Leveraging data to redefine the purpose of the workplace: A case study on Cisco’s corporate real estate strategy

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/.