Cost-out without the hangover
Blunt cost targets cut muscle along with fat. A better approach starts with the work, not the headcount.
A 15% cost target applied evenly across departments is the fastest way to remove the people who were quietly holding the business together. The savings appear in the next quarter; the hangover arrives in the one after.
Start with the work
We begin every cost programme by mapping the work, not the organisation chart. Which activities create value for customers? Which exist only because of a decision made ten years ago? Which are duplicated across sites?
This usually reveals that a third of the opportunity sits in process redesign, a third in procurement and only a third in organisation — the opposite of where most programmes start.
Protect the capability you will need
Before cutting anything, agree the capabilities the business will need in three years. Then make sure the programme invests in them, even modestly. Cost-out that funds the future is far easier to sell to the people who have to deliver it.
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Post-merger integration: the first 100 days, honestly
