a four-star city hotel as well as the use of modern technology. According to the interviewee, Digital Transformation is defined as a transformation of processes, intended to be shortened, become more efficient or be completely restructured with the help of digital instruments. Besides, he added that Digitalization represents more than automating and digital- izing processes. It enables companies to develop a new customer segment, reposition themselves and conclude new business transactions. The term, Smart City, is familiar to The

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interviewee, describing the concept as a digital network, in which the city players such as inhabitants, public authorities and businesses are all linked together as well as increasing automated communication possibilities (Moser, P., 2020, July 24, Personal interview).

Currently, Hotel Gaia is following Digital Trends towards digitalising processes like online check- in for new guests. Furthermore, the hotel uses a cloud-based software called Mew, which generates a Customer-Relationship-Management (CRM) system for the hotel and assists in executing certain processes, such as room management or housekeeping, more efficiently. The Hotel is an industry that has been changing a lot in the field of Digitalization, particularly in its operation. In spite with the introduction of new competition like Airbnb, the pressure tends to be on lower-rated hotels, where more highly rated hotels with 4 or 5 stars are less exposed to Airbnb, since their customer segments consist of higher-income guests who wish to pay additional for services that are not provided by Airbnb. Nowadays, several hotels are collaborating with online travel agencies (OTA) such as booking.com or hotel.com, which in exchange for a commission, OTAs enable hotels to reach a greater distribution width. While OTAs provide a good distribution tool in the world wide web and perform effectively, the individual hotels are losing control of their online presence - as for example hotel.com gives them additional services in order to increase their presence further. However, there are OTA platforms available that offer for the hotels a greater control over their distribution and fewer commission payments, but because of the high position and branding of hotel.com or booking.com, the majority of the hotels are currently choosing to work with the bigger OTAs. Apart from this, Digitalization in the hotel industry as well as gastronomy occurs primarily in the meta-search engines, where hotels can be more rapidly and efficiently found online and user creative content in which guests contribute to the hotel's content through reviews and experience stories.

Digitalization in the hotel sector takes on a different role in every single hotel, as every type of hotel has its specific customer segment with different needs and a different perception of the Digitalization. A 4-star hotel such as Hotel Gaia tends to have a more traditional approach and its segment consists more of guests with high income and the willingness to pay extra for personal services. More new hotels with a younger and urban customer segment are making stronger use of digital technology, like the Hotel Arthouse in Basel. According to Phillip Moser, Hotel Gaia is not directly feeling the pressure of Digitalization, on the contrary, the pressure is growing in distribution, since hotels these days require to be present everywhere.

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Regarding the 10 Digital Trends determined by the literature research, Virtual and Augmented Reality is not monitored by Hotel Gaia at this point. The interviewee commented that the implementation of this technology would be interesting for the hotel industry, but believes this is more likely to be realized in the future giving customers the opportunity to view their hotel room via Virtual Reality. As far as Mobile Technology is concerned, the interviewee sees no benefit in developing an application for the Hotel Gaia, since it is more of a small family business. Instead, he noted that this technology would be more interesting for the tourism sector, in which any hotel or restaurant appears and users can book directly through the app. The main part for Hotel Gaia is to be accessible on all internet devices. Moreover, he referred to the investment in search ads in order to appear above the search results, and a geo-tracking marketing that displays Hotel Gaia as the user's nearest hotel. On the other hand, the interviewee mentioned in relation to the Internet of Things that this technology is entering the market and believes that in the future everything will be digitally connected in the hotel room. In the case of Hotel Gaia, this kind of technology is not being pursued given the high investments needed. In fact, particularly during the worldwide COVID 19 pandemics, hotels are beginning to invest in innovative projects, as now the funds are available and the time is available to review their business model. As for Robot Technology, Hotel Gaia has no interest in automatic machines, due to the personal service demanded by the customer, who is paying a high price to receive this type of service. For the interviewee, Robotics technology is more common in lower-rated hotels, in which the customer is served by an automated machine. In addition, the trend towards Cloud Computing is very relevant for Hotel Gaia, given that they are running a cloud-based system which handles certain operational processes, and in this context, the interviewee considered whether this trend would be more beneficial for hotel chains instead of the small family business Hotel Gaia. Around the trend of Artificial Intelligence, there is no current deployment for the hotel Gaia, however, there is a high potential to implement this in the hotel industry, the only issue is unfavourable timing.

One of the most important Digital Trends for Hotel Gaia, according to the interviewee, is the user and customer experience, as the hotel wants to be as present as possible in the digital world. The objective is to convince customers to book their hotel with the help of the digital experience, images and wording as well as the cooperation with the OTAs. Concerning the Cybersecurity, The interviewee noted there is still insufficient awareness of this trend owing to the lack of know- how. Currently, Hotel Gaia is not using certain tools to facilitate digital security, but nevertheless, this trend is an essential part of any industry and shall be regarded as a crucial factor in the implementation of technology. Another significant Digital Trend is Big Data, which is used by

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Hotel Gaia for gathering information around the market and creating a pricing strategy, since hotel prices are dynamic. The process of applying large amounts of data are used to evaluate the current market situation as well as the competition. According to the interviewee, Hotel Gaia is not pursuing a strictly Agile Business, as in theory, which is more common in the information technology sector. Instead, it is necessary for the hotel to continuously improve its processes to ensure a sustainable approach and to adopt an agile mindset, since the environment is in a constant state of change.

In fact, although Switzerland ranks among the most innovative countries in the world, it focuses primarily on incremental as opposed to disruptive innovation. The focus of innovation should be on step-by-step enhancements, instead of simply modifying something completely new. Com- menting on the obstacle to digital implementation, the interviewee said that the human aspect is at the root of this. There is still a lack of acceptance of modern digital technology. Overcoming this resistance is the major challenge and it is essential to have an open and agile mindset, but also a critical one, especially when it comes to data protection. Technologies must be properly discussed and a more critical attitude should be adopted. Other reasons for disruptions in the implementation of digital technologies is the speed of the technical progress, which goes much faster than the development of political systems and infrastructure, resulting in an unbalanced use of the technologies successfully since the adaption of political legislation in terms of Digital- ization is taking much longer.

Assuming that Hotel Gaia had the required resources and know-how, the interviewee would be aiming for an intense customer and user experience and would strengthen the online distribution network while becoming less dependent on the OATs. Furthermore, he would like to have the opportunity of attending workshops or having a digital coach in order to understand the operational parts of the individual technologies. There are currently web courses on the market which offers classes such as digital marketing or search engine advertising but these courses often receive rather superficial treatment. The interviewee thinks there is enough on offer but sees the problem of only teaching theories instead of practical learning. Most of the companies are already aware of the strategic use of Digital Trends, however, the main problem is to understand exactly how to proceed.

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Figure 10: Level of Importance at Hotel GAIA

7.7 Interview Craftsmanship: Morath AG, Oliver Scheidegger Since its foundation in 1897, Morath AG has been striving for progressive construction methods and innovative problem solutions. Based on their know-how and modern machinery, they are able to handle all key phases of the production process in-house and also to execute large-scale orders (Morath AG, n.d.) (Scheidegger, O., 2020, June 25, Personal interview).

The interviewee describes his understanding of the term Digital Transformation as the following: It is concerned with a change and the subsequent effect from it for the daily life of both a business and a private individual. He is aware of the term Smart City, although he instantly states the perceived background of it a rather marketing-oriented approach and has heard of efforts from Zürich and Basel within this context. To him, the meaning of the term has a rather bland connotation. Smart City is described as an effort of the public hand in order to improve the connectivity between business and overall infrastructures – ultimately having the perceived ap- pearance of a laboratory.

Within the context of VR/AR, the concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was mentioned. In his own words, it is an immense Digital Trend that is entering the construction industry. He follows up with a brief example: An architect used to draw a plan, print it out and send it to the

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construction worker to initiate the building process based on the received paper. This plan used to be two-dimensional. The purpose of BIM is to plan a whole project based on three-dimensional models. The progress of a building project can therefore be permanently observed online, which in turn reveals a greater construction and planning security. Furthermore, any addition or change to a finished building can be backtracked as it is all visible within the digital model. An additional link to VR/AR is made as the option of virtually walking through the 3D-model, in order to accurately imagine the finished product, becomes a reality. However, according to the interviewee, BIM is still in its early stages of adaption and architects in Basel have been confronted with it – although, for him as an executing construction business it is not of great relevance just yet. There are still obstacles in the form of high financial investments, difficult technological implementation and rather high educational requirements which cannot be met currently. An esti- mation of two decades is made to master to mentioned challenges.

Regarding Mobile Technology, there several processes in use such as service rapport, processing of measurements that have been moved to a digital environment for the employees to use on digital devices on-site and is therefore perceived as a rather important trend. In his company, the transformation to Mobile Technology was not involved with mentionable challenges as even the less tech-savvy employees are expected to be used to smartphones and tablets privately. Subsequently, the implementation of said devices on construction sites went rather seamlessly. The understanding of Internet of Things is clearly there - although there is not an urgent necessity to be observed for this industry regarding this trend. However, he could very much see its potential in the far future. Currently, he considers there to be a lacking implementation of a proper 5G-network – as soon as that is available, a serious adoption of IoT in this industry is very much possible, however it is a matter of time. The interviewee concludes by stating that IoT is not a Digital Trend which he would pursue or push on his own but rather seriously recognize when the time comes and implement it as he seems fit for his business. Robotics marks a highly important Digital Trend for the interview partner as it is tightly connected to the automatization of machinery but also workflows/processes. The digital advancements in Robotics are mostly researched and realized through external providers of machinery. The mod- ernization of their equipment is a constant process which is done by carefully evaluating which process can be automated as they are still a rather manually producing company.

The interviewee perceives Artificial Intelligence as a huge catchword with a great relevance for the future. Especially in the fields of workflow, work instructions and production planning, progress could have been observed through the work of their engineering-department. There is still

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a great potential for the use of AI in order to further optimize processes and make various tools and systems to work more seamlessly together. Cloud Computing was introduced to Morath AG around 3-4 years ago with the emergence of server applications and significantly larger data sets (e.g. from building projects). Furthermore, through the additional internationally based cli- ents, an immense data transfer is generated as well.

User and Customer Experience does not represent a highly important Digital Trend for his company as they do not produce for consumers. According to the interviewee, Cybersecurity is part of the dialogue although he estimates that in 10 years it will be an externally managed matter through respective hardware specialists). There is no prominent emphasis on Cybersecurity as the company simply works with the standardly available solutions. The interview partner is familiar with the definition of Agile Business, however it has a rather weak meaning for the company as they are rather traditionally bound. While he does not underestimate the value of Agile Business, nevertheless the actual use for it has yet to be recognized.

There are countless small businesses employing around 5-15 people, which are nowhere near the implementation of any Digitalization processes. There is a lack of resources, education and affinity – resulting in continuing to work in the most traditional manner that they are used to. If a form of change were to happen, it would have to start at the educational level where the teen- agers are starting their apprenticeships and learning about the ever-changing digitalized business environment, which again could take two generations to successfully adapt. A company such as Implenia is very much in the position to bring in more dynamic to this transformation as they are performing on an immense scale with many of the working stages are all conducted through one single company. Generally, the developments in the construction field are not as great. A technological and social change process is required in order to get the construction industry to start thinking more digitally. But a small construction business will never voluntarily adopt new ways of conducting business.

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Figure 11: Level of Importance at Morath AG

7.8 Interview Craftsmanship: Anonymous Company It is a traditional company (which requested to keep their name to be anonymous) in the Basel region with competence, long-term experience and know-how in the fields of conversion, reno- vation, maintenance and new construction. The interviewed partner understands Digital Trans- formation as the automation of as many processes as possible as long as it generates an added value. The interviewee has heard of the term Smart City and is able to contextualize it in a broader sense as an organization aiming to improve various fields of the economy, environment and the daily life of the people (Anonymous, 2020, July 22, Personal interview).

Regarding VR/AR, the interviewee could see a potential use for carpenters or floor layer – apart from that, this trend is not perceived as an imminent Digitalization process, although it is not ignored as the company has employed a number of younger people in leadership positions, which are leaning towards the steady research regarding the visualization of certain models. A potential issue when modernizing certain elements of workflow processes is that the technolog- ically less savvy employees may not be ready to accept such a development as easily. Regard- ing Mobile Technology, they have acquired tablets for the employees (Microsoft Surface) to perform a number of processes, such as recording the inventory, on hand instead of having to operate from a stationary office. The Interviewee sees the potential for further use of this trend

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by allowing recording the working time in a mobile fashion. Here as well - the issues lie within the less digitally experienced employees (possibly construction workers) that may struggle with the proper utilization of such devices. For that reason, the Surface tablet was sourced as it is apparently more user-friendly with its larger layout. While there are multiple modernized machinery in place, he does not set an emphasized focus on the trend with respect to their machines and its potential usefulness. AI was not recognized as a noteworthy trend as of now. He adds that data management has a great importance in their business although it is not substan- tially supported by AI.

With respect to Cloud Computing, the complete data management was outsourced recently. They deemed it to be more cost-effective as they do not have to provide the required infrastructure. Especially during the ongoing pandemic (2020 July) the decision to implement an outsourced data management revealed to be valuable as they were able to uphold their virtual technology platforms. According to the interviewee, User and Customer Experience is most likely to become more important in the next years within this industry. There are constant discussions about implementing new tools for internal usage (CRM e.g.) or new marketing approaches. So far, the company has initiated electronic brochures – but as the interviewee is not part of the marketing department, the actual impact/feedback of these brochures is not known to him. Generally, they do send out questionnaires regarding customer satisfaction which is handled electronically and or per post.

The highly discussed concept of Building Information Modeling was addressed by the interviewee as well. According to him, the industry is very much aware of BIM although the actual implementation is yet to be seen and difficult to adopt due to costly investments without the expected feasible outcomes and a lack of experts as of now.

A prominent issue within the company is described by the need for a suitable interface which can deal with all the different platforms/software that is used in their business. Ergo, a preferred option would be to have a universal interface which can be connected to all processes ranging from data management to resource management to time recording, and a disposition program that allows the simplified deployment of construction workers to the right places. These systems

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are already integrated but include many complications with too many different platforms to manage.

Figure 12: Level of Importance of anonymous company

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8 Data Analysis Desk and Field Research This section is dedicated to the overall findings from all researched fields. Each industry is summarized with its findings from the industry overview, companies from the desk research and company interview insights from the field research. Subsequently, the findings allow for an analysis of each of the ten identified Digital Trends within the selected industries leading closer to the conclusion regarding the potential, issues/challenges of the Digital Transformation and the recommended future actions.

8.1 Analysis Retail Researching the retail sector during the industry comparison revealed, how Swiss retailers are committed to implementing new strategies in order to manage the new digital age, for instance, restructuring the distribution channel, modifying the organizational culture with the use of social media, establishing cross-channel strategies, as well as evaluating the potential usage of available retail space in the future.

The desk research disclosed further insights, by showing an emphasized effort towards improving the user and customer experience, given that today's consumers are reachable over a variety of communication channels while businesses are required to react faster and efficiently to the constantly evolving environment. Remarkably, it is noticeable that most retailers have begun to embrace omni-channel campaigning allowing greater awareness, incremental sales and distribution, as well as the adoption of digital touchpoints. Ultimately, an omni-channel approach provides retailers the opportunity for enhanced Customer Experience and allows more sales channels to be offered either through mobile phones, online or in-store. Being larger and stronger globalized businesses with a wider spectrum of stakeholders compared to smaller businesses, retailers are increasingly committed to embracing Digital Trends like Cloud Computing, Mobile Technology and agile companies with the aim of boosting their competitiveness, speeding up processes and organizing high volumes of transactions as effectively as possible. A further focus of interest remains the linkage of physical and digital channels, striving to establish full transparency overall sales and distribution platforms

During the field research, the interviewed retail companies showed, that an increased online presence, expansion of its communication channels and focus on customized and digital advertising to deliver a greater user experience is a sought-after development regarding the Digital Transformation. The objective of the retailer is to deliver a fully customized experience for the

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customer, whether online or in the store, combined with extra information designed to support the consumer's buying decision, Many other remaining Digital Trends, like Cybersecurity and Big Data, also play an active role for the retail as data security is essential, as well as the processing of large amounts of customer data in order to analyze the market as well as the current customer demand. A major focus on digital marketing is to approach to extend and empower the customer relationship, introduce automated as well as customized emails and utilize several screens in stores to create a balanced digital and traditional experience. By exploiting other Digital Trends including Mobile Technology, augmented reality, etc., retailers can develop a more profound relationship with their customers by adopting a digital approach, in any location and at any time. Both retail businesses that were questioned emphasized their devotion to creating an optimal customer experience by keeping a close relationship with their consumer base.

8.2 Analysis Building and Civil engineering A comparison of the industry highlighted that investment in software and new technologies such as co-operatively controlled robots and intelligent sensors forms an important part of the business strategy of tomorrow's contractors - mainly to boost their productivity. But since Digitaliza- tion in building and civil engineering industry involves more than merely adapting to the new technologies, it also requires the structuring of new processes, procedures and pace of work, and therefore the entrepreneurs are directly the key success factor for Digitalization in the industry. Eventually, it is they who determine whether they are willing to drive forward the Digital Transformation or to maintain the current position.

The desk research assumes that drones (Robotics), Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things will be continuously introduced in larger companies in the foreseeable future. This will allow these businesses to follow and manage their infrastructure accurately and utilize relevant information to optimize construction processes. In terms of artificial and/ or virtual reality, Build- ing Information Modelling (BIM) has a highlighted position in the industry. BIM is a process that begins with the creation of a smart 3D model and enables organization, coordination and simulation to be tracked throughout the entire life cycle of a project (planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance). While User and Customer Experience play a role, it is not of major importance as it does not represent an integral element of the engineering and construction sector. One way to demonstrate the value of their services is to make earlier works on their websites visible to visitors. Robotics is an important component of the Digitalization process, despite the fact that it is the relatively large companies that possess the necessary funds to

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study advanced technology, whereas SMEs are unable to effectively adopt newly developed machines due to cost-influencing factors.

In view of the following trends with the interviewed companies, Mobile Technology and Cloud Computing are actively pursued, enabling 3D planning for a visualized version of construction, and electronic plans which are prepared and displayed with the assist of digital media like tablets or smartphones. Although one of the interviewed companies perceives the use of the aforementioned use of 3D-modelling mostly as a selling point for certain customers rather than a seriously necessary tool. For example, government contractors are likely to already know how exactly they would proceed with a certain project, negating the use of a thorough 3D-modelling process. The implementation of IoT has its benefits for both questioned companies – be it for integrating cameras at construction sites for security and monitoring purposes, or to make the simultaneous use of multiple heavy machinery more synchronized through sensors for an accurate construction process while maintaining the security of the working employees. The machines (Robotics) are being improved slowly and steadily. It is a trend that sees a more relaxed realization rather than incremental revolutionary change on one side or no significant processes at all. The same statement can be applied to AI regarding both companies. Cloud computing is an essential aspect of this industry, as vast amounts of data have to be appropriately managed. For this reason, it is increasingly being outsourced to external companies dedicated to storing large amounts of data and ensuring its security. The outsourcing of data allows the companies to shift the focus to other work-related operations, and simultaneously their data is managed more professionally. Both companies expressed themselves rather shortly regarding the User and Customer Expe- rience although one of them observes it an increasingly more important trend. It is primarily distributed externally. They questioned companies in the industry that believe that the larger companies within the industry are addressing the issue of Cybersecurity - while at the same time it was expressed that the smaller companies are likely to be less vulnerable in the event of an attack. In general, this industry is restricted in its agility because of the nature of the business, as a number of companies are involved in a construction project collectively and given that there are many interconnected elements which, due to restructuring processes, may impede the overall construction effort.

8.3 Analysis Hotel/Gastronomy In general, the hotel/gastronomy industry is split in terms of the speed of adaptation to Digitali- zation: The online research has shown that consumers are choosing an increasing number of digital platforms as a base for their buying behavior. Thus, the hotel sector believes that a Bachelor Thesis 90

number of Digital Trends will prove useful for their future businesses. The Internet of Things could be of tremendous relevance within the industry, allowing hotels to lower energy costs while optimizing hotel rooms without any human interference. A series of hotels are utilizing smart energy systems to reduce power consumption and/or to precisely switch on/off the lighting infrastructure when needed. A range of companies is seeking Digitalization to provide an improved customer journey. This was accomplished by establishing Cloud Computing for the utilization of a Hotel Property Management System (PMS), which resulted in the smooth adoption of Mobile Technology. AI was applied to establish a smart customer service touchpoint for consumer requests. Altogether, the combination of cloud-based software and a user-friendly Mobile Tech- nology interface helped the hotels deliver essential content to the customer and the employer.

The companies which had been elected for the desk research displayed uniform images across the board. Augmented and Virtual Reality was barely representative as a Digital Trend in the hospitality industry and/or was not advertised as such. Agile business matters, but the actual process varied from one company to another, not allowing for a consistent finding. Mobile technology also had a minimal focus, mainly by adding a smartphone-based interface layout to offer a seamless user experience to provide additional booking methods alongside the most commonly used electronic systems, such as the desktop computer/laptop or on-site booking at the reception desk. Artificial intelligence was not prominent in any of the selected companies either. Cloud computing is mostly administered externally and is not actively discussed in the hospitality industry. Cybersecurity is directly related to Cloud Computing and large amounts of data (in respect to their security) generally - therefore it is mostly being outsourced to the corresponding IT providers with the appropriate knowledge in data management. Big Data takes on an incremental function in every industry, however it is further underlined in the hospitality/hotel industry by the fact that there are massive hotel groups which act as the umbrella for thousands of hotel chains serving millions of customers across the globe, thereby generating an extensive It is the huge amount of customer data that enables the hotel industry to tailor its products and services to the ever-changing needs of its customers. The experience of the users/customers in this industry is of the highest importance. All observed companies show an intensified attention to what they particularly propose to the customer and intending to create a more convenient and versatile booking and/or catering experience.

The two interviewed hotel/gastronomy companies provided similarities and differences simultaneously. The role of Digitalization in the hotel sector varies depending on the individual hotels since each type has its specific customer segment with different needs as well as a specific

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understanding of Digitalization. For example, a 4-star hotel has a tendency to follow a rather conventional approach due to the fact that its segment comprises the guest's higher income and prepared to spend more on personal services. On the other hand, new hotels targeting a younger and urban segment rely more strongly on the benefits of digital technology. One of the two companies makes use of an internal communication system called Hotel Kit, which is accessed via the mobile device. Each employee is asked to install it. It is a software that was developed by former hoteliers. Apart from internal communication, this tool can also be integrated to administer checklists, customer complaints and calendars. The other company considers it of no value to build an application for themselves, considering that the company is a small family business. Instead, such technology would be more appealing for the tourism sector, where every hotel or restaurant appears so that users are able to book directly from the app. The major part for the hotels is to be accessible and responsive through all web-devices. Re- garding Internet of Things, the prerequisites for the implementation of such trend play a significant role. Through the interviews, it became evident, that it is very much dependent on the condition of the hotel facility in order to allow the trend to fully adapt. As a result, it has not been an incremental part of any transformation for their business. In general, IoT has its place in the hotel industry and its relevance is being recognized, however, the high investments needed make it difficult to achieve. Robot technology can be found frequently among hotels of lower category, at which the guest is attended by an automated machine – although the company in question does not implement any IoT elements. The other company continues to appreciate craftsmanship and continues to perform it for a number of elements of their business, such as brewing their own beer as it portrays an incremental part of their character. However, only the most necessary operations, such as polishing the cutlery, were automated. Cloud computing has its relevance in both interviewed hotels, although the utilization differs. One of them uses it for general data storage which is facilitated through their own and external servers simultaneously. This company sees a huge potential for a more in-depth use of Cloud Computing by using it for a more centralized hotel management platforms which enables them to use for all sorts of internal work processes. The second company reckons, that trend towards Cloud Computing will play a major role for the hotels, because they already operate a cloud-based system that manages various operational processes. In this connection, according to the interviewee, this development would be advantageous rather for hotel groups than for small family businesses.

Developments regarding AI fall short under both companies and sees minimal usage as of today. However, it is mentioned that it presents a significant opportunity to realize this in the hotel industry, with timing being the only obstructing factor as in, it is still too early to adopt on a larger

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scale. While one company has been aided by an IT-company throughout several years in order to keep its technological infrastructure intact and secure, the other hotel has not seen use if any incremental Cybersecurity measurements, although they emphasize the insufficient awareness of this trend owing to a lack of expertise. Currently, this hotel is not using specific tools which ease digital security, nevertheless, this trend should be considered as an essential part of any industry and a critical factor in the implementation of technology. Unlike theory described, hotels are not strictly an Agile Business, which is more typical in the field of computer technology. One of the interviewed companies recognizes that indeed, as the environment is constantly changing, it is vital for the hotel to steadily improve its processes in order to ensure a sustainable approach and embrace an agile way of thinking. The other interviewee states the hotel/gastronomy industry as a predestined prime example of an agile form of work. Wherever possible, the employees always respond individually to the different needs of the guests. Added to this is the workload - in stressful situations, employees also adapt to the pace without any serious loss of service quality. There is a lot of competition in the G&H sector and new trends emerge quickly, so it is a great advantage for a company to be able to act agile. It is also mentioned that the margins in the hotel/gastronomy industry are low, so it is a must to bring products/offers/services "early" or "unfinished" on the market and then improve them with the help of feedback. It should be noted that the hotel/gastronomy industry is dependent on the support of the associations in technological issues.

8.4 Analysis Extension and Craftsmanship According to the industry overview, most craftsmanship companies believe that Digitalization is unlikely to have an impact or only a minor impact on their businesses. While Digitalization represents a great chance for the extension and craftmanship industry, particularly with regard to cutting down on time and money. However, it also poses a considerable obstacle due to the insufficient digital competence among the workforces. For this reason, both outsourcing and investing in suitable software is crucial in achieving its fullest potential in the digital age.

According to desk research, companies involved in craftsmanship are more likely to be family- owned SMEs with between 10 and 50 employees with close connections to conventional crafts. Overall, it is noticeable that businesses are starting to use customer experience via the online channel and establishing a community based on feedback or presentation of past experiences to help potential customers gain a clearer picture of what services are to be expected. Other Digital Trends like augmented reality, Agile Business, Cloud Computing, etc. appear not to be pursued actively by the selected companies on account of their company size as well as their Bachelor Thesis 93

resistance to changing their traditions of craftsmanship. Nevertheless, bigger companies are using Digitalization and above all employ tools like machines and electronic data processes to execute individual electronic requests in the most efficient and customized way possible.

VR/AR was not perceived as an imminent Digitalization process. Although it is not ignored as the company has employed a number of younger people in leadership positions, which are leaning towards the steady research regarding the visualization of certain models. They have acquired handheld devices for the employees to perform a number of processes, such as recording the inventory, on hand instead of having to operate from a stationary office. Both companies recognize the potential for further use of Mobile Technology by allowing recording the working time in a mobile fashion. While there are multiple modernized machinery (Robotics) in place, both companies do not set an emphasized focus on the trend with respect to their machines and its potential usefulness. AI was not recognized as a noteworthy trend as of now - although data management has a great importance in their business it is only partially supported by AI. The complete data management is outsourced at both companies. They deemed it to be more cost- effective as they do not have to provide the required infrastructure. Especially during the ongoing pandemic (2020 July) the decision to implement an outsourced data management revealed to be valuable as they were able to uphold their virtual technology platforms. According to the interviewees, User and Customer Experience is most likely to become more important in the next years within this industry. There are constant discussions about implementing new tools for internal usage (CRM e.g.) or new marketing approaches. So far, the company has initiated electronic brochures – but as the interviewee is not part of the marketing department, the actual impact/feedback of these brochures is not known to him. Generally, they do send out questionnaires regarding the customer satisfaction which is handled electronically and or per post. Alt- hough it is a general consensus not to fall behind regarding any changes in the industry, there are a few limitations as to how agile this specific industry is allowed to be as the initial working processes do not change overnight and therefore are not subject to greater transformations for the foreseeable future.

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9 Third Synthesis: Findings The constructed graph depicts a representation of the findings from the analysis overarching the industry overview, desk research and field research. The extensive research allowed to portray the different advancements the four observed industries are making which subsequently, enables the determination of the key trends that drive their digital advancements.

Figure 13: Third Synthesis based on findings

According to the graph, the retail industry is among the largest sectors regarding the implementation of Digital Transformation as indicated by the size of the green sphere. The User and Customer Experience has the most emphasized relevance in this sector as customer engagement represents an essential factor in customer retention. The objective is to transform customers into supporters of a company. The main purpose is to provide a coherent customer experience over all touch points, either digital or physical, to improve the standards of the relevant customer segment. By monitoring the entire customer journey, the company can guarantee to deliver on the promise of a quality experience as well as offering a superior service. The surrounding Digital Trends are the main supporters which enable to strengthen the user and customer experience. Augmented and Virtual Reality allows the offering to an additional information flow regarding the company’s brand and products which in turn assists in the customer’s purchase decision. The implementation of Mobile Technology allows for a widened accessibility

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and online presence, especially at a time where digital devices display an integral part of daily life. Big Data is a crucial component in order to identify and analyse the dynamic changes in the market regarding the customer demand as well as the competitions’ activities. As a result, Arti- ficial Intelligence is an important tool to manage the vast amount of data. Since the business environment is subject to constant changes, the entire industry is required to adapt as quickly as possible in order to keep pace with the customers’ expectations.

The building and civil engineering industry portrays another sector greatly invested in Digital Transformation processes, as shown by the yellow sphere. Cloud Computing and Big Data are the leading components driving the Digitalization of the industry. Both trends are intertwined as the large databases of the companies have to be managed and stored efficiently and securely, which is done through the use of Cloud Computing. Furthermore, Cloud Computing may act as the digital workplace for the data which is then processed through the use of Artificial Intelligence in order to quantify the most useful information available. In addition, Mobile Technology has emerged as an important trend in construction, as it uses cloud-based software that allows mobile devices for accessing and altering several building plans at any location and at any time. With the technology encompassing Internet of Things, operating the machines with unmatched accuracy, their progress, their movements and the status of each machine are displayed in real- time. Using this interconnectivity, other operations can be scheduled and coordinated, enhancing productivity and decreasing delays.

The hotel and gastronomy industry, as depicted by the purple sphere, is positioned in the mid- field. The figure highlights the similarities to the retail industry concerning the approach to Digital Transformation, which perceives the User and Customer experience as the most vital trend. The main difference thereby lays within the progress of implementing the trends. While the retail sector has seen emphasized integration of various Digital Trends, the hotel and gastronomy sector in its entirety remains in the process of strengthening the dialogue regarding Digital Transformation. The customer experience is tightly connected to loyalty as research during the literature review has shown that loyal customers are more likely to spend more on hotel businesses. Furthermore, a positive customer experience holds the ability to convert a unique customer into a loyal customer. When it comes to supporting Digital Trends, the hotel and gastronomy industry follows similar trends as the retail industry with the aim of strengthening its customer relationships through the expansion of its online distribution channels as well as adapting appropriately to the changing customer needs and environment. Additionally, hotels and restaurants also use Big Data for in-depth analysis on the market and for improving its business strategy, since the majority of companies apply a dynamic pricing strategy and thus it is crucial to

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monitor abrupt changes in the market regarding competitors and customer behaviour as well as taking the correct actions.

The smallest sphere is embodied by the craftsmanship industry. Big Data has been identified as the overarching trend that holds the greatest relevance. More detailed project budgets can be generated through the use of data from a range of existing sources by using Artificial Intelli- gence. Furthermore, information on the pricing and availability of supplies, manpower and machinery may be collected and utilized to identify the optimal allocation of resources. Mobile Tech- nology enables the advanced use of building plans and other industry-related work processes through the accessibility with additional digital devices such as smartphones and tablets. Virtual reality exposes craftsmanship businesses to new ways of observing, planning, processing their projects through advanced 3D-modelling such as BIM. Such virtual models provide the means for sharing, collaboration and revision control of projects.

9.1 Obstacles During the course of the various research stages, several standardized and widespread issues/obstacles have been observed, which are replicated within the graph above as red lightning bolts.

Human resistance For certain employers, internal changes within the industry leave them feeling as if uncertainty is taking over their formerly predictable work environment. Digital transformation might be most challenging in conventional companies with a long-standing history of success and/or limited staff turnover. Moreover, particularly in small businesses, there might be a tendency for people to do nothing and remain unchanged, due to additional issues such as lack of knowledge or missing funds (with respect to Digitalization). It is important to examine the company's digital readiness in order to obtain an awareness of the business as well as its readiness in the IT department. The focus needs to be placed on those who are ready and open to change and embrace digital technology. Another point to be aware of is that digital technology may not be relevant yet and/or its usefulness limited for certain parts of the organization which can be shown in the extension and craftsmanship industry. The field research revealed a general course regarding this issue.

Lack of collectivity (small businesses) Having an individualistic approach (as an SME) when attempting to become more digital is not suitable. Smaller businesses do not have the capacity and large-scaled impact on industries in

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order to encompass a greater change on their own. This issue was especially addressed by the hotel industry during the field research.

The imbalance between political and technical issues (general issues). A general obstacle to the Digital Transformation is the high speed of technological progress, which generally advances at a higher pace compared to the development of political systems and infrastructure, resulting in an inconsistency between technological and political issues, since the adjustment of political legislation regarding Digitalization requires much more time.

Operational know-how needed The insufficient practical knowledge about the use of technologies represents another barrier to the Digital Transformation. Nowadays, there are web courses offered on the market that provide classes in digital marketing or Customer Experience, but often these courses have rather surface coverage. The problem lies in the fact of teaching only theories instead of practical learning. Although companies usually know about the strategic benefits of Digital Trends, the primary challenge is how to exactly to proceed.

Lack of unified data management tool: Especially in the craftsmanship and construction industry, the lack of a unified platform for various internal management activities obstructs the efficient progress for daily duties (e.g. managing resources, disposition of employees, etc.). The existence of numerous different tools within used within one project or administrative process which in turn do not allow for smoothened transfers of data.

Too many involved parties A greater obstacle that reaches over both the craftsmanship and construction industry, is the existence of projects involving several members from different fields of expertise, which subsequently make the implementation of Digital Trends either extremely lengthy or close to impossible.

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9.2 The 4 Personas During the field research different opinions, perceptions, progress and overall motivations were to be observed, which in turn have been collected and reorganized in order to develop 4 different characters. The designed character definitions are applicable to the interviewed companies.

Figure 14: Developed Personas based on interviews

The Conventional A conventional company is less inclined to recognize a Digital Transformation since they are not able to estimate their advantages and subsequently its profitability. This perception is reasoned through the lack of expertise, funds and/or bound to traditional and functioning work processes. This was mostly observed in the extension and craftsmanship small family-owned businesses.

The Inquisitive The inquisitive company is described as one that is strongly prone to increase their knowledge about Digital Transformation as its necessity and/or usefulness is being fully recognized. The issue here is presented through the absence of understanding of what is needed in order to achieve the successful implementation of a Digital Trend. The ideas exist or are being developed when confronted with the concept of Digital Transformation while the means to achieve the goals are not being discussed properly.

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The Slow-grower A slow-grower company carrying this name is greatly informed regarding Digital Transfor- mation processes. The dialogue about improving their business and its environment had started intensively already, although several factors (internal and external) exist as to why the desired implementations have not yet been materialized.

The Driver The driver is a significant player in the field of Digital Transformation. Most Digital Trends have some degree of relevance for their business and their method of implementation is being discussed as well. As a larger company, the driver is aware of the challenges for the entire industry concerning Digitalization and recognizes how the most obvious issues/obstacles could possibly be negated long-term.

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10 Discussion The following section is dedicated to the discussion of the accumulated highlights regarding the summarized gaps and issues and the subsequent potential for each industry.

Retail The most prevalent gap regarding the desk and field research is explained through the varying sizes of the companies’ and the subsequently observed progress in Digital Transformation. Smaller sized businesses (e.g. Basler Läckerli) had a general lack of information regarding any form of Digitalization as opposed to larger companies such as Manor. It was revealed that companies operating on a larger scale are able to cover most of the ten identified Digital Trends. The general issues/challenges for smaller companies lie within the absence of operational know- how and/or financial capacities, despite the perceived willingness to become more digital during the field research. The combined findings show that the reasons for wanting to adopt Digital Transformation vary greatly, as Manor is focused on reaching as many potential customers online through the use of Digital Trends, while Bider and Tanner would pursue a mix of staying rather conventional for sake of the close customer contact but simultaneously introduce new technologies to strengthen the customer relationship.

Overall, there is great potential for Swiss retailers to optimise customer experience by using digital technologies. A crucial trend in this respect is, for instance, Mobile Technology, in which the focus is to be on more than online shops. It is essential that the online presence supports the approach to the store, by providing individualized information on the product range, details of availability, ratings or even price comparisons. Besides, new technologies like augmented reality can be applied to enhancing the customer experience, whether offline or online. In fact, it is no longer only about the product purchase, but rather about the entire experience of the purchase.

Construction and Craftsmanship The most apparent difference between the desk and field research was discovered concerning the much-discussed Building Information Modelling process. While both research findings agree that BIM is still a concept in the early stages in Switzerland and has yet to be adopted by the industry, there is a notable split between the opinions of the questioned companies regarding the possible success and definitive implementation of BIM. It surrounded by scepticism and excitement at the same time. There are no general objections against BIM, however the lack of BIM-trained personnel creates an incremental obstacle interrupting the adaption of said process.

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The desk research has depicted how BIM is being carefully introduced for a few projects in Switzerland. But the field research has proven that BIM is especially a challenge for the numerous small and medium-sized construction businesses. The majority of these companies are operating at the limits of feasibility. It is a significant challenge - parallel to day-to-day business - to adopt new technological solutions in the absence of standards, norms or best-practice examples.

Another point was to be found regarding the industry’s potential for Digital Transformation based on the desk research versus the individual progress of researched companies during the interviews. There are businesses that have decent means and interest to implement a number of the identified Digital Trends to a certain degree, however the construction sector as a whole is still limited in its ability to be fully digitalized due to the involvement of varying demographics of employees. The interviewees expressed how there is a tendency for older workers not to adapt to new technological changes as fast as younger workforces.

Hotel and Gastronomy This paper was able to comprehend a common opinion between the researched information available online and responses from the interviews: There needs to be a driver that encompasses the idea of Digital Transformation who could support the hotel and gastronomy companies in adapting more Digital Trends slowly but steadily. The desk researched highlighted the positive effects as a result of the pandemic, which forced the creation of new ideas in order to partially maintain a partially functioning business. However, the field research revealed the prevalent situation of the hotel and gastronomy industry still being in the early stages of Digital Trans- formation. The general findings overarching all researched areas reveals the discovery of an industry with a huge potential regarding most of the Digital Trends as highlighted in the third synthesis. But the status quo shows a rather conservative implementation as of today. Espe- cially for smaller-sized hotels and restaurants, the benefits of the identified trends could be incremental, but the development of a carrier who could introduce and support all individual hotels/restaurants regarding Digitalization is expressed as one of the key approaches. Both questioned companies agree on the need for a unified platform, open to various tourism businesses creating an alternative platform to the online travel agencies (OTA). The issue of transferring to another platform as a business is portrayed by the immense market leadership of existing OTAs. A combined platform is also wished for regarding internal administrative processes such as a booking tool, resource management and customer relationship management software and other integral instruments. The obstacles for the aforementioned applications lie within the lack of an existing and fully integrated product that has seen usage on a larger scale.

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Smart City Based on the conducted interviews, the majority of the participants had a specific idea of the Smart City concept. In fact, those companies which have made a significant effort towards being digital were already familiar with the concept. In other words, to understand the development of this ecosystem and become involved in it, companies need to review their own business model, adapt it to the digital age, and engage in a broad community of innovators. Only by changing the cooperation and business models it is likely to generate more confidence than companies are comfortable with conventional market-based models. Similarly, through the collaboration with innovators and specialized professionals, companies are more strongly motivated to take the next step into the digital world, which then also pushes the development of a Smart City

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11 Best-Practice According to the information given by online sources, a well-established practical application is a procedure or methodology that has been shown through both experience and research to produce the desired result in a reliable fashion. The commitment to implement best practice in any sector is a determination to utilize all the expertise and technology at one's disposal to help ensure success (Techtarget, 2007). Based on this definition, two best-practice examples have been identified for the hotel/gastronomy and retail industry.

11.1 Advanced customer experience with Quibit As the trend of customer and user experience in the retail industry is being followed excessively, companies like manor have started to work with software companies to intensify their user experience. The majority of retailers have taken the customer and their buying experience at the core of their strategy definition. With customer loyalty being an integral part of the customer experience, retailers now focus on creating a personalized experience for their customers, whether on the internet or in the store itself. With today's customers frequently using either mobile or desktop devices to browse and shopping, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic of COVID-19, Manor was determined to exploit customization strategies to improve customer loyalty across both channels and provide them with the same experience as if they were in the store. In cooperation with the company Quibit, Manor integrated a software solution in their online shop which is capable of optimizing the customer experience significantly. The software combines social proofing, time pressure and shortage of products to encourage purchase decisions and to confirm purchase decisions for a customized selection of products and product categories for each visitor. For example, to avoid a product being sold out before a customer, Manor displays hints of limited availability. By using this tactic, the buying pressure can be lifted within the customer journey and frequently trigger the necessary stimulus for a purchase. The term Social Prove is defined as the behavior that people have to orientate themselves on the decisions and actions of other people. Such an effect affects the purchase decision of customers and is frequently used in marketing. This behavior of imitation can be explained psychologically so that one is prevented from seemingly wrong decisions (Unternehmer.de, n.d.).

Ultimately, the result of Qubit’s process is a dynamic menu that adapts itself in an instant, along with a display of desired products paired with features from social networks (Qubit, n.d.). Soft- wares like Qubit Start only represent the first step on the way to customization. Retailers will

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continue to explore technologies to strengthen connectivity with their customers and visitors and provide them with personalized experiences in each channel.

11.2 Ambassador Zurich – simplifying the customer journey As a digitalized hotel business, it is the Ambassador Zurich’s expectation to differentiate themselves from the various hotel chains, as well as giving their employees the opportunity to increase their time and commitment to the guests, according to Michael Böhler, the CEO of Am- bassador Zurich (Hotellerie Suisse, 2019). As a digitalized hotel business, it is the Ambassador Zurich’s expectation to differentiate themselves from the various hotel chains, as well as giving their employees the opportunity to increase their time and commitment to the guests, according to Michael Böhler, the CEO of Ambassador Zurich (Hotellerie Suisse, 2019). One of the objectives is to provide the resources to communicate and connect with the customers. As part of this optimization process, their customer journey was analyzed in order to identify all existing touchpoints with both customers and employees.

An increase in flexibility is achieved through the implementation of a cloud-based Hotel Property Management System (PMS) called MEWS Systems, allowing for customers to comfortably perform the check-in process from any location as desired through the use of smartphones, laptops or tablets prior to the arrival at the hotel. Subsequently, a smooth transition upon arrival at the reception to the prepared room is guaranteed with minimal effort required by the guests. The PMS from MEWS Systems portrays a powerful room management software combined with intelligent automation simplifying hotel operations, which simultaneously allows for flexible accessibility for the hotel’s employees. Furthermore, Mews is a fairly open system, enabling a smooth connection to other application programming interfaces (API) (Mews, n.d.).

Additionally, QuickText was used as a communication and messaging system (chatbot) on his website. It enabled basic guest inquiries to be handled automatically by "Velma", the chatbot powered by Artificial Intelligence, and potential inquiries could be routed to the hotel personnel in real-time if necessary. The hotel’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is represented through HotelAppz. It offers Ambassador Zurich a comprehensive guest data platform on which they can gather and integrate guest data from MEWS Systems enabling them to generate targeted e-mail marketing campaigns and use them to personalize customer journeys and improve customer loyalty.

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The most essential impacts and conclusions as part of the integration of the specified PMS, CRM and chatbot tool are elaborated as followed: The integration of multiple sophisticated and yet well-integrated solutions such as a PMS, guest data/CRM, multi-channel messaging chatbots or e-Reputation solutions are the preferred solutions of successful, digitally aware hotel owners. Open APIs are crucial for hotels to enable them to manage their data, their marketing strategy and their expenses.

According to Michael Böhler (2018), when these three products (PMS, CRM, and chat tool) are utilized in combination, they create an effortless, yet enormously effective method of adminis- tering every dimension of his customer relationships, while simultaneously operating an entire hotel business efficiently.

With the integration of the Smart Rooms, the hotel’s customers have the opportunity to book a room with capabilities unknown from the usual private household for a highly modernized hospitality experience. The first stage is the room key, which can then be sent to the smartphone of the guest to enable instant access to the room avoiding the necessity of waiting at the check-in desk. All in-room equipment can be comfortably accessed via a tablet or web application which is installed on the guest's personal smartphone. The curtains, blinds and television can be controlled at the push of a button. A smart multicolored illumination system enables guests to select from different modes such as Relax, Renew or Power to recreate a series of different ambiences according to their mood, all within a few digitally controlled steps. Additionally, the bathroom mirror is designed to inform guests about the weather, the news, the restaurant menu, the con- cierge service and much more. Readers of books will also be attracted by the provided tablet on which they can find a press reader with approximately 6000 published articles. The implementation of Smart Rooms is reasoned by the presence of the hotel’s customers who appreciate the first-class service and central location. By adding more Smart Rooms to their range of accommodation, they can provide a new kind of hotel experience for their guests and simultaneously reach a younger, technology-oriented target group (2018).

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12 Recommendations The following recommended actions for the continued Digital Transformation in Switzerland, and more specifically northwestern Switzerland, are derived through the extensive research through careful analysis of the desk findings combined with the elaborations from the questioned interview partners from the respective industries.

Standardization of digital means

Not all employees in the construction and craftsmanship industry are capable of operating with newly digitalized processes. Which is why this research paper recommends the early introduction of the concept of Digital Transformation in general as well as incremental Digital Trends at the early stages of the basic training of future employees. Furthermore, the usage of electronic devices (e.g laptops, tablets and smartphones) should see an imminent implementation in as many areas (where feasible) as possible of in the field of all educational stages such as apprenticeships, trainees and further education. It is recommended to be initiated as soon as possible in order for the employees to have a naturally positive perception of said technologies, as these devices portray the instruments for any kind of Digitalization process.

Unified platform (example discover.swiss) discover.swiss provides the tourism industry with a simplified entry into the digital world. With the help of the new marketplace, destinations or service providers can easily and efficiently launch their digital offers on the market. This platform allows tourism providers to focus on their core business: To present the offers to guests in a way that makes it easier for them to inform themselves, find all tourist service offers to finally make a booking decision. The concept of discover.swiss does not come without its challenges as presented in the form of the hugely successful and wide-scaled online travel agencies (e.g. booking.com or Airbnb), but the project/platform has initiated partnerships with the Swiss Youth Hostels, Zurich Tourism and Enga- din Scuol Zernez Tourism in the spring of 2020. The research paper recommends the further drive of recognition for discover.swiss in the northwestern region of Switzerland through Smart Regio Basel for a better positioning of local hotel and restaurants to offer their services under fair conditions.

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Collaboration with Start-ups

In certain companies, a prominent obstacle remains the anxiety of the unknown, whether it is financial or emotional. To implement a Digital Trend successfully, a partnership with specialized partners or an innovative start-up dedicated exclusively to technologies or applications is required. With this kind of partnership, a careful evaluation of the individual trends can be performed as well as a thorough assessment of their benefits for the company. As a result, the companies are more encouraged to face the uncertainty and thus able to fully profit from the Digital Transformation, as well as continuing on this path. Once a company becomes digital, it maintains and explores new opportunities and implements further technologies.

Support through digital coaches or workshops

Based on the interviews conducted, this research paper suggests the introduction of workshops aimed at gaining a more in-depth understanding of the newest technologies. However, these workshops need to be targeted at specific industries, as each sector has its unique features and consequently requires a completely different approach to Digitalization. Participating companies should be given an overview of their opportunities and benefits they can obtain through the Digital Transformation. Another recommended option would be mentoring through a digital coach for a better understanding of the operational field of specific technologies. Nowadays the market offers web courses that include training in digital marketing or search engine advertising, however, the participants often just gain a more superficial understanding. Consequently, participants generally lack practical experience with those specific applications or technologies. While many companies are already aware of the strategic use of Digital Trends, the bigger challenge is then to find out how the tactical approach can be realized.

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13 Conclusion The research questions stated at the beginning of the work, have been answered in the previous chapters. However, in the following section, the authors give a short summary of each research question.

Which trends in the field of Digitalization are pursued by the Swiss industries? The research paper identified 10 Digital Trends during the course of the literature review, which were perceived as the most imminently discussed and pursued directions of Digital Transfor- mation. However, further research based around the continued desk research and the field research revealed a more transparent picture by highlighting the most used and/or discussed trends in each of the observed industries. Both the hotel/gastronomy and retail industries rely heavily on Digitalization with respect to User and Customer Experience while Big Data and Cloud Computing have an emphasized meaning in the construction and craftsmanship industries. While these trends were identified as the most prominent ones, they could not be initiated without the support of the remaining ones described in the third synthesis.

What is the current position of the corresponding Swiss industries with regard to the Digital Transformation? Although the research paper observed and illustrated different stages of Digitalization among the four industries, there is a general notion in Switzerland to be found. The awareness of the importance Digital Transformation is clearly expressed by larger companies and it is part of the discussion for future implementations. However, pace is what the Swiss industries are lacking as there are no major Digital Trends that have matured in their implementation. The research paper reckons that the Swiss economy must strengthen its digital infrastructure, further digitalize business processes, invest in digital innovation and develop new Digital Business models that accelerate the transition to a digital economy and society. In order to continue the Digital Trans- formation, the aim for the future should be to increase the digital maturity of SMEs as they are still insufficiently digitalized.

Which are the best-practice examples in Switzerland for the implementation of digital technologies? The research paper identified two best-practice examples from the hotel and retail industry respectively. Manor works with Quibit to offer their products to consumers with an exclusive tailor- ing to each individual customer with the support of Social Proof. The hotel Ambassador Zürich adopted an array of digital technologies in order to represent a modern and forward-thinking hospitality business and cope with the challenge of Digital Transformation.

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What are the gaps and obstacles in the Swiss industries to become digital? Human resistance, as in the tendency for people to do nothing and remain unchanged, due to additional issues such as lack of knowledge or missing funds represents a notable obstacle. The lack of collectivity under smaller businesses creates an obstacle for Digital Transformation as such companies do not possess the capacity and large-scaled impact on industries to encompass a greater change on their own. General imbalance between political and technical issues are related to the high speed of technological progress, which generally advances at a higher pace compared to the development of political systems and infrastructure, resulting in an inconsistency between technological and political issues, since the adjustment of political legislation regarding Digitalization requires much more time. The identified potentials are not smoothly connected to the employees’ theoretical capability to adapt such Digital Transfor- mations. Therefore, the insufficient practical knowledge about the use of technologies represents another barrier to the Digital Transformation. The absence of unified data management tools, especially in the craftsmanship and construction industry, obstruct the efficient utilization for the daily internal management activities. The involvement of multiple parties a single process/project proposes a greater obstacle that reaches over both the craftsmanship and construction industry, as the existence of projects involving several members from different fields of expertise, leads to a rather lengthy or next to impossible implementation of Digital Trends.

Which are the recommendations for the specific Swiss industries to benefit from Digital- ization? It is suggested that the introduction of digital means/tools as standard equipment should be undertaken as early as practicable, so that employees have a naturally confident perception of these new technologies, as these devices portray the tools for any type of Digitalization operation in all observed industries. For service providers, a centralized platform showcases an orga- nized and efficient way of delivering the appropriate information (products and services) for the consumer in order to have the most versatile offer available. One possibility of such a platform is depicted through discover.swiss with respect to the hotel/gastronomy industry. Through the proposed partnerships with digitally-oriented start-ups, companies are encouraged to confront the challenges of uncertainties and thus be able to gain full benefit from the Digital Transfor- mation and remain pursuing this path. The support of companies through digital coaches or workshops as a way of obtaining a thorough insight into the most recent technologies is recommended. Furthermore, an introduction to the potentials and advantages of Digital Transfor- mation should be derived.

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13.1 Limitations The desk research regarding the company evaluations with respect to Digital Transformation revealed itself to be of challenging nature within the smaller-sized SMEs. There was an incremental lack of information regarding most of the ten Digital Trends to be observed. However, the field research (interviews) of smaller-sized SMEs did correspond to a certain level of recognition towards Digitalization either in the form of potential interest or actual ongoing implementation.

The authors were confronted with initial issues regarding the field research when attempting to request interviews with the appropriate companies. Different factors had an impact on this initially challenging process, such as the presence of the pandemic through which a greater amount of smaller businesses, regardless of the industry, were unavailable for questioning due to the limited active workforce. The authors were further confronted with a tight schedule emerging from the summer holidays, which subsequently made numerous potential interviewees un- approachable due to their absence at work. The obtainment of interview partners was also obstructed by a rather large disinterest from smaller and local businesses in the craftsmanship and hotel/gastronomy sector.

13.2 Recommendations for future researchers There are significant drivers, mostly in the form of larger companies, in all researched industries in place. However, smaller-sized businesses have yet to be confronted with Digital Transfor- mations and its many variations of utilization or future potential. We suggest the further research on how the respective trade associations can raise the awareness for the permanent digital change that is going to affect most businesses in the future.

We also suggest the further collection of field research data by gaining additional insights from increased sample sizes of SMEs. Although many of the interviewed companies’ inputs, contained in this research paper, could be concluded in providing similar answers, we believe additional input is required to have a clearer understanding of the issues regarding the lack of Digi- talization in local companies.

A last recommendation is made regarding the fundamental education regarding the topic of Digital Transformation: As some of the interviewees have already mentioned, the awareness

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and in-depth outcomes regarding Digitalization have to be taught at a young age where appren- tices acquire the necessary knowledge. Research is required in order to identify the advancements and issues concerning the current educational input with respect to Digitalization.

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Lindner, A. (2017, March 5). Digitalisierung als Chance für Handwerksbetriebe. Retrieved July 3, 2020, from onlinepc.ch: https://www.onlinepc.ch/business/kmu/digitalisierung- chance-handwerksbetriebe-1202063.html

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Macronie, R., Marvin, S., & While, A. (2019). Robotics and automation in the city: a research agenda. Sheffield: Informa UK Limited. Retrieved May 11, 2020, from Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rurb20 Urban Geography ISSN: 0272-3638 (Print) 1938-2847 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rurb20 Robotics

Manor. (2017, August 8). Manor leitet Transformationsetappe ein und legt die Basis für Wachstumsplan. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://mynews.manor.ch/content/news/article/59c23042e4b06637a599053a

Manor. (n.d.). Jetzt herunterladen: die Manor Mobile App. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.manor.ch/de/u/Manor%20Mobile%20App

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Marketscreener. (2020, April 21). Implenia and Ina Invest Capital Market Day. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from Marketscreener: https://www.marketscreener.com/IMPLENIA-AG- 173800/news/Implenia-and-Ina-Invest-Capital-Market-Day-30448893/

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Migros. (2017, June 01). "MIgrosmania" sorgt mit Virutal Reality-Erlebnissen für WOW-Effekt. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.migros.ch/de/unternehmen/medien/mitteilungen/show/news/medienmitteilu ngen/2017/migrosmania-virtual-reality.html

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Mögerle, D. (n.d.). Läckerli Huus verbindet Confiseur-Kunst mit modernen Omnichannel- Prozessen. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from dynasoft: https://www.dynasoft.ch/referenzen/laeckerli-huus-ag/

Morath AG. (n.d.). Morath AG Solutions. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morath-ag/

Morgan, J. (2014, May 13). A Simple Explanation Of 'The Internet Of Things'. Retrieved May 14, 2020, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple- explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#15aac20f1d09

Mroczkowska, A. (2020, January 27). What is Digital Transformation? Definition for Businesses. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from Droids on Roids: https://www.thedroidsonroids.com/blog/what-is-digital-transformation

Navarathna, P. J., & Malagi, V. P. (2018). 2018 International Conference on Smart Systems and Inventive Technology (ICSSIT). In Artificial Intelligence in Smart City Analysis (pp. 44- 47). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Newman, D. (2019, July 14). Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends For 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2019/07/14/top-10- digital-transformation-trends-for-2020/#2a48958e76be

Nichols, G. (2018, July 18). Robotics in business: Everything humans need to know. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from ZDNet: https://www.zdnet.com/article/robotics-in-business- everything-humans-need-to-know/

Optiswiss. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2020, from https://www.optiswiss.com/de/

Optiswiss. (n.d.). Optiswiss Beratungsapp. Retrieved July 11, 2020, from https://www.optiswiss.com/de/dienstleistungen/webshop-apps/optiswiss- beratungsapp.php

Optiswiss. (n.d.). Swiss HD Technologie. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.optiswiss.com/de/produkte/technologie/swiss-hd.php

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Oxford Economics. (2019, June). How robots change the world. Retrieved from http://resources.oxfordeconomics.com/how-robots-change-the-world

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Oza, H. (2017, March 28). The Importance Of Mobile Applications In Everyday Life! Retrieved May 7, 2020, from Hyperlink Infosystem: https://www.hyperlinkinfosystem.com/blog/the- importance-of-mobile-applications-in-everyday-life

Parterre Basel. (2020, June). Über Uns. Retrieved July 2, 2020, from Parterre Basel: https://www.parterre.net/de/parterre-basel/ueber-uns

Parterre. (n.d.). Über uns. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from Parterre Basel: https://www.parterre.net/de/parterre-basel/ueber-uns

Peter, M. K. (2019). KMU-Transformation. Olten: FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://kmu-transformation.ch/digitale-ausgabe/

Pragnesh, M. (2018, April 10). How mobile technology accelerates Smart City development? Retrieved May 14, 2020, from prismetric: https://www.prismetric.com/mobile-technology- accelerates-smart-city-development/

Presse Portal Schweiz. (2020, May 12). Digitalisierungsschub in der Gastronomie. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Presseportal Schweiz: https://www.presseportal- schweiz.ch/pressemeldungen/digitalisierungsschub-der-gastronomie

Quandoo. (2020, July 21). An open marketplace connecting restaurants and diners. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from B2B - Quandoo: https://b2b.quandoo.com/uk/about

Qubit. (n.d.). Die Manor AG schafft mithilfe der bewährten Personalisierungstaktiken von Qubit Start. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.qubit.com/de/fallstudien/manor-ag- qubit-start/

Revfine. (2020, April 5). Hotel Industry: Everything You Need to Know About Hotels! Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Revfine: https://www.revfine.com/hotel-industry

Revfine. (n.d.). 8 Digital Trends in the Hospitality Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from Revfine: https://www.revfine.com/digital-trends-hospitality-industry/

Riddell, T. (2017, April 3). What is Mobile Technology and What Does it Mean for the Construction Industry? Retrieved May 6, 2020, from Esub: https://esub.com/what-is- mobile-technology-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-construction-industry/

Ross, A. (2018, August 15). Smart cities and augmented reality: is it set to become a reality? Retrieved April 30, 2020, from Information Age: https://www.information-age.com/smart- cities-and-augmented-reality-123474183/

Rouse, M. (2015). Definition Virtual Reality. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from Whatls.com: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-reality

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Rouse, M. (2016, February). Augmented Reality (AR). Retrieved December 18, 2019, from whatkls.com: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/augmented-reality-AR

Rouse, M. (n.d.). Definition Internet of Things, IoT). Retrieved May 5, 2020, from WhatIs.com: https://whatis.techtarget.com/de/definition/Internet-der-Dinge-Internet-of-Things-IoT

Rubino. (2020, July 23). Your Hosts. Retrieved July 23, 2020, from Rubino Basel: https://www.rubino-basel.ch/en/hosts.html

Salesforce.com. (n.d.). 12 Benefits of Cloud Computing. Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.salesforce.com/products/platform/best-practices/benefits-of-cloud- computing/

Salman, S. (2019, March 8). Augmented Reality Marketing – The Ecommerce future is here! Retrieved December 20, 2019, from Cloudways: https://www.cloudways.com/blog/augmented-reality-in-marketing/

Samojło, G. (2019, October 29). How Mobile Apps Are Changing the Banking Industry: 5 Examples. Retrieved May 5, 2020, from netguru.com: https://www.netguru.com/blog/mobile-apps-in-banking-examples

SAS. (2020, May 30). Big Data - What it is and why it matters. Retrieved from SAS: https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/big-data/what-is-big-data.html

SBB. (n.d.). Mit SBB Mobile einfacher und schneller durch den Alltag. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.sbb.ch/de/fahrplan/mobile-fahrplaene/sbb-mobile.html

Schillinger, P. (2011, May 5). Handelszeitung. Retrieved July 6, 2020, from Arbeitsmarkt: Mangelware Handwerker: https://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/arbeitsmarkt- mangelware-handwerker

Schneider, O. (2019, February 13). Digitale Transformation - Schweiz holt auf und fällt zurück. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from Netzwoche: https://www.netzwoche.ch/news/2019-02- 13/digitale-transformation-schweiz-holt-auf-und-faellt-zurueck schreinerzeitung.ch. (2017, Oktober 7). Rezepte für die schnelle Küche. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.schreinerzeitung.ch/de/artikel/rezepte-fuer-die-schnelle- kueche?show_gallery=1

Schultz, E. (2020, January 16). Detailhandel in der Schweiz. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from Statista: https://de.statista.com/themen/2921/detailhandel-in-der-schweiz/

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Schweizer Baumeisterverband. (2018, August 1). Konzept des SBV zur Digitalisierung des Bauhauptgewerbes. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Baumeister: http://www.baumeister.ch/de/unternehmensfuehrung/digitalisierung

Schweizer Baumeisterverband. (2020, Januar 2). Zahlen und Fakten. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Baumeister: http://www.baumeister.ch/de/politik-wirtschaft/publikationen/zahlen- und-fakten

Scioscia, J. (2019, February 20). Why companies should take advantage of mobile technology. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from Innovation enterprise channels: https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/why-companies-should-take- advantage-of-mobile-technology

Silver, L. (2019, February 5). Smartphone Ownership Is Growing Rapidly Around the World, but Not Always Equally. Retrieved May 8, 2020, from Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/02/05/smartphone-ownership-is-growing- rapidly-around-the-world-but-not-always-equally/

Slesar, M. (2019). Onix. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from Top 10 Applications of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Business: https://onix-systems.com/blog/top-10-applications-of-ar-and- vr-in-business

Smart Regio Basel. (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2020, from Smart Regio Basel: https://smartregiobasel.ch/de/

Smart Regio Basel. (2020, May 23). Smart Cities - Was wir (und andere) unter einer smarten Stadt verstehen. Retrieved from Smart Regio Basel: https://smartregiobasel.ch/p/smart- city

Statista.com. (n.d.). Ausbaugewerbe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://de.statista.com/statistik/kategorien/kategorie/897/themen/899/branche/ausbaug ewerbe/

Stefanuk, A. (2019, June 3). 3 Benefits Virtual Reality Can Bring to Your Business in the Coming Years. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from Digital Signage Connection: https://www.digitalsignageconnection.com/3-benefits-virtual-reality-can-bring-to-your- business-in-the-coming-years

Stöcklin Küchen. (n.d.). Produktion. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.stoecklin- kuechen.ch/produktion

Stöcklin Küchen. (n.d.). Über uns. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.stoecklin- kuechen.ch/de/ueber-uns

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Swiss Retail Federation. (n.d.). Digitalisierung. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.swiss-retail.ch/politische-themen/digitalisierung-2/

Swisscom. (2019, February 27). Cyber Security Report 2019 - Targeted Attacks. Retrieved from Swisscom: https://www.swisscom.ch/en/business/enterprise/downloads/security/report- bedrohungslage-schweiz-2019.html

Swissotel. (2020, July 2). Swissotel Le Plaza Basel. Retrieved July 2, 2020, from https://www.swissotel.com/hotels/basel/ swisstech Nordwestschweiz. (2017). stnws.ch. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from swisstech Nordwestschweiz Kompakt: https://www.stnws.ch/assets/docs/Rundschreiben- Sommer-2017-Versand.pdf

Szajda, E. D. (2017, March 23). The Importance of Digital Business Nowadays. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from GBSB Business School: https://www.global-business- school.org/announcements/importance-of-digital-business-nowadays

Techtarget. (2007, February 1). best practice. Retrieved from Search Software Quality: https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/best-practice

Techtarget. (2019, July 1). Smart City. Retrieved May 30, 2020, from Internet of things agenda: https://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/smart-city

Telesca, S. (2018, December 1). 8. Bau- und Wirtschaftskongress: Mehr als nur ein Läckerli. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from Aargazer Zeitung: https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/aargau/brugg/8-bau-und-wirtschaftskongress-mehr- als-nur-ein-laeckerli-133789973

Tokareva, J. (2017, November 27). The Benefits of Augmented Realities for Advertisers. Retrieved December 22, 2019, from Hackernoon: https://hackernoon.com/the-benefits- of-augmented-realities-for-advertisers-c5c5b86e9458

Torman, M. (2020, January 24). Zoom Blog. Retrieved May 17, 2020, from 5 Reasons Why Zoom Will Benefit Your Small Business: https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/01/24/zoom-video-communications-small- business-benefits/

Tozzo. (n.d.). Unternehmen. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from Tozzo: https://tozzo.ch/unternehmen/

TÜV Rheinland. (2020, May 31). New thinking on cybersecurity and privacy in a world where digital transformation beckons - summarized in our Cybersecurity Trends 2020.

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Retrieved from TÜV Rheinland: https://www.tuv.com/landingpage/en/cybersecurity- trends/

Twint. (n.d.). Twint - one app for everthing. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.twint.ch/en/keepthecurveflat/

Vaidyaa, S., Ambadb, Prashant, & Bhosle, S. (2018). Industry 4.0 - A Glimpse. Aurangabad: Maharashtra Institute of Technology.

Weber AG. (n.d.). Geschickte der Weber AG. Retrieved August 5, 2020, from Gleisbau: https://www.gleisbau.ch/unternehmen/geschichte/

Weber AG. (n.d.). News. Retrieved August 5, 2020, from Gleisbau: https://www.gleisbau.ch/news/

Widmer, S. (2019, November 29). Die Digitalisierung im Detailhandel - Kundengewinnung und Empfehlungen. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from Nordwand: https://www.nordwand.swiss/de/blog/die-digitalisierung-im-detailhandel

Woermer, S. (2018, May 30). Why your company needs a digital business model. (A. DeNisco, Interviewer) TechRepublic. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-your-company-needs-a-digital-business- model/

Wollny, B. (2019, August 12). Statistiken zum Hotelmarkt in der Schweiz. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Statista: https://de.statista.com/themen/4477/hotelmarkt-in-der-schweiz/

Wollny, B. (2019, August 13). Statistiken zur Gastronomie in der Schweiz. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from Statista: https://de.statista.com/themen/3322/gastronomie-in-der-schweiz/

Zoom. (n.d.). zoom.us. Retrieved May 19, 2020, from Vereinfachte Videokonferenzen und Nachrichtenübermittlung bei allen Geräten: https://zoom.us/de-de/meetings.html

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15 List of Figures and Tables

Figure 1: Smart City Wheel Framework by Cohen (2018) ...... 13

Figure 2: Literature Review Structure ...... 16

Figure 3: First Synthesis based on Literature Review ...... 34

Table 1: Retail desk research checklist ...... 42

Table 2: Extension and craftmanshio desk research checklist ...... 47

Table 3: Hotel and gastronomy desk research checklist ...... 50

Table 4: Construction desk research checklist ...... 53

Figure 4: Second Synthesis based on the desk research ...... 59

Table 5: Overview interview partners for the field research ...... 61

Figure 5: Level of Importance at Riviera ...... 64

Figure 6: Level of Importance at Bider & Tanner AG ...... 68

Figure 7: Level of Importance at Rofra Bau AG ...... 71

Figure 8: Level of Importance at Tozzo AG ...... 74

Figure 9: Level of Importance at Krafft AG...... 78

Figure 10: Level of Importance at Hotel GAIA ...... 82

Figure 11: Level of Importance at Morath AG ...... 85

Figure 12: Level of Importance of anonymous company ...... 87

Figure 13: Third Synthesis based on findings ...... 95

Figure 14: Developed Personas based on interviews ...... 99

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16 Appendix

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16.1 Interview Questionnaire Bachelorarbeit, Digital Trends in Schweizer Industrien

EINFÜHRUNG DES INTERVIEWS

Wie im Mail erwähnt, führen wir seitens Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz im Rahmen unserer Abschlussarbeit im Auftrag von Smart Regio Basel eine Studie zu branchenspezifi- schen Digitalisierungstrends im Hinblick auf die regionale Entwicklung einer Smart City durch. Dazu führen wir auch Interviews mit Vertreterinnen aus den untersuchten Bran- chen und möchten insbesondere Charakteristika, Einflussfaktoren und weitere Gründe für das Einleiten von Digitalisierungsprojekten und die Einführung digitaler Prozesse identifizie- ren.

Fragen, ob es für den Interviewpartner in Ordnung ist, wenn das Interview aufgezeichnet wird.

Um Erlaubnis fragen, den Namen des Unternehmens in unserer Arbeit zu erwähnen.

ALLGEMEIN

Welchen Beruf üben Sie derzeit aus und wie lange arbeiten Sie schon in diesem Bereich?

In welcher Branche ist Ihr Unternehmen positioniert?

Definition

Fragestellung ZUSÄTZLICHE FRAGEN BEWEGGRUND

Was verstehen Sie unter digita- Definition: Digitale Transfor- ler Transformation? mation

Was verstehen Sie unter einer Definition: Smart City Smart City?

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Wenn vorhanden: Wie er- Was für Digitalisierungstrends folgt die Umsetzung? Identifikation von Digitalisier- sind Sie am verfolgen respek- Wenn nicht vorhanden: ungstrends tive werden umgesetzt? Was sind die Gründe? Hürden?

Wie sehen Sie die Entwicklung (momentaner Stand) in ihrer Selbsteinschätzung Branche bezüglich der Digitali- sierung / digitalen Trends?

10 Digital Trends

Bitte bewerten Sie die folgenden Digital Trends nach ihrer Wichtigkeit für Ihre Organisa- tion/Branche, wobei 6 der wichtigste und 1 der unwichtigste ist.

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Augmented and Virtual Reality

Mobile Technology

Internet of things

Robotics

Cloud Computing

Artificial intelligence

User and Customer Experience

Big Data

Cybersecurity

Agile Business

Fragestellung ZUSÄTZLICHE FRAGEN BEWEGGRUND

Wenn ja:

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem Was haben Sie in ihrer Un- Trend Augmented and Virtual ternehmung bereits umge- Reality? setzt?

Wie wird es verfolgt?

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Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Mobile Technology?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Internet of Things?

Wenn ja:

Was haben sie in ihrer Un- Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem ternehmung bereits umge- Trend Robotics? setzt?

Wie wird es verfolgt?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Cloud Computing?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Artificial intelligence?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem Trend User and Customer Ex- … perience?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Big Data?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Cypersecurity?

Folgt ihre Unternehmung dem … Trend Agile Business?

Weitere Fragen

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Welche sind die Herausforde- rungen/Hürden die bewältigt Wie würden Sie die Hür- Challenges bei der Um- werden müssen, um Ihre Digital den meistern? setzung Trends erfolgreich umzuset- zen?

Wenn sie die nötigen Ressour- cen, Zeit und Know-how hätten, Warum der Fokus auf die- welche Digital Trends würden Szenario sen Trend? Sie sofort in Ihr Geschäftsmodel integrieren?

Ende vom Interview

Kurze Zusammenfassung des Gesagten

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