Most cost programs don’t fail because of bad strategy. They fail because nobody runs the plan every week once the announcement is made. Deloitte’s 2026 Enterprise Cost Transformation Survey shows this at the largest scale. It’s even more true in a mid-sized company, where nobody has follow-through as their only job.
Deloitte surveyed 500 C-suite executives at organizations with more than $5 billion in revenue. These companies have transformation offices, restructuring reserves and outside advisors on retainer. Even so:
- 96% are pursuing a cost transformation right now, and 59% are targeting a reduction of 10% or more.
- 67% expect to hit their targets.
- 14% actually achieved their primary cost reduction goal last year.
- 24% account for value leakage, the savings that disappear between the plan and the result.
Deloitte summed it up in six words: “Strategy is clear, but speed is not.” (more…)
