Economic Downturn | Strategy & Operations | Consulting

Talk of a recession has gone from an “if” to a “how long” and “how bad” conversation. Crushed by the credit crunch, housing bubble and pain at the pump, you can’t open a newspaper or turn on the television without hearing about how organizations and consumers are tightening their belts.

There’s more to the story than survival, however. In fact, organizations that focus on incremental cost reduction such as cutting travel and training budgets, deferring expenses and reducing headcount are likely to experience only marginal savings — and find themselves continually treading water. Learn how organizations can turn the challenge of a downturn into an opportunity to implement transformational, sustainable changes.

	In Fighting Shape: 2008 Survey of Cost-Improvement Trends in the Fortune 500 The incremental, rather than transformational, approach to cost-reduction that many companies are taking may not be sufficient to carry them through a prolonged economic slump.
	Steps to Sustainable and Scalable Change Our three-part series takes a detailed look at the activities necessary to produce cost structure improvements that can withstand the test of time — good and bad.
	Gaining Competitive Advantage in an Economic Downturn In this ChiefExecutive.com article, Don de Camara, Deloitte Consulting LLP principal, discusses common-sense strategies companies can use to gain a competitive advantage during a downturn.
	Webcast: Addressing a Recession - What If the Sky Really Is Falling? After years of strong economic expansion, what are some strategies you can employ to help your organization not only survive, but thrive in a downturn?
	Podcast: The Wolf at the Door - Taking Aim at the Fiscal Crisis Exploding costs and slowing revenues are stark realities that will need to be creatively addressed at every level of government, if fiscal sustainability is to be achieved.
	Video: Deloitte’s Take on the Credit Squeeze David Williams, national managing principal of the Advisory Services practice at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, discusses the credit crunch and sectors affected, and provides historical context.