Table:
|  | Employee Severance and Benefit Costs | Lease Costs | Asset Write-off Costs | Other Related Costs | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Balance as of August 31, 2017 | $ 33,580 | $1,665 | $ — | $ 3,143 | $38,388 |
| Restructuring related charges | 16,269 | 1,596 | 16,264 | 2,773 | 36,902 |
| Asset write-off charge and other non-cash activity | (127) | 525 | (16,264) | 25 | (15,841) |
| Cash payments | (31,591) | (1,102) | — | (5,419) | (38,112) |
| Balance as of August 31, 2018 | 18,131 | 2,684 | — | 522 | 21,337 |
| Restructuring related charges | 16,029 | (41) | (3,566) | 2,071 | 14,493 |
| Asset write-off charge and other non-cash activity | (494) | — | 3,566 | (18) | 3,054 |
| Cash payments | (30,504) | (663) | — | (1,786) | (32,953) |
| Balance as of August 31, 2019 | $3,162 | $1,980 | $— | $789 | $5,931 |
Paragraphs:
2017 Restructuring Plan
On September 15, 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors formally approved a restructuring plan to better align the Company’s global capacity and administrative support infrastructure to further optimize organizational effectiveness. This action includes headcount reductions across the Company’s selling, general and administrative cost base and capacity realignment in higher cost locations (the “2017 Restructuring Plan”).
The 2017 Restructuring Plan, totaling $195.0 million in restructuring and other related costs, is complete as of August 31, 2019.
The tables below summarize the Company’s liability activity, primarily associated with the 2017 Restructuring Plan (in thousands):
Question:
Why did the Company's Board of Directors formally approve a restructuring plan on September 15, 2016?
Answer: to better align the Company’s global capacity and administrative support infrastructure to further optimize organizational effectiveness