Steven Nickel on How Google Designs for Repair

As Google's leader of hardware repair operations and a veteran of consumer electronics with extensive experience at Sony, Steven Nickel brings decades of perspective on how field repair data can drive product excellence. His journey from human resources to product marketing to repair operations spans multiple companies and continents, offering valuable insights into the evolution of consumer electronics repair and its crucial role in product development.

When Steven first stepped onto a factory floor early in his career, he had the opportunity to meet a former NFL player working on the assembly line. “How would you compare this to what you had in the NFL?” The answer was that, when things would break down on the field and the game was going wrong, coaches would run in, ask what’s going on, and gather as much information as possible. But in factories, the engineers didn’t seek out information from the operators - they would just try to solve the issue on their own. This perspective would shape Steven's approach throughout his career, influencing Google's innovative distributed repair strategy for its hardware products.

Watch the full fireside chat with Steven here:

The Evolution of Google’s Repair Strategy

Google's approach to repair began with a fundamental question: how to align repair services with the company's core mission of making information useful and accessible. "When you think about that in the context of repair, what does that mean to be useful and accessible?" Steven recalled. The answer led to a distributed repair strategy that would prioritize customer convenience and environmental sustainability. This customer focus has enabled Google to emerge as a leader in progressive repair policies and shows how repair can transform from a legal requirement into a powerful driver of product improvement and customer loyalty.

Establishing a Distributed Network of Repair Partners

Rather than centralizing repairs in distant facilities where the labor might be cheaper and specialized tooling would be possible, Google opted to build a network of local repair partners. 

Steven explains, “How do we connect with customers  wherever they are? By building deep relationships with third-party partners to provide repair services in local communities, the Google team is able to provide same-day service and convenience for customers with less environmental impact.

Distributed Repair Strategy Drives Design for Repairability

The distributed repair model created a powerful incentive for internal improvement in Design for Repairability – if the devices were too difficult to repair or required too much specialized equipment, it wouldn’t work. "When you go to that model, it just puts the burden on you to design your products to be easy to repair," Steven notes. "They repair a lot of other things. You've got to make it easy to repair."

This commitment to repairability has influenced product design in tangible ways, from standardizing screws to minimizing proprietary tools. While these improvements simplify repair for their third-party partners, those design changes also improve upstream repair processes – like FATP rework – reducing labor costs and rework scrap rates.

Bridging the Gap Between Design, Engineering, and the Field

One of the most striking aspects of Google's approach is the regular interaction between repair operations and design teams. The eventual goal is to move to a point where interaction is regular and feedback is just a ping away. This collaboration between teams extends years into the future, with Steven participating in current discussions around products whose releases are still years away.

One of the most effective tools for driving design improvements is hands-on experience. Steven organizes teardown sessions where leadership and product teams attempt repairs themselves. "When you sponsor those, they will pay off for years," he notes. "You will hear from those leaders in meetings saying, 'I remember when I struggled with that. How can we make that better?'"

Another effective source of design improvements is leveraging data from repair, call centers, and field quality. With deep analysis, this raw data can become insights that drive product improvements.

Making The Business Case for Repairability

While repair might seem like a cost center, Steven argues it presents unique opportunities. "It's the only part in the operations world where you've got both a cost savings and a revenue generation opportunity," he explained. The cost savings come from operational efficiencies, while revenue opportunities arise from enhanced customer relationships, whether through extended warranties or accessory sales.

Rather than cannibalizing new product sales, a common objection in the fight for repairability, robust repair programs can expand the customer base. "As devices last longer, what you're really just doing is you're generating this opportunity to expand your customer base," Steven argues. Repaired devices can find new homes through hand-me-downs or donations, potentially creating aspirational customers for new products.

The repair experience has become increasingly important for brand loyalty. Imagining himself as a customer, Steven muses, “I'm gonna need repair at some point, and when I do, I want to know that the company is going to support it."

The Future of Electronics Repair is Consumer Repair

Looking ahead, Steven sees a growing movement toward DIY repair. "People want more agency. They want more ability to repair their own things," he observed, a trend that aligns with both cultural shifts and business opportunities. "When you enable people to do it, you're building a relationship with the product as well. You're connected to it because you fixed it, and now it can last longer."

Leading on Repairability as a Competitive Advantage

Google's approach to repair demonstrates how a repair strategy deployed with a solid business case and demonstrable ROI can align with company values while driving business success. Through distributed networks, design collaboration, and careful attention to customer feedback, they've transformed repair from a necessary service into a powerful tool for product improvement and customer loyalty.

As the right-to-repair movement gains momentum and sustainability concerns grow, Google's experience offers valuable lessons for the industry and has demonstrated that success in hardware isn't just about designing great products—it's about supporting those products throughout their entire lifecycle, learning from field experience, and using those insights to drive continuous improvement.

The future of electronics repair, as Steven envisions it, is one where repair becomes more accessible, sustainable, and integrated into the product development cycle. Companies that embrace repair as a strategic advantage rather than a legal mandate will be better positioned to build lasting customer relationships and drive product excellence.