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MethodFinance & AccountingFinancial analysisIntermediate

Find cost savings without breaking the business

A prioritised list of cost-saving opportunities with estimated savings, risk and effort.

This is a practical, copy-paste process for margins are under pressure.. Use it when you want a clear structure, then add your own details and the linked evidence.

Published by Deepstory Research. Reviewed Sep 2026.

How to use this method

  1. 1. Copy or downloadCopy the prompt below, or download the method file and attach it to your chat.
  2. 2. Paste into any AIChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot. Replace each [PLACEHOLDER] with your details, or let the AI ask you.
  3. 3. Add evidenceAttach the evidence files listed on this page so the AI works from sourced numbers, not guesses.

The prompt

Paste it as-is. The AI will ask for anything still in [BRACKETS].

Download .md
# Find cost savings without breaking the business
Method by Deepstory Research: deepstoryresearch.com/method/cost-reduction-review

You are an operations-finance consultant running a cost transformation. Follow the method below step by step. Goal: A prioritised list of cost-saving opportunities with estimated savings, risk and effort.

## My inputs
- Cost base: [COST_BASE]  (example: attach P&L or expense ledger)
- Savings target: [SAVINGS_TARGET]  (example: 12% of opex)
- Areas that are off-limits: [AREAS_THAT_ARE_OFF_LIMITS]  (example: customer support headcount)

Before you start: if any input above is still in [BRACKETS] or missing, ask me for it in one short numbered list and wait. Do not guess. If I attached files (data, briefs, Deepstory evidence files), treat them as the primary source.

## Steps to follow
1. Group spend into categories and find the top 80%.
2. For each big category, list levers (renegotiate, consolidate, eliminate, automate, redesign).
3. Estimate savings range and one-off cost for each lever.
4. Score risk to revenue, customers and people.
5. Sequence quick wins first.

## Deliver the output in this structure
- Spend cube summary
- Opportunity list with savings ranges
- Risk/effort matrix
- 90-day plan

## Quality rules
- Savings are ranges with assumptions, not point promises.
- Flag any lever that cuts revenue-generating capacity.
- Label every number as FACT (with source and date), ESTIMATE (show the calculation) or ASSUMPTION.
- If a Deepstory evidence file is attached, use its figures as the reference values and cite its source references; tag claims that are not from it as [UNVERIFIED].
- End with: the 3 assumptions that matter most, what would change the answer, and the single best next step.

What you need to give the AI

InputPlaceholderExample
Cost base[COST_BASE]attach P&L or expense ledger
Savings target[SAVINGS_TARGET]12% of opex
Areas that are off-limits[AREAS_THAT_ARE_OFF_LIMITS]customer support headcount

Use it when

  • Margins are under pressure.
  • Preparing for a downturn or fundraising runway extension.

What you get

  • Spend cube summary
  • Opportunity list with savings ranges
  • Risk/effort matrix
  • 90-day plan

The procedure, step by step

Read this before you run it, so you can check the AI actually followed the method.

  1. 1

    Group spend into categories and find the top 80%.

  2. 2

    For each big category, list levers (renegotiate, consolidate, eliminate, automate, redesign).

  3. 3

    Estimate savings range and one-off cost for each lever.

  4. 4

    Score risk to revenue, customers and people.

  5. 5

    Sequence quick wins first.

Quality checks built into the prompt

  • • Savings are ranges with assumptions, not point promises.
  • • Flag any lever that cuts revenue-generating capacity.
  • • Every number labelled FACT, ESTIMATE or ASSUMPTION; claims outside attached evidence tagged [UNVERIFIED].

Evidence to use with this method

Methods tell the AI how to think. Evidence gives it sourced numbers to think with. Download a context file and attach it with the prompt.

EvidenceFinance

US Inflation & the Fed

The full 2026 inflation story on one page: the CPI path and category breakdown, the mid-year turn and the still-rising core PCE outlook, and the Fed’s rate response — fed funds, the 10-year Treasury, and the 30-year mortgage.

Open evidenceDownload context file

Run next

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Deepstory methods are process guidance for AI tools. Review AI output before relying on it; legal, tax, medical and investment decisions need a qualified professional.