Cost cutting – all the time

I do not agree that cost cutting happens only when there is a slowdown or a recession. I see it happening all the time, at least in my company and in the least expected areas. Lets take an example. A pen. A pen?? Yes, a pen. Anyone would think that getting a pen should not be a ‘task’ in a globally evolved, pioneer in its field, privately owned and very much respected company like Abc (I am not sure if I can use the company name here, so just using abc. It’s a leading IT company in India with over a lakh employee across the world). I love Abc and respect it in many ways. But the way cost cutting is proceeding for something like a pen is hilarious to say the least.

When I joined Abc in 2002, I could walk into an unmanned store room in any building and just pick up multiple pens from an open shelf. Let me remind you that 2002 was a recession year. Couple of years later, Abc was doing brilliantly well and business was booming. I went to pick up a pen in the store room. The open shelves were now closed door locked cupboards. I had to wait till the attendant came and opened it. He allowed me to take just 1 pen and carefully recorded the event. Add another 2 years. Global economy was at its best, especially India and Abc was no exception. I went to pick up a pen in the store room. I asked the attendant for a pen. He looked at me and asked “where is your empty refill?” I was flabbergasted. He gave me a ‘which world you live in?’ look and explained that new pens are not being issued. They are issuing only refills if an employee produces an empty one!! I explained I was using a personal pen that I lost and I had a meeting and I needed a pen. After some persuasion, he gave me one. Well.. Well.. Now this was an innovative way of cost cutting in pens department. I thought this was the heights or rather the bottom. How much more difficult can they make issuing a pen anyway. I was wrong. They are brilliant. Lets come to the present. Economy is in a rather sorry state and we are facing a long recession. I went to pick up a pen in the store room (Again.. Phew! This never ends). I was told that it was not possible to get a pen this way. I will have to go back to my seat and send out an email to xyz person. Then wait for his reply, take the printout of the reply and go to his desk to pick up the pen during a fixed time slot the next day. Since the whole process is so cumbersome, it is easier to carry a personal pen instead of going pen hunting in the campus.

So folks.. I’ve seen 2 recessions and a boom period in the last 6 yrs. But getting a pen keeps getting difficult. :-)