The Cost Management Center Podcast

What if the cloud applications your company depends on today become obsolete? In this episode, I sit down with David Habib, a Chief Information Officer and author of a book on artificial intelligence, who has spent considerable time thinking about where AI is taking us — and the answer has major implications for your technology budget.David's central thesis is as provocative as it is compelling. AI has the potential to reshape a company's entire cost structure. We focused particularly on his premise that AI will eventually eliminate the need for many of today's most popular cloud applications — not just the licensing costs of those platforms, but also the expensive, time-consuming work of integrating them. Beyond the obvious cost savings, companies will be less constrained by applications that never seem to offer exactly what they need.For cost-focused leaders, this warrants close attention. Listeners will walk away with a forward-looking perspective on how AI could reshape technology costs and unlock capabilities that current platforms simply don't allow.Connect with David Online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidphabib/Website: https://davidhabib.com/Latent Vector book: https://www.amazon.com/Latent-Vector-David-Habib/dp/B0FPTFD861Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Abhay V. Trivedi, a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma, trained engineer, author, and former college dean. Not surprisingly, he has a rare depth and breadth of knowledge. He also has the skill of being able to communicate that knowledge in a way that is clear and memorable. The information just pours out of him. You should get your Six Sigma yellow belt just for listening to the podcast.Six Sigma is the best-known model for helping companies improve processes by lowering defect rates, built around the DMAIC framework (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). But this conversation goes well beyond methodology. Dr. Trivedi digs into the cultural, operational, and leadership factors that hold companies back — and what it actually takes to change them.Listeners will walk away with more than a basic understanding of Six Sigma. You'll gain a core understanding of how operational efficiency and accuracy can transform a company from the inside out.Connect with Dr. Abhay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhay-trivedi-08421214/Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I explore how cost-reduction projects are typically conducted with Jim Shand, formerly of AlixPartners. AlixPartners is the premier service provider for companies facing financial difficulties and seeking to better manage costs. Jim worked with the firm for 10 years and provided services to many companies during that time, particularly those owned by private equity. Jim more recently joined Ankura, a firm that assists companies with business transformation.While companies differ, they often share a surprising number of common challenges and opportunities. We discuss those commonalities in the podcast, including what they are, how they are analyzed, and how to take corrective actions. This is a great opportunity for listeners to understand the approach, strategy, and outcomes pursued by the top consulting firms in the cost management arena. It’s an opportunity to pull back the curtain and understand what makes these firms consistently produce results.Connect with Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimshand/Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I discuss how to control cloud costs with Brian Kathman, CEO at OpsCanvas. OpsCanvas uses a proprietary platform and AI to deliver actionable insights to its customers, which, on average, have generated savings of 22%. Two decades ago, no one was discussing the need to control cloud costs. It was in its infancy and considered the cost-saving solution over traditional on-premises computing and storage. What a different two decades make. Now, cloud costs are a top expense for most companies. It’s also easy to mismanage and become inefficient.Brian explains the problem most companies face with cloud management and how understanding utilization and implementing strong monitoring can help manage the costs more effectively. Find more from Brian: Website: https://www.opscanvas.com/about/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briankathmanFind more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I discuss strategies for managing commercial real estate costs with Adam Schindler, Vice Chair at Colliers International. Adam is a top leasing agent for Colliers, exclusively representing tenants.It is an interesting time to discuss commercial real estate as the industry is still emerging from the devastating impact of the pandemic. It’s also unclear to what extent employers will require their employees to return to the office, but the trend suggests that working remotely is increasingly falling out of favor. Regardless, I’m confident that commercial real estate will continue to be a significant cost for most companies.What makes real estate a particularly difficult cost to manage is that it requires some level of accuracy when forecasting long-term headcount and office utilization, as leases of premium space often require a commitment of a decade or more. A company can easily find itself facing the cost impact of either too much or too little real estate, neither of which is an easy problem to solve.Adam and I explore how companies can best manage their commercial real estate by finding the right balance between creating a dynamic work environment and avoiding the risks associated with having an excess—or insufficient—amount of space.Find more from Adam: Website: https://www.colliers.com/en/experts/adam-schindlerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schindler-19038b5Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I discuss the challenging cost area of employer-provided health insurance with Keith Burgess, Partner/Agent at NFP, an Aon company. Keith has been in the industry for almost 30 years, and I can think of no one better to help my listeners navigate this difficult space.Employer-provided health insurance is nothing new, but its costs have consistently outpaced inflation for decades, making it one of the top expenses for most companies. Unfortunately, all indications suggest this trend will continue. To make matters more complicated, the landscape has become increasingly complex due to the growing variety of products and services available.Keith and I explore how companies can work to control these rising costs while remaining mindful of employee impact. Other than compensation itself, few areas are as sensitive to employees as changes to their health care benefits.If you’re responsible for managing your company’s health insurance, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.Learn more from Keith:Website: https://www.nfp.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-burgess-6ba9071/Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

In this episode, I sit down with my first podcast guest, Sanjeev Garg, Senior Vice President and CIO of Global Technology Services at ORBCOMM, to explore how technology leaders can manage costs more effectively in today’s rapidly changing landscape.We talk about how tech purchasing and management has evolved, the new challenges introduced by AI, and the common pitfalls CIOs face when trying to balance innovation with fiscal responsibility. Sanjeev shares insights on governing technology investments, managing the flood of AI tools, tackling integration issues after M&A activity, controlling cloud expenses, and optimizing the performance of technology teams.Whether you’re a CIO, IT leader, or just interested in how organizations make smart technology decisions, this conversation offers valuable, real-world guidance.  Connect with Sanjeev online:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sanjeevgargORBCOMM: https://orbcomm.com/Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

Find more from Duane:Email: [email protected]: https://efficacygroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/