Cintas: Project scope creep is out, 'core functions' are in?

Lately, it seems like any project that isn't directly tied to our absolute core business functions is getting shelved or significantly de-scoped. We had a few initiatives in the pipeline that were more about innovation and future growth, but the feedback now is that resources need to be 'sharpened' on what 'drives immediate value.' It's like they're auditing every expense and every hour spent on non-essential activities. My team's been told to pause on exploring new software integrations because we need to 'double down' on improving our current system's output. It's a bit frustrating because those 'future growth' projects are what keep things interesting and can lead to bigger wins down the line. Anyone else seeing their project portfolios get whittled down to the absolute essentials?