Zero-based budgeting revisited: why the revival deserves more scepticism than applause

July 29, 2026 · 5 min · Free, with full transcript

Zero-based budgeting has staged a high-profile comeback, championed by cost-cutting executives and consulting firms as the antidote to bloated baselines. The case for it is coherent, but the conditions under which it actually delivers value are narrower than its advocates admit.