For many organisations cost reduction has been a priority for sometime. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be undertaken carelessly, or performed so persistently that it can lead to acorporate 'death by a thousand cuts'. This publication fits effective cost reduction into a wider strategic framework: the challenge being to radically reduce costs, while still surviving and prospering. Drawing on helpful theoretical insights, and complemented by New Zealand and overseas case studies and examples, it will be of value to anyone serious about cost reduction in their organisation.
A practical approach to business transformation Fit for Growth* is a unique approach to business transformation that explicitly connects growth strategy with cost management and organization restructuring. Drawing on 70-plus years of strategy consulting experience and in-depth research, the experts at PwC’s Strategy& lay out a winning framework that helps CEOs and senior executives transform their organizations for sustainable, profitable growth. This approach gives structure to strategy while promoting lasting change. Examples from Strategy&’s hundreds of clients illustrate successful transformation on the ground, and illuminate how senior and middle managers are able to take ownership and even thrive during difficult periods of transition. Throughout the Fit for Growth process, the focus is on maintaining consistent high-value performance while enabling fundamental change. Strategy& has helped major clients around the globe achieve significant and sustained results with its research-backed approach to restructuring and cost reduction. This book provides practical guidance for leveraging that expertise to make the choices that allow companies to: Achieve growth while reducing costs Manage transformation and transition productively Create lasting competitive advantage Deliver reliable, high-value performance Sustainable success is founded on efficiency and high performance. Companies are always looking to do more with less, but their efforts often work against them in the long run. Total business transformation requires total buy-in, and it entails a series of decisions that must not be made lightly. The Fit for Growth approach provides a clear strategy and practical framework for growth-oriented change, with expert guidance on getting it right. *Fit for Growth is a registered service mark of PwC Strategy& Inc. in the United States
According to author Michael Rindler, "Every hospital has the ability to reduce its costs by at least 5 percent annually without harming clinical quality or customer service." In Strategic Cost Reduction: Leading Your Hospital to Success, he reveals a proven, step-by-step leadership plan for managing costs at all types of hospitals in any location-from small rural hospitals to large urban academic medical centers. With a focus on leadership approaches rather than financial techniques, this book explains how to alleviate the anxiety of cost reduction efforts and engage all managers, physicians, and employees in creating a financially healthy organization. You will learn practical strategies for building a cost-reduction culture, uncovering cost-saving opportunities, promoting accountability at all levels, and monitoring results.
Increasing business competition is compelling managers not only to develop realistic and achievable strategies but also to analyze goals in financial terms and to evaluate performance. Whether in manufacturing, service, or the non-profit sector managers need to know the key methods and techniques of cost analysis. The interaction of the organisation's activities, the influences of the external world and the responsibilities of managers need to be captured in financial terms to plan, control and make decisions. Sales managers, production managers, HR managers, amongst others, are recipients of financial information which they are expected to understand. They need to appreciate the impact of their decisions on costs, selling prices, investment decisions and profit. They must be able to analyse, communicate and act on financial information to be a valuable member of the management team. This text explains in simple language the methods and techniques of cost analysis that can be applied strategically at any level in an organization. The busy manager will find that the cost information provided will help them plan and control the activities for which they are responsible and also make strategic decisions in the most effective way. Whether you are in a manufacturing or service organisation, the book will help you to answer the four questions: What did it cost? What should it have cost? How can we improve? What is our next strategic move? No prior knowledge of accounting or statistics is required. The book defines all key terms and emphasizes the essential knowledge of analyzing cost in a strategic context.
Discover the tools for knowing the costs your company should cut, without impacting its ability to deliver goods and services New from Steve Bragg, this book provides the tools for determining which costs a company should cut, without impacting its ability to deliver goods and services. It explains how to use throughput analysis in order to locate bottleneck operations in a company, which in turn dictates where capital investments should (and should not) be made. Delves into process analysis, to determine where excess resources are being used in a business process Describes the total cost of ownership, showing how a single purchasing decision actually snowballs into a variety of ancillary costs Shows how to create and use a spend management system to reduce procurement costs Shows how just-in-time systems can be used to eliminate inventory costs Cost Reduction Analysis: Tools and Strategies provides examples to show how much cost can potentially be eliminated to avoid drastic action later that can imperil your corporation's direction and future.
This book deals with the systems of cost reduction that originated in Japan. These are mostly new systems that did not exist in western practices before they were utilized in Japan. The book also presents the Japanese ways of carrying out the globally popular cost reduction practices.(1) It describes the strategic cost management conducted by top management through alliances between companies and/or between government and industry.(2) It shows the functional cost reduction systems along the various phases of the product life cycle, as follows: R&D ? Product development ? Manufacturing ? Administration and indirect operations(3) It conducts some humanistic or behavioral aspects of Japanese cost reduction systems.
An indispensable guide for managers concerned with cost, strategy, and business re-engineering. Experts on the strategic use of cost data, the authors show how stategic cost management is revolutionizing accounting practices in leading companies. Includes numerous examples. 120 line drawings.
This book provides a simple, easily followed process for auditing building operations to identify and reduce energy consumption that leads to measurable carbon reduction. The crucial steps of this process involve assessing the facility's current conditions, understanding, and analyzing the operational and cost-based opportunities that increase carbon output. Taking this information to report the findings and then document a multiyear energy and carbon reduction plan. The book discusses the full scope of building components and systems, including how each system affects energy efficiency. It describes the operational energy efficiencies that are gained by implementing no-cost changes or alternative maintenance activities already funded. The book includes the process for identifying capital improvement opportunities, along with evaluating return on investment and life cycle replacement options for equipment. The four-step process described in this book will serve as a valuable tool for every building operator seeking to improve energy performance and reduce carbon output.
Managing corporate spend is far more complex than conducting RFPs. Learn how the most efficient and effective procurement departments operate, control costs, enforce compliance, and manage indirect spend. Managing Indirect Spend provides executives and procurement professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to successfully reduce costs with a strong focus on the often-overlooked area of indirect spend. It also offers great value to those procurement and purchasing professionals aspiring to be leaders in the profession, regardless of the spend they manage. It includes an overview of the challenges faced when sourcing indirect spend categories, a detailed dive into the strategic sourcing process, tools that can help drive savings, technologies that drive efficiencies and compliance, and examples of success based on real-world experience. It is a how-to guide that clearly covers sourcing engagements of any complexity and provides the details needed to source effectively. The book is structured into sections covering the sourcing and procurement process, the tools and technologies, examples from the field, walkthroughs of specific sourcing engagements, guidance on building an effective sourcing team, and the information needed to become a best-in-class sourcing organization. Since the initial publication of this book, the procurement profession and the discipline of Strategic Sourcing have matured. Markets have changed, processes developed, trends have come and gone, and technology has experienced leaps and bounds, posing new and interesting challenges for procurement professionals. In addition to covering tried-and-true practices for strategic sourcing, this Second Edition discusses how strategic sourcing has evolved and provides an update on the techniques, tools, and resources available to purchasing groups. This book: Includes updated coverage of everything you need to know to source more effectively Covers the latest trends in procurement and sourcing, including technology, process improvements and organizational design Presents guidance for reducing costs through strategic sourcing, no matter what the economic climate or level of maturity of the existing procurement organization Shows how effectively managing indirect costs can provide a huge impact on bott m line growth Introduces Market Intelligence (MI), including techniques, tools, and resources available to procurement and supply chain management groups With tools, real-world examples, and practical strategies, Managing Indirect Spend provides insider guidance for big bottom-line growth through effective management of indirect costs.
Shed Revenue-Draining Complexity Costs by Thirty Percent! “This is an ambitious book packed with insight and fresh thinking. Separating good from bad complexity costs is a critical task facing companies today, and the authors provide a compelling roadmap for solving the problem.” Michael B. McCallister, President and CEO, Humana Inc. “Waging War on Complexity Costs examines an incredibly important and often overlooked aspect of business and organizations in general—regulators and government officials should read this book and take notice. Complexity dramatically increases costs and risk of failure. It is like a cancer that eats away at efficiency and profitability.” Andy Beal, Chairman and CEO, Beal Bank “This is by far the best and most useful explanation of how to address complexity in a business. Waging War on Complexity Costs frames the issue in a way that companies can finally tackle the problem—this book delivers.” Ahmad R. Chatila, CEO, MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. “This is the first book that really targets organizational complexity in a compelling way, making this a must-read for any organization that is looking to distance itself from the competition. After years of cost-cutting, many companies are realizing that they still don’t have a discernable cost advantage. This book provides the platform to achieve just that, by attacking the complexity that bogs them down.” Tom DiDonato, EVP Human Resources, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. About the Book: Complexity costs are the single biggest determinant of your company’s cost competitiveness. For the past two decades the pursuit of growth has created massive complexity in processes, product portfolios, and organizations, adding costs that companies can ill afford. The only good news is that your competitors may be carrying as much complexity as you are. Learn how to eliminate this complexity, and you can create a tremendous cost advantage over your competition. In Waging War on Complexity Costs, Stephen Wilson and Andrei Perumal deliver a powerful and practical approach for reclaiming your cost advantage. This executive-level resource presents a wealth of insight and new research to definitively answer key questions such as: How can I quantify the cost of complexity without getting lost in a sea of data? Where are the biggest opportunities for reducing product, process, and organizational complexity, and how can I cut through the interdependencies that trap these costs? How can I see results quickly by taking targeted actions against key levers? How do I keep complexity costs at bay? It is not enough to attack bloated product portfolios. Substantive cost improvements require addressing the complexity in the underlying processes and organizational structures. Waging War on Complexity Costs provides a wealth of relevant case studies with examples from Kraft, Tesco, Fiat, and the U.S. Navy and highlights specific strategies for reducing costs by 15-30% in significant portions of your business. Tomorrow’s consumers are emerging as wellinformed customers who know what they want and the price they’re willing to pay for it. Complexity not only drives costs; it creates a barrier between you and the customer. Declare a war on complexity costs and prepare for profitable growth.
