Cisco Cisco WebEx Meeting Center WBS29.11 Information Guide
Customer Case Study
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GHD uses Cisco solutions to enhance
collaboration and deliver global projects faster.
Challenge
GHD is one of the world’s leading engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting
companies. Established in 1928, the firm employs more than 5500 people across five
continents and serves clients in the global markets of water, energy and resources,
environment, property and buildings, and transportation. GHD is unique in that it is wholly
owned by its employees and operates without a formal headquarters. Instead, the firm
strives to unite the brainpower and skill sets of global teams and deliver services across
70 disciplines driven by a fundamental philosophy of teamwork known as “One GHD.”
companies. Established in 1928, the firm employs more than 5500 people across five
continents and serves clients in the global markets of water, energy and resources,
environment, property and buildings, and transportation. GHD is unique in that it is wholly
owned by its employees and operates without a formal headquarters. Instead, the firm
strives to unite the brainpower and skill sets of global teams and deliver services across
70 disciplines driven by a fundamental philosophy of teamwork known as “One GHD.”
Historically, sustaining the level of collaboration necessary to operate as One GHD involved
“a lot of telephone conversations and extensive air travel,” says Elizabeth Harper, chief
information officer at GHD. As the firm grew to well over 100 offices and added new
practices to the business, staying connected became even more critical and expensive.
GHD decided to provide employees with tools that would enable them to collaborate
effectively without constant travel. “We wanted to decrease travel costs as well as improve
employee productivity overall by giving them more time to do meaningful work,” says Harper.
“a lot of telephone conversations and extensive air travel,” says Elizabeth Harper, chief
information officer at GHD. As the firm grew to well over 100 offices and added new
practices to the business, staying connected became even more critical and expensive.
GHD decided to provide employees with tools that would enable them to collaborate
effectively without constant travel. “We wanted to decrease travel costs as well as improve
employee productivity overall by giving them more time to do meaningful work,” says Harper.
At the same time, GHD needed tools to enable its very mobile executive team to work
and meet from around the globe. Collaboration had to be easy and convenient to facilitate
knowledge sharing and improve innovation. Harper and her team prepared a business case
for collaboration tools, hoping to achieve payback on the solution via travel cost reductions.
and meet from around the globe. Collaboration had to be easy and convenient to facilitate
knowledge sharing and improve innovation. Harper and her team prepared a business case
for collaboration tools, hoping to achieve payback on the solution via travel cost reductions.
Solution
Giving Employees the Right Tools
After evaluating various collaboration solutions, GHD engaged Cisco® Gold Partner
Bridge Point Communications to deploy Cisco Jabber®, working with Cisco Unified
Communications Manager, allowing all 5500 employees to collaborate using a variety
After evaluating various collaboration solutions, GHD engaged Cisco® Gold Partner
Bridge Point Communications to deploy Cisco Jabber®, working with Cisco Unified
Communications Manager, allowing all 5500 employees to collaborate using a variety
Global Engineering Firm Drives Innovation
with Collaboration
• Customer Name: GHD Pty Ltd
• Industry: Engineering, Architecture
• Industry: Engineering, Architecture
and Environmental Consultancy
• Location: Global
• Number of Employees: 5500
• Number of Employees: 5500
Challenge
• Enable convenient knowledge
sharing to foster innovation and
deliver better quality projects
• Improve productivity and time to
market
• Minimize travel costs while
expanding global collaboration
Solution
• Deployed cloud-based, integrated
voice and video tools for a high-
quality, consistent collaboration
experience across devices
• Equipped employees with IP
softphones for greater flexibility
Results
• Increased knowledge sharing among
global teams
• Allowed employees to be more
productive and travel less
• Decreased travel costs, generating
100 percent payback on Cisco
collaboration tools in less than 12
months
Executive Summary