A Culture of Disruption

Autodesk is one of the best corporate social responsibility examples because the entire company is focused on disruption of current markets and products. Instead of just making products, the company provides funding, software, and workspace for makers. Makers are artists and engineers designing and creating new products using 3D printer technology. The makers working with Autodesk are able to disrupt many industries and provide benefits for customers, manufacturers, distributors, and anyone else involved in the supply chain. The products created by makers using Autodesk programs, printers, and other technologies are as diverse as the makers themselves.

Autodesk set up its Autodesk Foundation to fund and equip social entrepreneur companies in creating products that will benefit society. These companies actually stand on their own as corporate social responsibility examples. One company receiving support from the Foundation is Build Change. The group saves lives in developing countries by upgrading houses to be natural disaster resistant. They are able to reduce death, injuries, and economic damage caused when houses or schools collapse from earthquakes or typhoons.

Better Buildings, Safer Living

Many of the houses in areas served by Build Change are put together quickly by construction workers with no engineering background. This makes the buildings vulnerable. Working with Autodesk, Build Change trains these builders to improve their techniques. Build Change also provides the education and technology necessary to make new buildings disaster proof. This improves lives for the builders and for the people living in the houses and using the schools in these areas.

D-Rev

D-Rev, a nonprofit maker of medical devices, is one of the other corporate social responsibility examples funded by the Autodesk Foundation. D-Rev creates prosthetics and other medical devices that are of equal or greater quality than the best devices on the market. The products are distributed through the market so that D-Rev’s sales are not dependent on donations or subsidies. D-Rev calls itself “user-obsessed” because the company creates products that touch every person on the supply chain. D-Rev and its products improve the lives of medical care providers and patients on a daily basis.

Autodesk is a great corporate social responsibility example because its products provide tangible benefits for the makers who use them. Autodesk manufactures and sells 3D printers, design programs, and space for makers to work. They are focused on design. Autodesk sees design as a way to improve the lives of its customers and users. These driving principles make Autodesk a leader in the area of corporate social responsibility.