Cost reduction consultants who share the risk.
Where we find savings
Cost reduction is not a single lever. It is a stack of them, and the mix depends on where the leakage sits in your business. We work across:
- Supplier spend - renegotiation, consolidation, re-tender across indirect and direct categories
- Tail spend - the 20% of spend with 80% of suppliers, usually unmanaged. See tail spend management
- Operating model - role, process and structure redesign to remove duplicated or low-value activity
- Outsourcing and offshoring - 30-50% cost reduction on suitable operational and back-office functions
- Automation and AI - practical, targeted automation with fast payback, not multi-year transformation
Our shared-savings model
Traditional cost reduction consulting firms and cost reduction companies charge day rates or fixed fees, regardless of whether savings actually land. Caventis is different. A small contingent fee funds delivery. The majority of our fee is tied to realised savings verified against your P&L. If we do not deliver, we do not get paid.
The commercial alignment matters. It means we only pursue initiatives with genuine bottom-line impact, and we prioritise speed of implementation over billable hours.
Sectors we work in
- Private equity portfolio companies pre- or post-acquisition
- Manufacturing and industrial businesses
- Professional services and technology firms
- Financial services back office
- Not-for-profit and higher education
Cost reduction consultancy vs traditional cost reduction companies
Many UK cost reduction companies focus on utility bill audits, telecoms rebates or expense reclaims. That work is valuable but narrow. As a full cost reduction consultancy, Caventis operates across your entire cost base - procurement, operations, technology and support functions - with senior category expertise on every engagement.
Read more about why clients choose Caventis or explore all services.
Frequently asked questions
How is Caventis different from other cost reduction consultants?
Most cost reduction consultants charge day rates whether savings land or not. Caventis works on a shared-savings basis - a small contingent fee funds delivery, and the majority of our fee is tied to realised, measurable savings.
What kind of savings do cost reduction consultants typically find?
Across indirect, direct and tail spend, well-scoped programmes deliver 7-17% of addressed spend as annualised savings. Outsourcing and automation-led programmes can go higher - 20-50% in selected functions.
Will cost reduction affect service or quality?
The point of good cost reduction is to remove waste, duplication and paid-for-but-unused capacity - not to cut what the business relies on. Governance, KPIs and supplier scorecards protect service levels through and after every change.
How long before we see savings?
A Cost Review takes 1-2 weeks. First contracted savings typically land 8-12 weeks after mobilisation, with the full annualised run rate in place within 6-9 months for most programmes.
Do you work on a no win no fee or contingency basis?
Close to it. Caventis works on a shared-savings (gainshare) basis: a small contingent fee funds mobilisation and delivery, and the majority of our fee is contingent on realised, P&L-verified savings. If the savings do not land, the majority of the fee is not paid.
How much does a cost reduction consultant cost?
On a shared-savings model, the effective cost to the client is a share of the savings actually delivered - typically structured so the client keeps the clear majority of the annualised benefit. There is a small contingent fee to fund the work, but the headline commercial is pay-for-performance rather than day rates.
What is gainshare or shared-savings consulting?
Gainshare (also called shared savings) is a commercial model where the consultant's fee is tied to measurable savings delivered against an agreed baseline. It aligns incentives: the consultant only wins meaningfully when the client's P&L improves. Caventis uses this model as standard for cost reduction engagements.
Related services
Specialist areas that complement this work.
End-to-end sourcing, negotiation and supplier management.
Attack the long tail of low-value, high-volume purchases.
Cost, consolidation and resilience across the supply chain.
Rebuild the function to make savings stick.
See what savings sit inside your business.
A Cost Review sizes the opportunity in 1-2 weeks. No obligation, no upfront fee for the review.