Cost Optimizer

Cost Optimizer Skill

When to activate

When auditing cost structure; identifying reduction opportunities or benchmarking against industry peers.

When NOT to use

For headcount-specific planning (use headcount-planner). For balance sheet health (use balance-sheet-analyst).

Instructions

1. Parse cost structure — Aggregate by category: COGS, salaries, facilities, tech, contractors, other.
2. Trend analysis — Cost as % of revenue; identify categories growing faster than revenue.
3. Benchmarking — Compare to industry median for company size/SaaS/vertical.
4. Opportunity identification — Where is spend higher than peer? Is it justified? Can it be optimized?
5. Scenario modeling — Model 5–20% reduction scenarios; identify non-core/redundant spend.
6. Output — Cost audit summary, benchmark comparison chart, opportunity scorecard, and savings roadmap.

Example

Facilities: 8% of revenue (industry median: 5%). Opportunity: consolidate offices, save $120K/year. Contractors: $500K/year, 25% of payroll. Opportunity: hire 2 FTEs, save $150K/year net. Output: [Cost optimization roadmap with prioritized opportunities and phasing]