Connected Workplace
Overview
Like many other organizations today, Cisco came to the conclusion that their workplace environment was at odds with the way they worked. People were seldom at their desks. Meeting spaces were in short supply. Communication was ever more variable face to face, instant messaging, desk top video, phone, e-mail. And work hours shifted dramatically as the need to work globally increased. With these changes in mind, Cisco created the Connected Workplace. It is currently in the Proof of Concept phase.
Key Goals:
- Encourage collaboration
- Reduce real estate costs
- Reduce infrastructure costs
- Accommodate different work styles
Workplace Solutions:
- Unassigned workspaces
- Increased number and variety of meeting spaces, from enclosed conference rooms and informal areas with comfortable chairs to a centrally located cafe
- Small individual workstations
- Highly mobile furnishings and space dividers
- Lockers for personal items
- Increased density; the space used for the POC would normally hold 88 employees compared to the 140 actually assigned to the workplace
- High visibility throughout the space
- High daylight and views to the surrounding outdoor landscape
Enabling Technologies:
- Wireless infrastructure and wireless LANS
- Laptops and docking stations
- Cisco work support software for individuals and groups,
- Cisco IP Communications Technology, including software that enables calls over PCs using wired or wireless headsets
- Mobile video conferencing tools and software for web meetings
- Interactive white boards
- Instant messaging, e-mail and voice mail
- Tools for enabling workers to locate one another electronically
Preliminary Results
- Employees expressed generally high levels of satisfaction with the space
- 80% said they would prefer to stay in the space rather than return to their previous workspace
- Those who spend the most time at their desks were more challenged by the mobility
- Cost savings of 37% to 60% across categories such as rent, construction, furniture, cabling, and workplace services
Source: "Cisco Connected Workplace Enhances Work Experience and Cuts Costs." 2009, Case study, Cisco Systems, Inc.
