Introduction
We are in the toughest economic climate most people alive today have ever seen. Banks are failing at a historic pace. Brokerage houses and retail chains are disappearing. The automotive industry is on the precipice of calamity. Home foreclosures have soared to numbers that defy comprehension. In January 2009, the national unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent, a figure not seen since 1992.
It’s no wonder then, that businesses, from the smallest corporation to the largest multinational enterprise, are rapidly stepping up their already frantic search to slash costs, retain liquidity, and maintain profitability. Unfortunately, many businesses equate cutting costs with cutting payroll, leading some to believe this is the cheapest, fastest way to achieve savings. There is a good chance this belief is misplaced.
Similarly misaligned is the belief that turning off IT investments is a wise move. A recent issue of McKinsey on Business Technology titled, “Managing IT in a downturn; Beyond cost cutting” says “still, except in the most dire circumstances, turning off technology investments during a downturn is counterproductive. When business picks up, you may lack critical capabilities … Targeted IT investments can make operations more efficient and increase revenues, delivering returns larger than simple cost-cutting measures typically do … Simplistic cuts, applied across the board, may endanger critical business priorities from sales support to customer service.”
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