Sustainable Success: Aardman’s IT Transformation with TIEVA and Cisco Refresh

Background

For over 40 years, Aardman has entertained and captivated audiences, creating much-loved characters like Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. As an innovative and progressive company, the iconic studio has consistently leveraged cutting-edge technology, relying on a complex IT infrastructure designed to support its unique creative processes. In parallel with its technological advancements, Aardman has integrated environmental responsibility and sustainability into its operations, guided by an Environmental and Sustainability Charter that sets out its targets and commitments across all business practices.

Challenge

Aardman’s environmental and sustainability targets include minimising waste and making reduce, reuse, and recycle the standard operating procedure. Additionally, Aardman has a commitment to ensuring that environmental and climate change criteria are standard requirements in the procurement of goods and services.
‍

Therefore, when it came time to upgrade its network infrastructure with high-performing technologies, including all of the core and access switching, Aardman’s IT team faced the challenge of finding products that would meet its rigorous standards for performance, reliability, and security - all while aligning the solution with the studio’s Environmental and Sustainability Charter.

Solution

‍
To address this challenge, Aardman decided to leverage remanufactured equipment to replace its end-of-life network hardware. However, given the importance of network performance and reliability, Aardman needed a solution that would not involve the risks associated with out-of-warranty or unsupported products.

Aardman selected TIEVA to partner with on this critical upgrade, to procure certified remanufactured products that meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. As a certified Cisco Partner, TIEVA was able to help Aardman procure products through Cisco Refresh, which provided the company with remanufactured products eligible for the same warranty and support options as new equipment.

This partnership allowed Aardman to procure certified remanufactured products from Cisco’s inventory at highly competitive prices. The products sourced included both end-of-sale items and products currently listed on Cisco’s Global Price List. A key advantage of Cisco Refresh is the availability of in-stock products, ready to ship. This enabled Aardman to receive the necessary equipment quickly, minimising disruption to its operations.

Aardman also took advantage of the Cisco Takeback and Reuse Program, recycling its old Cisco equipment by returning it to be reused or recycled. Cisco’s program ensures that 99.9% of returned equipment is either reused or recycled, helping Aardman to meet its sustainability goals and ensuring responsible disposition of equipment.

Outcomes

‍
Through the implementation of Cisco Refresh products, Aardman successfully upgraded its network infrastructure in alignment with its sustainability objectives. The studio maintained the high performance, reliability, and security of its IT operations while also achieving significant cost savings and reducing its environmental impact.

By partnering with TIEVA and procuring products through Cisco Refresh, Aardman has demonstrated the importance of engaging with a supply chain that prioritises sustainability. This approach supports Aardman’s emissions target, ensuring that supplier environmental performance is always a key consideration. By embedding these practices into their IT procurement strategy, Aardman not only advances its sustainability objectives but also sets a benchmark for responsible sourcing in the creative industry.

‍