QubOps

Day 24 - Assign a FinOps Champion

AWS Cost Optimisation Advent Calendar 2024

3 min read time

#aws

Welcome to the final day of the unofficial AWS Cost Optimisation Advent Calendar 2024, where every day we have shared new tips or tricks to help you optimise your cloud costs before Christmas 2024.

Today we are going wrap up the series and talk about one of the most important steps you can take to avoid paying more than you need to on AWS.

That is to delegate the role of FinOps Champion within the team.

What is a FinOps Champion?

A FinOps champion is someone in the team whose role is to ensure that cost is being taken into account on a day-to-day basis during the development process.

This person will be responsible for:

  • Monitoring costs and usage
  • Identifying cost-saving opportunities on new and existing services
  • Implementing cost-saving measures
  • Educating the team on cost optimisation best practices

Typically they would have some time dedicated to the task each month, and be included on infrastructure decisions from a cost perspective.

Why is a FinOps Champion important?

Engineers have a million different things to worry about when implementing features and fixing bugs. First and foremost, things need to actually work, be secure, performant and maintainable.

Whilst cost is important, it is only one factor in the decision-making process.

In addition, staying up-to-date with the latest AWS pricing and service changes is no small task.

Having someone in the team wear this hat ensures that cost is always included in the decision-making process, and that the team is aware of the latest cost saving opportunities.

Who should it be?

The FinOps Champion should be someone who has a genuine interest in cost saving. Ideally it will also be an engineer to have a deep understanding of the systems in use, and the services available on AWS.

It is also possible for this champion to be a third party, such as a consultant or agency who specialises in cost optimisation.

This consultant or agency partnership would often grow into a long term one so that they can build a good foundational understanding of how your business works and the services you offer so that they can make the best recommendations.

If you are interested in this kind of partnership, contact our friendly team.

Conclusion

By delegating the role of FinOps Champion to someone, you can ensure that you will always have someone in the organisation who is working to ensure the infrastructure is as cost-effective as possible.

Whilst the overall goal is for everyone to be considering cost, by having a FinOps Champion there is reinforcement within the team that cost is important.

This concludes the unofficial AWS Cost Optimisation Advent Calendar 2024. We hope you have found the tips and tricks useful and got some ideas on how to get your cloud bill under control.

Please follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with the latest cost optimisation tips and tricks.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

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