G&A Management

Growing companies often lose control of costs, and in mergers and acquisitions, cost reduction is frequently both a major deal promise and a disappointment. Bain's study of companies in industries ranging from consumer products to financial services to energy shows that strategically trimming and reconfiguring support functions such as human resources, finance and procurement is smarter than making wholesale cuts. Done right, it can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of critical processes while also reining in costs. We have helped more than 900 clients achieve savings of 10 percent to 50 percent while improving service to internal and external clients.

Bain takes into account each client's strategic goals and customer requirements. We run each cost center through a set of diagnostics, which includes benchmarks and best practices, to find and rank opportunities for savings. There are three broad areas of focus: reducing use by determining which support services are important to the customer or business; redesigning services by dissecting essential processes and eliminating steps that don't truly contribute to the business; and, restructuring support services so that they can perform the most effectively at the lowest cost. The latter is the hardest to do, but usually has the biggest impact. Tracking systems ensure that results are not only on target but lasting.