"We would choose Schaffhausen every time"
Happy staff and innovations «Made in Schaffhausen» – those are the positive outcomes for banking giant UBS as it reviews progress at its Business Solutions Center in Schaffhausen after its first year of operation. The number of staff on site has doubled since 2018 and is set to grow further by summer 2019.
"We are very happy with the first year at our UBS Business Solutions Center here in Schaffhausen", Markus Lickert, Managing Director at UBS confirms. Lickert has global responsibility for the bank’s Business Centers including the one in Solenbergstrasse in the Herblingen district of Schaffhausen. UBS took the decision to open its first Swiss Business Solutions Center (UBS-BSC) in Schaffhausen in November 2016, and commenced operations just ten months after announcing the decision, quite possibly a record time. The UBS-BSC provides so-called Back- and Mid-Office functions, with the principal focus on payments processing, tax reporting, digital banking, supporting new clients and a range of accounting processes, Lickert explains.
Business Solution Center Schaffhausen
In September 2017, UBS opened its new Business Solutions Center Schaffhausen with around 200 staff, with headcount now increased to 400. "In our first year of operations, we doubled the number of staff", Lickert is pleased to outline. In all, UBS’ 4 storey premises in the “Platz” office complex can accommodate 500 personnel. "Currently we’re planning to increase our workforce in Schaffhausen to 450 by mid-2019. Further growth is under discussion.", Managing Director Lickert sets out. "For us, the Business Solutions Center in Schaffhausen has been a real success.", Lickert underlines. On the one hand, many bank staff were happy to relocate to Schaffhausen and on the other hand, the bank has been able to recruit successfully within the region, according to Lickert. The bank has benefited from the sizeable talent pool – including the nearby universities – and from the services provided by the local Labour Office in Schaffhausen, Lickert says. At present, around 20% of staff at the Business Centre are resident in the Canton of Schaffhausen, with that proportion growing steadily, Lickert adds. "When seeking to fill the vacancies we currently have and to meet our growth plans over the coming months, we will be focussing above all on recruiting locally.", he emphasises.
UBS is delighted with the growth in headcount at the new Business Center but also with, what Lickert calls, operational outputs. One example is in the field of innovation "Here at the UBS-BSC Schaffhausen we now deploy 25 Bots, all of which were developed and are managed and maintained by our Robotics Department.", Lickert notes. Globally, UBS has 700 Bots, primarily engaged in automating manual tasks such as payment processing.
"Schaffhausen is a really attractive place for our staff to live."
Markus Lickert, Managing Director UBS
Schaffhausen is an attractive place to live
UBS is clearly very satisfied with the new Center, and staff are also happy with their new location in Schaffhausen. "Initially, there were a few concerns for some staff about changes to their commute, but that’s no longer an issue.", according to Lickert. In fact, a recent staff survey revealed above average levels of satisfaction among the bank staff working in Schaffhausen." So, is everything rosy in Schaffhausen? "Yes, it is", Lickert says, and then adds: "We would choose Schaffhausen every time.". The location is well-served by road and rail links, is close to Zurich and to Zurich International Airport, provides access to a sizeable talent pool and offers more affordable costs for businesses. "And on top of that, Schaffhausen is a really attractive place for our staff to live.", Lickert rounds off.
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