Leveraging data to redefine the purpose of the workplace: A case study on Cisco’s corporate real estate strategy
Abstract
Over the past five years, there has been a significant transformation in workplace dynamics that many companies are finding difficult to navigate even today. The answer to the swift but sweeping shift to hybrid work has not been easy, as companies are still grappling with determining the best strategy and how to execute it. Cisco, a global leader in networking and technology solutions, considered the disruption an opportunity to re-evaluate its workplace practices and reimagine its real estate strategy into one driven by purpose. By looking inwardly at its own data — in the form of employee feedback and metrics from its smart workplace technology — Cisco focused on understanding how and why people choose to work in the office, addressing individual and team needs. As a result, the company reshaped its views on the purpose of physical space and began investing in its global portfolio to thoughtfully create spaces that are designed to enhance the hybrid experience and bring people together for a reason. Emphasising the importance of understanding organisational goals in addition to employee preferences and needs, Cisco created a classification framework that defined what each space is for, making it easy for employees to see the value of going to the office. While creating the magnet is one piece of the puzzle, ensuring the experience is memorable and meaningful is another. Leveraging data captured from its smart workplace solutions, Cisco is enhancing the employee workplace with environmental sustainability and employee wellness in mind. Through this journey, the discoveries around thoughtfully creating spaces with intention and utilising usage and other key data metrics to manage those spaces have driven a new workplace strategy capable of evolving with the needs of the business. The lessons Cisco learned and the new practices that ensued can prove valuable for any business once they too uncover their unique purpose for the workplace. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Michael Condoleon leads Cisco’s Workplace Resources for the Asia Pacific, Japan and China (APJC) region, overseeing more than 85 sites and managing a significant operating budget. Since the shift to hybrid work, Michael has spearheaded initiatives to reimagine Cisco’s use of the workspace — achieving a 14 per cent reduction in costs that could be reinvested to create modern, inclusive and tech-forward environments. Leveraging real-time data and Cisco’s collaboration technology, his team designs spaces that empower people to do their best work, whether in the office or connecting remotely. Due in part to his leadership, Cisco’s APJC workplaces continue to earn recognition, including being named the #1 Great Place to Work in Singapore for two consecutive years and receiving top marks in global workplace benchmarks such as the Leesman Index.
Mark Miller is a member of Cisco’s Global Collaboration Centre of Excellence, leading workplace strategy. In his current role, he is responsible for engaging with Cisco’s clients, assisting them in the creation of their next-generation work environments and future of work strategies. Mark is also working closely with Cisco’s Workplace Resources and IT teams on the transformation of Cisco’s global real estate portfolio and has played a key role in the design and development of Cisco’s newest offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, London and Milan. Mark has over 30 years of experience in business and technology consulting, software development, marketing and sales. Prior to joining Cisco, he spent 15 years at Avaya in leadership positions within their customer relationship management (CRM) and strategic solutions practices. Throughout his career, Mark has been recognised for his skills in leading large and complex business and technology transformation projects.
Jeremy Witikko leads the Future-Proofed Workplace effort for Cisco’s Real Estate Go-to-Market team and is accountable for translating how Cisco approaches smart and sustainable buildings for its customers’ own properties. Prior to this role, he led the global go to market (GTM) strategy for smart buildings worldwide. Beyond smart buildings, he has extensive experience in innovation, leadership and consulting across multiple industries, including consumer package goods, aerospace, retail, financial, medical device and manufacturing. He has 26+ years of advisory consulting to executives, defining vision and roadmaps with pragmatic approaches to execution. Prior to this role, Jeremy worked at Daugherty Business Solutions, where he successfully delivered mission critical solutions to companies across the USA in the areas of business transformation, customer experience, workforce optimisation, mobile applications and custom software development/integration. Jeremy has worked directly with customers to transform various aspects of their business. He has partnered with numerous lines of business and customers’ finance organisations to create roadmaps with actionable total cost of ownerships (TCOs) and return on investments (ROIs) that are based on actual data and achievable results, signed off by their very own finance teams. Jeremy holds degrees in materials and science engineering and an MBA in marketing and strategy from the University of Minnesota.
