In times of uncertainty, when business models are challenged, managers and financial directors are bound to cut costs to make organisations more agile, robust and adaptable to change
Why your idea management programme is so helpful for strategic cost-cutting
As business models being are challenged, organisations need to become more adaptable and resilient, naturally also by becoming more efficient and cutting inadequate costs. This change must happen from the bottom up, with the right leadership and sponsorship, to separate the good from the bad costs, at both micro and macro levels. Innovation managers can, and should lend a hand to address this shared challenge.
Transforming cost-cutting into growth in your innovation programme
In times of uncertainty, when business models are challenged, companies are bound to cut costs, to become more agile, robust and adaptable to change. Managers can support these efforts, namely within the corporate innovation programme.
Launching your own innovation programme has never been this easy
Do you feel that your innovation programme is becoming too complex? That you are spending too much time picking the right software to support your initiative, instead of focusing on what your company really needs?
The 7 (+1) things you have to do to succeed as an Innovation Director
As companies fight to stay ahead of the innovation curve, the role of the Innovation Director is developing and growing in significance. Some have trained in the field with a high degree of specialisation, while others have fallen into the position from other areas and have moulded themselves to become the innovation leader of their company. Regardless, their goal is the same: to help propel and direct innovation within their organisation.
Step 5: Be resilient to create a cost-conscious culture in your innovation agenda
If you are introducing cost-cutting in your innovation agenda, your ultimate drive is to create a cost culture that sustains itself over time and is not forgotten three months after being announced by the leadership.
Step 4: Overcoming fears over cost-cutting within your innovation agenda
Typically, cost-cutting is an expression that frightens employees. It often suggests salary reductions, job cuts and increased individual workload. When introduced in your innovation agenda, you should thus ensure that both real needs and strategy are understood across the organisation, consistently framing any cost-cutting goals.
For step 2 in cost-cutting within your innovation agenda, you will need this
A cost-cutting initiative within your innovation agenda needs to be run as a strategic initiative with the same board sponsorship, direction and accountability as any other critical initiative. It is important to ensure central governance, senior management agreement and employees’ engagement.
What are the good and the bad costs in your innovation agenda?
When introducing a cost-cutting strategy in your innovation agenda, you should first have a clear view of your company’s strategy and map out good and bad costs for programme intervention, at macro and micro levels. Both macro- and micro-level-oriented strategies have value and they often make more sense combined.
How to introduce a cost-cutting strategy in your innovation initiative: Step 1
To introduce a cost-cutting strategy in your innovation management initiative and ensure that your business remains relevant and able to maximise its potential under less favourable circumstances, five major steps should be taken.