The Smart Way to Cut Costs Without Killing Your Business

Make cost decisions easier with Gartner’s framework — six clear steps to balance impact, risk, and value in any project.

Managing costs is something we talk about a lot in meetings, especially these days. Sometimes these conversations become complicated because we lose sight of what really matters.

We start with a simple goal of saving money and quickly get tangled in discussions about risks, timing, and business impacts.

It’s normal, but it doesn’t help us move forward. So, how can we simplify this conversation?

That’s where Gartner’s Cost Optimization Decision Framework becomes useful.

It’s a structured, clear method for evaluating cost-saving initiatives without losing sight of the big picture.

I’ve found it especially helpful because it brings clarity and common sense to something that otherwise might become confusing or overly technical.

Here’s how it works in practice.

The Idea Behind Gartner’s Framework

Gartner has created a straightforward way to help teams evaluate cost optimization opportunities.

The core of their method is to look at each initiative using six important factors: