Lograr bajos costos en las organizaciones, es una gran ventaja para los negocios. . However, in a volatile and competitive market, it is not always easy to answer the question, “how to control and reduce costs?”
Controlar los costos se ha convertido en una prioridad tan importante como la mejora de los ingresos de la empresa. Por este motivo, realizar una evaluación interna de los gastos y entender el funcionamiento de los procesos, es el mejor camino para identificar los gastos innecesarios y montar un programa eficaz que ofrezca beneficios que sean sustentables para el propio negocio.
However, it is up to entrepreneurs to find the best strategies to reduce costs and streamline business management processes. And that reduction means getting more flexibility to take advantage of market opportunities.
Por lo tanto, es esencial invertir y aprovechar las ventajas de esta iniciativa. Sin embargo, reconocemos que reducir costos sigue siendo un gran reto, por lo que se han seleccionado algunos consejos para ayudar en este desafío. ¡Compruébelo!
1. Mida los gastos
Antes de hacer un plan de acción para reducir los costos es necesario realizar una evaluación de los gastos de su empresa. Una vez que se obtienen los datos, inicie un análisis detallado desde los más importantes (o que son más representativos) hasta los gastos menos relevantes. Este análisis permitirá identificar muchos costos «escondidos» y que ciertamente están impactando en los resultados de su organización.
Conocer cada gasto es esencial para identificar las posibles soluciones. Por otra parte, con esta acción, será posible medir los principales gastos y los que son innecesarios, es decir los que no aportan valor a la empresa. Recuerde que es imposible administrar lo que no se puede medir.
2. Haga un análisis a largo, mediano y corto plazo
Para hacer un control asertivo sobre los gastos y lograr reducirlos, es importante visualizar las reducciones a través de análisis de largo, mediano y corto plazo. Para eso, evalúe alternativas de reducción de costos dentro de un período de tiempo mayor, de esta forma, su empresa no corre el riesgo de basarse sólo en resultados de corto plazo, los cuales no tendrán sustentación por mucho tiempo. Investigaciones realizadas por McKinsey demostraron que solamente el 10% de los proyectos de reducción de costos tuvieron éxito, luego de 3 años desde su implantación.
3. Mejore la gestión de procesos
Evaluating only ledger accounts or cost centers is not enough to identify potential bottlenecks and problems in your company’s processes. Therefore, when thinking about processes, many activities are revealed – such as rework, duplication, or processes and actions carried out with low value for the company and its customers.
The problem is that many companies have difficulty mapping and understanding all the processes involved in the production of their products or services. Completing this task takes time and requires the business to commit to evaluating the enterprise.
It is important to define what are the outcomes or products delivered at the output of each process, its components, suppliers and limits. Since controlling and reducing costs are tasks that require information, you need to pay attention to internal processes.
4. Renegocie o replantee contratos
Negotiating with creditors can be a viable alternative to controlling and reducing costs. Therefore, make agreements with suppliers and negotiate the best payment terms so that they can be realized without major financial consequences.
Además, replantear los contratos y llevar a cabo estudios de mercado para comprobar los niveles de competencia, es una estrategia que puede ofrecer grandes oportunidades de ahorro para los negocios.
So, improve your purchasing sector. That way, this department will be able to find trade partners that help boost your business but also do not represent unfeasible investments.
As controlling and reducing costs may cause the company to switch suppliers, this possible change has to occur with the right planning. This prevents this exchange from harming the company’s workflow or the quality of what is offered to the customer.
5. Automatice su gestión de costos
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs) is a solution that enables enterprise-wide data integration. However, they do not offer all the subsidies for efficient cost management, especially when we want to understand the impact of indirect costs on various products and services.
The tool is also not able to simply model profitability analyses per customers, channels or regions, which is so critical nowadays. Faced with this demand, companies (such as MyABCM) offer advanced tools for cost, profitability and performance management through software designed specifically for this purpose.
Reducir costos dentro de una empresa es la mejor decisión, principalmente frente a un mercado volátil y selectivo. This decision requires investment in appropriate technology. And just the desire to accomplish it is not enough if the company does not have the right tools for this mission.
6. Outsource services
There is no reason for a business to absorb hiring and payroll-related costs from non-priority sectors. Therefore, when working with outsourced labor, the company gains efficiency, as it hires a partner specialized in that market to serve it.
In addition, there is more freedom to demand results and compliance with what was agreed in the contract. The business can also take advantage of talent of their managers and Human Resources professionals in the management and training of employees who are essential to the brand’s target activity.
Because controlling and reducing costs requires efficiency, outsourcing is a perfect alternative to achieving better financial results without disrupting internal activities.
7. Invest in professional training
While this topic sounds more like an investment than a cost-cutting action, keep in mind that rework can negatively impact the results of a business. Therefore, ensure that your employees receive appropriate training after hiring and that they are able to perform their duties.
In addition, if you identify failures, turn them into learning, using them as cases in internal training. That way, the company will be able to understand how to control and reduce costs through strategies that keep their staff motivated and feeling valued.
After all, educating a professional – making their performance better – can be more beneficial to an enterprise than trying to hire someone who already has certain professional qualities.
8. Fight unnecessary costs
Technological advancement can also be used to fight against waste, from the simplest, such as resource consumption, to the most complex, such as improperly performed activities.
Unnecessary costs are associated with a company’s lack of knowledge of what is most modern in its market, and what could be used to make it more efficient.
As we have seen, answering the question “how to control and reduce costs?” requires managers to be willing to assess their companies with a careful eye, examining the details without fear of having to admit that certain strategies did not bring the expected results.
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