The Cost Management Center Podcast

Duane Deason
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MANAGEMENT

The Cost Management Center Podcast is dedicated to helping its listeners manage organizational costs to make their companies perform better, innovate more, and… of course… become more profitable. In this podcast, we explore a wide range of methodologies and advice to reduce the company bloat and waste that creep into all organizations and stifles growth. Our focus ranges from broad strategic concepts, to specific industries, and even down to targeted spend and vendor categories. The common thread is that all topics center around reducing costs. The podcast is hosted by Duane Deason, author of Operationally Svelte: Manage Costs to Increase Profit and Enhance Performance. Duane has dedicated his career to helping companies reduce waste and inefficiency as a catalyst for reaching their full potential.

Episodes

  1. JAN 9

    Managing Cloud Costs with Brian Kathman, CEO of OpsCanvas

    In this episode, I discuss how to control cloud costs with Brian Kathman, CEO at OpsCanvas. OpsCanvas uses a proprietary platform and AI to deliver actionable insights to its customers, which, on average, have generated savings of 22%.  Two decades ago, no one was discussing the need to control cloud costs. It was in its infancy and considered the cost-saving solution over traditional on-premises computing and storage. What a different two decades make. Now, cloud costs are a top expense for most companies. It’s also easy to mismanage and become inefficient. Brian explains the problem most companies face with cloud management and how understanding utilization and implementing strong monitoring can help manage the costs more effectively.  Find more from Brian:  Website: https://www.opscanvas.com/about/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briankathman Find more from Duane: Email: ddeason@efficacygroup.com Website: https://efficacygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/ Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

    44 min

  2. 12/09/2025

    Managing Commercial Real Estate Costs with Adam Schindler, Vice Chair at Colliers International

    In this episode, I discuss strategies for managing commercial real estate costs with Adam Schindler, Vice Chair at Colliers International. Adam is a top leasing agent for Colliers, exclusively representing tenants. It is an interesting time to discuss commercial real estate as the industry is still emerging from the devastating impact of the pandemic. It’s also unclear to what extent employers will require their employees to return to the office, but the trend suggests that working remotely is increasingly falling out of favor. Regardless, I’m confident that commercial real estate will continue to be a significant cost for most companies. What makes real estate a particularly difficult cost to manage is that it requires some level of accuracy when forecasting long-term headcount and office utilization, as leases of premium space often require a commitment of a decade or more. A company can easily find itself facing the cost impact of either too much or too little real estate, neither of which is an easy problem to solve. Adam and I explore how companies can best manage their commercial real estate by finding the right balance between creating a dynamic work environment and avoiding the risks associated with having an excess—or insufficient—amount of space. Find more from Adam:  Website: https://www.colliers.com/en/experts/adam-schindler Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schindler-19038b5 Find more from Duane: Email: ddeason@efficacygroup.com Website: https://efficacygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/ Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

    56 min

  3. 11/21/2025

    How to Best Manage Employer-Provided Health Insurance, with Keith Burgess of NFP

    In this episode, I discuss the challenging cost area of employer-provided health insurance with Keith Burgess, Partner/Agent at NFP, an Aon company. Keith has been in the industry for almost 30 years, and I can think of no one better to help my listeners navigate this difficult space. Employer-provided health insurance is nothing new, but its costs have consistently outpaced inflation for decades, making it one of the top expenses for most companies. Unfortunately, all indications suggest this trend will continue. To make matters more complicated, the landscape has become increasingly complex due to the growing variety of products and services available. Keith and I explore how companies can work to control these rising costs while remaining mindful of employee impact. Other than compensation itself, few areas are as sensitive to employees as changes to their health care benefits. If you’re responsible for managing your company’s health insurance, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Learn more from Keith: Website: https://www.nfp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-burgess-6ba9071/ Find more from Duane: Email: ddeason@efficacygroup.com Website: https://efficacygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/ Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

    44 min

  4. 11/14/2025

    Cost Efficiency in IT and Tech with Sanjeev Garg, CIO of ORBCOMM

    In this episode, I sit down with my first podcast guest, Sanjeev Garg, Senior Vice President and CIO of Global Technology Services at ORBCOMM, to explore how technology leaders can manage costs more effectively in today’s rapidly changing landscape. We talk about how tech purchasing and management has evolved, the new challenges introduced by AI, and the common pitfalls CIOs face when trying to balance innovation with fiscal responsibility. Sanjeev shares insights on governing technology investments, managing the flood of AI tools, tackling integration issues after M&A activity, controlling cloud expenses, and optimizing the performance of technology teams. Whether you’re a CIO, IT leader, or just interested in how organizations make smart technology decisions, this conversation offers valuable, real-world guidance.    Connect with Sanjeev online: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sanjeevgarg ORBCOMM: https://orbcomm.com/ Find more from Duane: Email: ddeason@efficacygroup.com Website: https://efficacygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/ Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

    48 min

  5. 11/11/2025

    Welcome to the Cost Management Center Podcast!

    Find more from Duane: Email: ddeason@efficacygroup.com Website: https://efficacygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanedeason/ Buy the Operationally Svelte book: https://efficacygroup.com/company-efficiency-book/

    3 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

The Cost Management Center Podcast is dedicated to helping its listeners manage organizational costs to make their companies perform better, innovate more, and… of course… become more profitable. In this podcast, we explore a wide range of methodologies and advice to reduce the company bloat and waste that creep into all organizations and stifles growth. Our focus ranges from broad strategic concepts, to specific industries, and even down to targeted spend and vendor categories. The common thread is that all topics center around reducing costs. The podcast is hosted by Duane Deason, author of Operationally Svelte: Manage Costs to Increase Profit and Enhance Performance. Duane has dedicated his career to helping companies reduce waste and inefficiency as a catalyst for reaching their full potential.

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