Hackett Group, based in Miami, will help identify opportunities for cuts and efficiency improvements at headquarters and elsewhere in North America, said the people, who asked not to be identified revealing private plans. GM has been trimming engineers and other white-collar staff, said Jay Cooney, a spokesman, who declined to comment on whether the Detroit-based automaker had hired Hackett Group.
Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson has been wringing out costs in recent months as he pushes the automaker to improve margins. The goal is to beat Ford Motor Co. (F)’s forecasted earnings before interest and taxes of 7 percent of sales and target Hyundai Motor Co. (005380)’s 10 percent. GM won’t use mass cuts or buyouts as it did before its 2009 bankruptcy, Cooney said.
“We are streamlining our business, looking for efficiencies, and to this extent, there will be some headcount reductions and it will be on a global basis,” Cooney said in an e-mail. “GM is continually seeking ways to improve our operating performance and reduce complexity to deliver a world- class cost structure and profit margins.”
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