Despite high expectations of a recession in the next 18 months and declining confidence in cash and liquidity management, C-suite and other executives are turning to cost containment strategies and advanced technologies to ease concerns, according to a recent Deloitte poll.

1. Cost containment and
cash generation
downturn planning
Deloitte poll results
May 2023

2. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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Methodology
590+
C-suite and other executives were polled
online during a Deloitte webcast titled “Cost
containment and cash generation downturn
planning” on February 2, 2023. A similar
online poll was conducted in October 2020.
Answer rates differed by question.
In some instances, immaterial amounts (e.g., +/-
0.1%) have been added to or removed from the
“Don’t know/not applicable” answer responses to
bring results to 100% total for each question.

3. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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Votes received 1,539
Do you expect an economic downturn in the near-term?
Don’t know / not applicable = 13.6%
Yes, within the next
6 months
36.3%
31.3%
7.0%
11.8%
Yes, within the next
7-12 months
Yes, within 13-18
months
No
74.6% expect an economic
downturn in the near-term

4. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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How confident are you in your organization’s ability to manage cash and liquidity?
Don’t know / not applicable = 13.9% for February 2023; 10.5% for October 2020
Votes received: 1,523 in February 2023; 1,807 in October 2020
Highly confident
Somewhat confident
Not confident
5.7% decline
in “high”
confidence
levels
41.0%
38.5%
6.6%
46.7%
37.9%
4.9%
2023 2020

5. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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Votes received 1,489
Does your organization plan to pursue a liquidity management improvement plan (e.g., cost,
containment, working capital) in the next 12 months?
Don’t know / not applicable = 28.8%
49.8%
21.4%
Yes No

6. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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Votes received 1,092
Which do you believe will be your organization’s primary approach to managing liquidity concerns in
the coming 12 months?
Don’t know / not applicable = 23.4%
Cost containment (e.g., reviewing vendor contracts,
staffing costs, spans of control)
Working capital management (e.g., receivables,
inventory, payables)
Liquidity risk management (e.g., more frequent
and/or deeper cash-flow forecasting)
Restructuring (e.g., merger integrations, reorganizing
operating models)
31.6%
21.4%
16.3%
7.3%

7. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
Copyright © 2023 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 7
Votes received: 591 in February 2023; 1,819 in October 2020
Does your organization use advanced technologies (e.g., advanced analytics, AI, machine learning) to
manage liquidity?
Don’t know / not applicable = 23.0% for February 2023; 20.9% for October 2020
Yes No, not yet, but we plan
to inside 12 months
No, and we have no
plans to
20.5% 22.0%
34.5%
13.5%
18.8%
46.8%
2023 2020

8. Cost containment and cash generation downturn planning
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Media Contacts
Christine Oh
Public Relations
Deloitte & Touche LLP
chrisoh@deloitte.com
Taylor Graham
Public Relations
Deloitte Services LP
tagraham@deloitte.com

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Copyright © 2023 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.
The statements in this report reflect the aggregation of poll responses and are not intended to reflect facts or opinions of any entities. All data, charts and statistics referenced and presented, as
well as the representations made and opinions expressed, unless specifically described otherwise, pertain only to the participants and their responses to the Deloitte poll. The information
obtained during the poll was taken “as is” and was not validated or confirmed by Deloitte.
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