Are Swiss companies using digital tools responsibly? Beyond the marketing promises and announcements, the picture is rather disappointing. But what exactly are we talking about? Responsibility relates both to the internal use of digital tools (e.g. administrative work, customer contacts, stock management, online sales, process automation) and, where appropriate, to the development of digital tools of their own. We can therefore distinguish two layers of responsibility: the first affects all companies that use digital tools in their activities (all large companies and almost all SMEs), and the second only affects those that design and produce digital tools themselves (companies specialising in digital technology). When it comes to digital responsibility, what are the issues that companies are increasingly facing and how should they go about managing them?
We put all these questions to Cornelia Diethelm, a specialist in the digital transformation of businesses and founder of the Shifting Society think tank. For this Zurich-based expert, digital tools pose countless challenges for businesses.