The McKinsey-fication of Takeda: Another Corporate 'Efficiency Program' Claims Jobs
- Milton
- Oct 23, 2024
- 2 min read
Takeda offered "limited details" on what its "efficiency program" would entail. The company said it would focus on "organizational agility, procurement saving, and capitalizing on its ongoing investment in data, digital and technology, including AI."
Oh, how familiar this all sounds.
Let's decode this corporate speak, shall we? Because if this doesn't have McKinsey's fingerprints all over it, I'll eat my consultant's PowerPoint deck. The language alone is a dead giveaway – it's like they're playing Consulting Bingo:
✓ "Efficiency program" (translation: layoffs)
✓ "Organizational agility" (translation: more layoffs)
✓ "Procurement savings" (translation: squeezing suppliers and, you guessed it, layoffs)
✓ The obligatory mention of "AI" (because of course)
Massachusetts' largest biotech employer is now on its third round of layoffs this year. Let that sink in. First, it was 641 employees in May. Then another 220 in June. Now they're adding 79 more to the chopping block. But don't worry – the company helpfully notes that "the final number of layoffs is not clear" because some employees might accept "redeployment opportunities." How generous.
This is straight out of the McKinsey playbook: Death by a thousand cuts, each round carefully spaced to avoid too much negative press at once. It's the corporate equivalent of slowly removing a Band-Aid, except the Band-Aid is people's livelihoods.
The company spokesperson's statement is particularly rich: These are "difficult choices" that will "create more long-term value for our patients, the global health care system and society." Ah yes, because nothing says "creating value for patients" quite like decimating your research and development teams in one of the world's premier biotech hubs.
Let's do some quick math: That's potentially 940 jobs eliminated in Massachusetts alone. Nine hundred and forty scientists, researchers, and support staff who were presumably contributing to drug development and innovation. But hey, the PowerPoint slides showing improved "organizational efficiency" must look fantastic.
What's particularly galling is the timing. This isn't a company in crisis – Takeda's been posting healthy profits. But somewhere, in some sleek conference room, someone decided that wasn't enough. Because it's never enough, is it?
The mention of "capitalizing on AI" is particularly telling. It's become the corporate equivalent of "thoughts and prayers" – a magical incantation that's supposed to make mass layoffs more palatable. "Don't worry about all those scientists we're letting go – we've got AI now!" Never mind that AI is supposed to augment human capability, not replace it entirely.
This is the McKinsey-fication of corporate America in action: The relentless pursuit of "efficiency" at the expense of everything else. Cut costs, streamline operations, rinse, repeat. It's a playbook so well-worn you can recite it in your sleep.
The saddest part? In a few years, after this "efficiency program" has run its course and the consultants have cashed their checks, Takeda will probably be hiring again. Because it turns out you actually need people – real, skilled, experienced people – to develop life-saving drugs. But by then, many of those 940 talented individuals will have moved on, taking their expertise and institutional knowledge with them.
But hey, at least they'll have achieved "organizational agility," right?
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