This weblog is a part of our concentrate on Cisco staff who’re “Striving for Sustainability” by discovering alternatives to combine sustainability of their day-to-day work.
Over the previous a number of years, we have now constructed an engine to obtain our aim to include Round Design Ideas into 100% of our new merchandise and packaging by fiscal 2025.
One of many key drivers behind this effort is Ajay Ranjith Vempati, Round Design Lead at Cisco. Ajay’s first classes in circularity got here whereas rising up on his father or mother’s farm in India, the place nothing went to waste; crop residues grew to become animal fodder, manure enriched the soil, and meals scraps returned to fields. His mom carried the identical spirit into every day life: worn-out garments lived many lives as comforters, dusting rags, or doormats whereas milk pouches, newspapers, and books had been fastidiously saved for recyclers.
These experiences formed his perception that nothing is ever a waste — solely a useful resource in transition. Right this moment, he brings these learnings into his work, embedding circularity into Cisco’s product design. Be taught extra about Ajay’s journey at Cisco:
How did Cisco’s round design journey start and what impressed it?
Ajay: Cisco engineers have been embedding sustainability into merchandise and packaging for over a decade. The Round Design program picked up momentum a number of years earlier than I joined. Throughout that point, Cisco introduced some formidable round design objectives, the groups carried out product teardowns to know the largest alternative areas, and a gaggle of inside champions helped to create Cisco’s Round Design Ideas and a gamified coaching program.
Once I joined Cisco in 2021, my function was to behave as a catalyst: deliver folks collectively, simplify and scale the strategy, and provides engineers instruments to make it their very own. We developed a design scoring mechanism and embedded it into the instruments that Cisco engineers use day by day. Then we educated over 7,000 engineers. This might not have been attainable with out the wonderful partnerships we have now with leaders and workforce members throughout Cisco’s {hardware} engineering and provide chain groups.
What had been some challenges confronted throughout this journey, and the way had been they overcome?
Ajay: One among our greatest challenges was determining easy methods to scale this course of throughout an organization with such various merchandise. With lots of of merchandise launched every year, it shortly grew to become clear that evaluating every product and packaging design manually simply wasn’t possible. That’s once we began to develop IT instruments that will embed the round design analysis instantly into our design course of. By integrating these necessities into instruments our engineering and provide chain groups already use, groups may extra simply undertake circularity with out stepping exterior their regular workflow.
Management was extremely supportive; they’re now accountable for round design similar to they’re accountable for value and high quality metrics, and new designs can’t be launched to manufacturing till they meet round design standards.
Alongside the technical answer, we additionally centered on socialization — ensuring everybody understood what was altering and why. We participated in all-hands and workforce conferences and relied on champions inside every enterprise unit to drive adoption. In the end, it was this mixture of strong instruments, management assist, and engagement that helped us to scale this system efficiently.
I perceive the engineering groups have embraced round design. Are you able to share an instance of a novel innovation they developed?
Ajay: Sure – one instance traces again to a product teardown we hosted. Whereas disassembling a change, the workforce realized that the performance of the metal enclosure might be maintained even with lowered thickness. This led Cisco to revamp the enclosure of the C9350 good change, leading to materials financial savings and improved effectivity with out compromising efficiency. Through the use of much less metal, we cut back sourcing and delivery prices, whereas additionally avoiding the related greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions from the manufacturing and transportation of that materials.
To me, this can be a nice instance of innovation and cross-team collaboration. The engineers went past their regular scope, engaged with advertising and clients, and received everybody on board utilizing one thing just a little completely different — with out impacting the shopper expertise. It actually challenged the mindset of “that is how we’ve all the time completed it.”
We’re experiencing related shifts in packaging. Foam was once the usual solution to shield our merchandise, however now we’re seeing packaging designs that remove foam and plastic. Individuals are pushing previous standard desirous about what’s attainable from a design perspective. It’s not simple — there are many stakeholders to interact — however groups are breaking out of their silos to make adjustments, and that’s been actually impactful.
How do you see Cisco’s round design efforts benefiting clients and the broader business?
Ajay: We all know that clients are more and more on the lookout for merchandise which have decrease environmental footprints and lowered vitality and upkeep prices. Lots of our clients — particularly in Europe and amongst Fortune 500 firms — have their very own sustainability objectives, and so they’re looking for merchandise that assist them meet these requirements.
Our strategy to round design instantly helps these wants. For our clients, it means merchandise that use fewer assets, last more, value much less to function, are simple to restore or improve, and may be recycled successfully.
On a broader business stage, what’s distinctive about our strategy is the way it’s deeply embedded in the way in which we design our merchandise and packaging. This isn’t only a pilot or a distinct segment initiative. Round design is now constructed into the event of each new product and packaging at Cisco. We’ve created a mannequin that reveals how design itself is usually a catalyst for delivering on sustainability and enterprise objectives at scale — not only for us, however for the complete business.
What’s subsequent for round design?
Ajay: We’re actively increasing and revising our standards by listening to our stakeholders, together with our clients, staff, regulators, and buyers. We’re updating our Round Design Ideas to ensure we’re prepared for the longer term. We intention to maneuver the needle on subjects like utilizing recycled metals, eradicating hazardous supplies, and making our analysis standards extra product-specific — as a result of Cisco’s product variety means there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.
We’re additionally elevating the bar for our engineering and design groups. Our preliminary coaching was an awesome basis, however now we’re creating superior, role-specific coaching with real-life examples and sensible instruments that engineers can use of their day-to-day work to include circularity. It’s about shifting past simply telling groups to make use of recycled supplies.We’re displaying them how, and what to contemplate within the course of.
I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the place we’re headed. The subsequent part shall be rigorous and require vital effort, however it’s going to even be rewarding. Round design isn’t nearly doing good for the surroundings. Through the use of recycled supplies and designing merchandise that last more and are simpler to restore and recycle, we’re making ready to be extra future-ready and resilient from a provide chain perspective, whereas assembly the evolving expectations of stakeholders. In some ways, that is turning into a real enterprise crucial, not only a sustainability aim.