In an era of margin compression, rising input costs, wage inflation, and capital scarcity, business cost optimization has moved from a periodic cost-cutting exercise to a continuous capability that defines competitive advantage. The companies that win are not the ones that slash the deepest in a downturn — they are the ones that engineer structural cost efficiency into procurement, operations, technology, and corporate functions while protecting customer experience and growth investments. Our cost optimization consulting services help CFOs, COOs, and PE-backed management teams identify, quantify, and unlock EBITDA improvement opportunities across direct spend, indirect spend, headcount, real estate, IT, working capital, and tax — typically delivering 10% to 25% addressable cost reduction in a 6–9 month engagement, with measurable, run-rate savings that hit the P&L.
We deploy proven methodologies — zero-based budgeting (ZBB), spend cube analysis, activity-based costing, lean operations, shared services design, strategic sourcing, tail-spend management, SaaS & cloud cost optimization (FinOps), working capital optimization, SG&A rationalization, and tax-efficient cost structuring — with a clear governance model that separates one-time savings from sustainable run-rate impact. Whether you are preparing for a fundraise, defending margins in a downturn, integrating a recent acquisition, restructuring a legacy cost base, or simply redirecting spend from low-value activities into growth and digital investment — our specialists deliver a costed, sequenced cost optimization roadmap that the CFO can defend to the board, the audit committee, and the investor base.
100-day plans, post-deal cost transformation, EBITDA bridge delivery, and exit-readiness cost programs across PE-owned portfolio companies.
Direct material savings, plant productivity, OEE improvement, energy cost optimization, and procurement category strategy across BOM and indirect spend.
SaaS license rationalization, cloud cost optimization (AWS / Azure / GCP), shadow IT elimination, and IT operating model redesign.
Finance, HR, IT, legal, and procurement function cost benchmarking, span-of-control review, automation, and shared services / GBS design.
DSO / DPO / DIO optimization to release trapped cash — collections discipline, payment-term harmonization, inventory reduction, and forecast accuracy uplift.
Cash-crisis stabilization, 13-week cash-flow models, rapid cost-out programs, vendor renegotiation, and lender-grade restructuring plans.
Spend cube analysis, category strategy, e-RFX, reverse auctions, supplier consolidation, and tail-spend management — typically the largest savings lever.
Line-item rebuild from zero — every cost is justified by activity, value, and outcome — driving structural reduction in SG&A and indirect spend.
Span-of-control, layers, role consolidation, contractor mix, and capability-based workforce planning — protecting growth roles while removing duplication.
SaaS license rationalization, cloud rightsizing, reserved-instance / savings-plan strategy, shadow IT elimination, and IT vendor consolidation.
Lean Six Sigma, OEE, value-stream mapping, automation (RPA / AI), and process redesign to reduce cost per unit while improving service.
Footprint rationalization, hybrid-work design, lease renegotiation, sale-leaseback, and facilities cost reduction across offices and warehouses.
DSO / DPO / DIO optimization, collections, payment-term harmonization, inventory reduction, and supply chain financing — releasing trapped cash.
Indirect tax (GST / VAT) recovery, input credit optimization, R&D incentives, transfer pricing review, and entity rationalization for tax efficiency.
Full P&L diagnostic — spend cube, function-by-function benchmarking against peer set, and identification of addressable cost pools and savings potential.
ZBB design and rollout for SG&A and indirect spend — line-item rebuild, cost-package owners, governance, and year-on-year discipline.
Category strategy, e-RFX execution, reverse auctions, contract renegotiation, supplier consolidation, and tail-spend management for direct & indirect spend.
SaaS license audit, cloud rightsizing across AWS / Azure / GCP, reserved-instance / savings-plan strategy, and FinOps governance for ongoing control.
Span-of-control review, layer reduction, role consolidation, contractor mix, and capability-based workforce planning aligned to strategy.
Cash conversion cycle improvement — DSO acceleration, DPO extension, DIO reduction, and supply-chain finance design to release trapped cash.
Global business services (GBS) and shared service center design for finance, HR, IT, and procurement — location strategy, tower design, and migration.
Lean Six Sigma, value-stream mapping, RPA / intelligent automation, and AI-led process redesign for cost-per-unit and productivity gains.
Office and warehouse footprint rationalization, hybrid-work design, lease renegotiation, and sale-leaseback advisory.
Plant productivity, OEE uplift, energy cost reduction, BOM should-cost analysis, make-vs-buy, and manufacturing footprint optimization.
GST / VAT recovery, input credit optimization, R&D and other incentives, transfer pricing alignment, and entity rationalization.
Savings tracker, run-rate vs in-year reporting, governance forum, escalation discipline, and audit-ready savings methodology for the CFO and audit committee.
EBITDA margin is under pressure from rising input cost, wage inflation, or pricing constraints, and the board has asked for a structural cost program.
Newly PE-owned business needs a 100-day plan and EBITDA bridge that lenders and the LP base can rely on for value creation.
Run-rate cost story needs to be tightened before a fundraise, IPO, or trade sale, and EBITDA needs to be optimised and defendable.
Synergy targets from a recent acquisition need to be designed, tracked, and delivered with clear governance and audit-ready savings.
SaaS & cloud spend has grown faster than the business and shadow IT, license sprawl, and cloud waste need an enterprise-wide FinOps reset.
Working capital is tying up cash, DSO is rising, inventory is bloated, or covenants are tight and the CFO needs cash-release fast.
Lender, board, or operational crisis demands a 13-week cash flow, fast cost-out, vendor renegotiation, and credible restructuring plan.
Existing cost base is funding low-value activities; capital needs to be redirected to growth, digital, and customer experience.
Spend cube, P&L diagnostic, peer benchmarking, and addressable cost pool identification within 4–6 weeks.
Idea generation across procurement, SG&A, IT, workforce, and working capital — sized, validated, and prioritised.
Sequenced roadmap with owners, milestones, savings tracker, and CFO-grade governance forum stood up.
Wave-by-wave execution — sourcing events, ZBB rollout, FinOps, automation, and workforce moves with run-rate tracking.
Run-rate vs in-year reporting, audit-ready savings methodology, and embedded governance for sustained discipline.
Partner with our cost optimization consultants for end-to-end EBITDA improvement — diagnostic, zero-based budgeting, strategic sourcing, FinOps, working capital release, and CFO-grade savings governance.
Talk to a Cost Optimization Expert