MARTÍN GILSTRATEGY & INTELLIGENCE

MGS Executive Toolkit Collection · ET-014

Decision support tool

Cost Reduction without Damaging Capability

Reduce cost without weakening sales, quality, compliance or future capacity.

Prioritise defensible cost reductions and distinguish efficiency from indiscriminate cuts.

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Editable XLSX file compatible with Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.

When to use itBefore committing resources or closing a difficult-to-reverse decision.
What to prepareVerifiable evidence, owners, limits and alternatives.
What you will obtainCompare savings against operational damage and reversibility.

What problem it helps solve

Prioritise defensible cost reductions and distinguish efficiency from indiscriminate cuts.

Questions to answer before deciding

  • Can price, volume or terms be renegotiated?
  • Which service can be reduced or redefined?
  • Which capacity is underused?
  • Which licences or systems are redundant?
  • Which fixed cost or space can be optimised?

How the result is interpreted

The 0–100 result is calculated only from confirmed rows. Document completeness is shown separately so that a completed worksheet is not confused with a favourable decision.

What it does not replace

The tool structures a decision. It does not replace financial, legal, tax, technical or human review when specialist verification is required.

User guide

How to use the tool

1

Define the scope

Specify the decision or situation being assessed.

2

Record evidence

Use verifiable data and documents.

3

Score from 1 to 5

Use one consistent and justified scale.

4

Close with accountability

Assign a condition and owner before confirming a row.

Within the framework

Prioritise

This tool forms part of the MGS Strategic Intelligence Framework™ and should be interpreted together with evidence, limits and the review mechanism.

Further reading

  1. Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy. Free Press.
  2. Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage. Free Press.
  3. Mintzberg, H. (1994). The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. Free Press.
  4. Kaplan, R. S. y Norton, D. P. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard. Harvard Business School Press.
  5. Christensen, C. M. (1997). The Innovator’s Dilemma. Harvard Business School Press.

Review methodology criteria, scoring and limitations.

Next step

When the tool identifies material exposure

Convert material gaps into a decision question, a verifiable scope and an expected outcome.

Discuss the situationKnowledge Centre