Service
Operations & Performance
Lower cost, faster delivery and steadier quality, with savings that are still there in year three.
- Typical reduction in addressable cost
- 15–25%
- Of committed savings still visible after 24 months
- 88%
- Typical payback on the program
- 6–9 months
Overview
Cost transformation, procurement, supply chain and service operations, designed with the people who run them and tracked against the P&L rather than a slide.
Most companies have run a cost program in the last five years. Fewer can show the savings in this year’s accounts. The usual reasons are familiar: targets set top-down without a plan behind them, savings counted when a decision was taken rather than when the money left the budget, and no change to the work itself, so the cost returns when volumes do.
We build operations programs the other way round. We start with the activities that consume cost, work out which ones customers would pay for, and redesign the rest with the managers who will run them. Targets go into budgets, not trackers. Finance signs off every number before we count it.
The result is a lower cost base that holds, and an operating rhythm that keeps it there: a few metrics that matter, reviewed weekly by the people who can act on them.
Questions we answer
What clients bring to this practice
- 01Our costs grew faster than revenue for three years running. Where did the money go?
- 02We have run cost programs before. Why did the savings come back?
- 03How much are we overpaying our suppliers, and how do we fix it without breaking supply?
- 04Our service levels are slipping even though headcount is up. What is wrong?
- 05Can we take cost out without cutting into the capabilities we need for growth?
- 06How do we run operations so performance is visible every week, not every quarter?
What we do
How the practice can help
- 01
Cost transformation
A full review of the cost base by activity, with targets set bottom-up and booked into budgets so they cannot quietly drift back.
- 02
Procurement and spend management
Category strategies, supplier renegotiation and demand control, typically worth 6 to 12 percent of third-party spend.
- 03
Supply chain and network design
Inventory, footprint and logistics decisions modeled together, so service levels and working capital are traded off openly.
- 04
Service and back-office operations
Process redesign, shared services and automation for finance, HR and customer operations, measured on cost per transaction and error rates.
- 05
Lean and continuous improvement
Daily performance management on the shop floor and in the office, built so supervisors own it after we leave.
- 06
Performance management
A short set of operating metrics tied to the P&L, with a weekly review rhythm that surfaces problems while they are still small.
Our work
Results from this practice
-22%Operating cost baseFinancial Services2025A regional bank takes 22% out of its cost base without closing a branch
Read the case
-36%Elective waiting timesHealthcare & Life Sciences2025A five-hospital system cuts elective waiting times by 36% in a year
Read the case
-27%Unplanned outagesEnergy & Utilities2024A grid operator cuts unplanned outages by 27% with predictive maintenance
Read the case
Industries
Where this practice works most often
Is this just a headcount exercise?
No. Headcount is usually less than half the opportunity. Third-party spend, complexity and rework are often larger, and cutting them is less disruptive.
How do you make savings stick?
Every saving is tied to a named owner, a budget line and a changed process. We track them against actuals in finance, not in a separate program tracker.
Can fees be linked to results?
Yes. On most cost programs we offer to put part of our fee at risk against savings verified by your finance team.
What do you need from us at the start?
Twelve months of general ledger and spend data, organization charts, and two or three hours with each member of the leadership team in the first fortnight.
Have a decision on the table?
Tell us what you are weighing. A partner will reply within two working days, and the first conversation is on us.