I did something similar cost-saving wise at my first job, but the managers didn't have a clue because I had to go around them to get it done in the first place.

I did something similar cost-saving wise at my first job, but the managers didn't have a clue because I had to go around them to get it done in the first place. I did get promoted, mostly because most everyone liked me. Why did they like me? The process improvements I made saved them hours a week.