Cost

Leading companies ensure that every dollar serves their strategy, applying approaches such as zero-based budgeting and sustained cost transformation to guide their efforts. Bain’s cost insights explain how these tactics help companies manage spending and increase productivity.

Telecommunications

The US Telecom Cost-Cutting Imperative: $28 Billion by ’28

With growth harder to achieve, a bold cost strategy is key to sustainable value creation.

Accelerated Performance Transformation

Tariffs Are Shaking Up Investment Priorities

As input costs rise, companies are revising forecasts and shifting capital to supply chains and tech.

Banking

Will North American Banks Get Serious About Efficiency?

They still have too many branches, paper checks, and manual processes.

Services Financiers

Four Ways to Improve Performance in Financial Services

Smart technology choices alone won’t fuel change. True adoption requires a culture shift.

Higher Education

Zero-Based Redesign: The Key to Realizing Gen AI’s Cost Savings Potential

Productivity gains alone won’t create ROI for companies investing in generative AI.

Support Functions

Dynamic Strategic Planning and Budgeting

Dynamic Strategic Planning and Budgeting is a method to help companies plan and invest during times of great uncertainty.

Corporate Strategy

The Normal Level of Inflation in the 2020s May Be Lower Than Current Projections

Strategy planners should consider scenarios that assume both low and high rates of inflation.

Opérations

Turning Inflation Disruption into Value with Six Strategic Steps

Our study determined the key moves that have helped companies in times of high inflation.

Grande Consommation

Six Strategies to Help Your Company Weather Inflation

Lessons from a study of 5,700 global businesses.

Support Functions

CFOs Want FP&A to Marshal Value Creation

FP&A teams should spend less time explaining the numbers and more time working with the business to manage them.

Média

Rebooting Costs to Compete with Digital Disrupters in Media

Bain Partner Charlie Kim discusses how traditional media companies can regain their competitive footing in the face of digital media's stronghold.

Produits et Services Industriels de pointe

How WorleyParsons Is Responding to a Changing Market

WorleyParsons CEO Andrew Wood discusses how his company has adapted to market-driven challenges.

Amélioration de la Performance

Cutting Costs—And Keeping Them Out

Inside the methods of cost productivity leaders.

Aerospace et Défense

Jim Harris: Zero-Based Cost Reduction in Aerospace and Defense

Aerospace and defense companies can lower costs by taking a clean-sheet approach to their businesses.

Supply Chain

How to Bring Down Supply Chain Costs as Prices Rise

After years of deflation, companies will need to take stronger measures to meet productivity targets.

Accelerated Performance Transformation

Hernan Saenz: Why Cost Productivity Matters

Higher productivity can improve shareholder returns if companies take a few guidelines into consideration.

Amélioration de la Performance

Hernan Saenz: Sustaining Change in a Cost Transformation

A successful cost program is not an event, but a change in the way a company does business.

Accelerated Performance Transformation

Patrick O'Hagan: Driving Growth through Strategic Cost Management

Bain Partner Patrick O'Hagan discusses three steps companies can take to execute an effective cost transformation.

Energie et Ressources Naturelles

Cost Reduction Strategies for Power Generation

Resourcing power plants according to their needs and usage can generate big savings.

Distribution

The Zero-Based Cost Revolution in Retail

Why traditional belt-tightening is not enough.

Amélioration de la Performance

Why Zero-Based Budgeting Goes Wrong

Four common pitfalls can keep companies from achieving lasting results.

Amélioration de la Performance

Deepak Jain: Betting on Zero-Based Budgeting's Trifecta

How companies can reduce cost, grow revenue and strengthen employee engagement.

Distribution

Kurt Grichel: Cost Efficiency in Retail

Retailers can use zero-based budgeting and zero-based redesign to transform their cost structures.

Organisation

Supercharging Zero-Based Redesign

Successful zero-based redesigns typically cut costs by 25%, and digital technologies can help accelerate results.

Distribution

Big Brands Confront Big Changes at US Grocers

Large brands can take five steps to thrive in the shifting grocery landscape.

Energie et Ressources Naturelles

Cost Reduction for Utilities in a Zero Load-Growth World

North American utilities will need to cut $15 billion, about 20% of operations and maintenance costs, over the next 5 years to meet their commitments to investors.