Why continuous optimisation is key...
Your organisation has spent time and money going through major transformation programmes to move your core infrastructure to cloud services such as Azure, AWS, Google etc and leveraging the growing functionality of SaaS services including Dynamics 365 (D365), SalesForce, Oracle to name a few.
Now the main transition is completed you may believe this is the end, but experience has shown us this is just the beginning, and it needs to be reviewed, at least every six months to ensure optimum performance and costs are understood and in control.
We have seen many organisations ‘lift and shift’ what they previously had on premise or hosted at a data centre which also takes with it all the previous inefficiencies as well!
Given that 82% of organisations report that managing cloud spend is their #1 cloud challenge, F-Tek have developed a Cloud optimisation service to ensure you are getting the efficiencies expected, costs are understood and managed effectively and the cloud infrastructure and services are still meeting the strategy and vision.
Benefits
Create transparency of cloud costs that enables leadership to drive behavior change to reduce wasted spend and put accountability for good practices onto the relevant teams.
Track and monitor cloud spend at a granular level, understanding which teams are responsible for what proportion of cloud spend and charge them accordingly.
Capacity planning to forecast your cloud spend accurately and budget appropriately, including growth projections over time.
React quickly to anomalous spikes in cloud consumption (and associated costs), making sure that issues are quickly rectified and do not repeat.
Understand how technology costs impact the profitability of products or different parts of your business in different ways.
Upskill your team to master and take advantage of the “new normal” of complex technology OPEX spend. This includes creating new collaborations within the organisation between finance, product and IT teams that drive culture change to manage cloud (and all technology) efficiently.
Enable the organisation to buy cloud and technology services more efficiently, and with greater confidence.
Optimise (reduce) cloud and technology costs as a BAU way of working.
Our Approach
Using a structured, proven approach and experience we will review your current Cloud infrastructure and usage. Understanding how resources are used in your specific business and identify the following: -
Under capacity meaning your processes may be ‘throttled’ which can lead to system failures or outages.
Over capacity meaning you are paying for storage and compute not being used to their fullest capacity.
Redundancy or orphaned resources where storage and compute IS NOT being used but still incurring costs.
All of the above scenarios WILL BE COSTING YOU MONEY and we would expect to see an opportunity for a 10%-20% saving on immediate costs.
Case Study: Optimising Cloud Efficiency for a Leading Organisation
Client Overview Our client, a prominent organisation, had successfully migrated the majority of their IT infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure cloud. While this transition brought enhanced scalability and flexibility, they faced challenges in optimising the implementation to meet their specific business needs and manage costs effectively. The client was working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) that monitored usage metrics and system alerts. However, the MSP's approach lacked the granular insights and understanding of the client’s business requirements necessary for ensuring an efficient and cost-effective cloud implementation.
The Challenge Despite their existing partnership with the MSP, the client experienced significant inefficiencies in their Azure deployment. These inefficiencies not only failed to fully align with their business objectives but also resulted in substantial, unnecessary costs. The lack of cost optimisation and strategic alignment with business needs meant the client was overspending by tens of thousands of pounds each month without achieving a commensurate value.
F-TEK’s Approach Recognising the opportunity to provide tailored expertise, F-TEK leveraged its deep experience as a software consultancy to assess and address the client’s challenges. Our process began with a thorough analysis of the existing Azure implementation to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Key steps included:
Detailed Assessment: Conducting an in-depth review of the client’s Azure setup, including compute resources, workloads, implementation and cost allocation mechanisms.
Stakeholder Workshop: Hosting a brief but impactful consultation and design workshop to understand the client’s operational needs and strategic goals.
Optimization Plan: Developing actionable recommendations to streamline operations, eliminate waste, and ensure optimal use of Azure resources.
The Solution F-TEK’s expertise enabled us to identify several inefficient and non-optimised implementation patterns within the client’s Azure environment. By redesigning key elements of the architecture, we were able to:
Reduce Compute Costs: Modify implementations to minimise unnecessary resource consumption while maintaining the same functional outcomes.
Enhance Reporting and Tagging: Implement improved reporting mechanisms and tagging strategies to enable precise tracking and allocation of cloud expenditures.
Streamline Cost Allocation: Optimise cost allocation processes across projects, ensuring accountability and better financial management.
The Results F-TEK’s intervention delivered transformative results for the client:
Cost Savings: Achieved monthly Azure spend savings of £60,000 to £70,000, representing significant financial relief and enabling reallocation of funds to other strategic initiatives.
Improved Efficiency: Enhanced operational efficiency by aligning the Azure implementation with the client’s business needs and eliminating redundant processes.
Greater Accountability: Provided clear insights into cloud expenditure, empowering the client’s teams to manage budgets more effectively and drive better decision-making.
Conclusion This case highlights F-TEK’s ability to deliver rapid, impactful results through deep technical expertise and a strategic approach to problem-solving. By aligning technology with business objectives and prioritising cost-effectiveness, we enabled our client to maximise the value of their Azure investment while fostering a culture of efficiency and accountability.
Partner with F-TEK If your organisation is looking to optimise its cloud infrastructure and achieve significant cost savings while maintaining operational excellence, F-TEK’s consultancy services can deliver tailored solutions to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your goals.
Give us a call on +44 01246 927647 or email at support@f-tek.co.uk and schedule a review and see what you can save.