New! Improved! Profit margins!

At General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, cost-cutting is a way of life: Company execs meet weekly to discuss ways to streamline products. The company's Holistic Margin Management system has helped them sustain higher margins than their peers.

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Hamburger Helper
Hamburger Helper
When General Mills devised Holistic Margin Management three years ago, the first product they targeted was then-struggling Hamburger Helper. At the time, Hamburger Helper came in fifty varieties with 25 different types of pasta. Since then, the company has halved the number of options, eliminated spice pouches, and shrank boxes while sustaining serving size, resulting in a total of 10% cost savings.
By Mina Kimes

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Last updated November 03 2008: 11:37 AM ET
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