Cut Costs Not Corners

Book excerpt: Cost cutting is an issue for every manager and executive at every level in every company, large or small, public or private sector. Junior managers who are proactively tight on cost are learning good habits for the future, ones that will bring them recognition and advance their climb up the organizational chart. The HR department is now staffed with tough cost managers dealing with the most difficult cost category, people. Marketing departments now focus on how to get higher returns from less spend. Cut Costs Not Corners has a coherent and structured approach to cost cutting as a permanent activity, combined with guidance on the practical steps to take and powerful international case studies. It covers strategic and tactical cost cutting options such as analysing space needs, buying technology for less, selling off redundant assets, reducing credit risk, reviewing distribution methods, sourcing new suppliers or consolidating existing ones, advertising for less, changing the route to market, travel and utility savings, minimising finance and tax costs, crisis measures - freezing recruitment, delaying pay rises, sell and lease back assets - keeping budgets rolling and using a daily cash flow model.