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Global Financial Software Company

Global Financial Software Company
Client Global Financial Software Company
Region UK
Sector Financial Services
Offering Organisation Design, Sustainable Cost Optimisation
Buzzwords
Organisation design

The Challenge

A turbulent macro environment had aggravated internal cost pressures for this PE-backed financial software company. The client needed to reduce their cost-base in order to remain competitive in the market.

Q5 were asked by the client’s Senior Vice President of Organisational Effectiveness to identify significant and auditable savings across their worldwide, multi-disciplinary business. The mandate was to rethink how work was delivered – effecting meaningful, auditable structural change as opposed to tactical reductions.

Our Approach

  • We developed a series of hypotheses through engagement with senior representatives of each business area. We used all available employee data and HR insights to guide thinking
  • We tested hypotheses with business leaders and the executive team, building buy-in to the changes proposed
  • After crystallising final proposals, we pivoted to operationalisation, working closely with Global HR and Legal to navigate country-by-country redundancy requirements
  • We worked with each area to reshape the retained organisations, clarifying future workflows, operating principles and structures

Key Outcomes

  • Met the overall target of $100m (8%) cost reduction, working with 10+ different business areas to contribute their part
  • Reduction of 517 FTE
  • Achieved business leader buy-in throughout, with the ultimate proposal signed off by the CEO, CFO and CPO at first attempt
  • Supported HR to operationalise the plans in each key business area, navigating the different employment law requirements of 31 different countries
  • Transitioned from operationalisation to optimisation of the retained organisation – developing an OD pipeline of 16 priority topics spanning the organisation to clarify the end-state operating model
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