Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

Slowly but surely, as the little database grew bigger and bigger, the manager would wedge the cost into her operating budget. It's just that they're often busy doing what they've always done, maintaining operational systems while reacting to the demands of an increasingly tech-savvy user community.

Supply Chain 15

Supply Chain CIO Budgeting Project 15

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

One of the most popular misconceptions about security is that it’s destined to be a cost center and it survives on executive generosity (or paranoia). Effective security investments and strategic planning can improve a company’s bottom line. Driving Financial Goals. This isn’t the case.

Team 8

Team P&L Engineering Cost 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Given that the service department is a cost center in most companies, service leaders have long relied on AHT as a critical lever for keeping staffing levels, and therefore costs, in check. AHT is now used only as a forecasting and planning metric.” AHT has been around for almost as long as the telephone itself.

Metrics 10

Metrics Video Cost Cost Center 10

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 2, 2011

With peers in a few CEO roundtables, I've heard things like: "I plan on hiring 3 biz dev people to get $345K per headcount in revenues." Yet most organizations still operate much as they did in the industrial age. Every day I go to meetings where language suggests people are cogs.

Hamel 16

Hamel Customer Loyalty Creativity Cost Center 16

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 9, 2011

We call these people Cost Center Consumers, and they come in two flavors. Divas: These are high maintenance consumers who drive costs up after purchase. They tie up your call centers, incur costly returns, and generate other costs that occur below the gross margin line, which is harder to see.

P&L 14

P&L Supply Chain Retail Price 14

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

The complex calculations of the field known as Operations Research were enabled by mainframe computing. Client-server technology begat enterprise resource planning systems, and the consequent system-wide visibility that was required for what we call business process management (BPM). “The feedback is much more rapid.”

Management 12

Management Software BPM Technology 12

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

But he doesn't plan to go to another prestigious university. The seven full time employees form a nucleus, or core group to handle program management, operations, and communications. Typically an in-house cost center, service is usually viewed as a necessary evil and constantly targeted for "efficiency."

Participative 15

Participative Decentralization Globalization Cost Center 15