I've recently stepped into a FinOps role at a sizable B2B company, where I oversee our EC2 commitments, Savings Plans, coverage, and renewals. I think I'm managing to achieve pretty high coverage, but I'm running into challenges with the DevOps team. This is where things seem to stall.
They handle rightsizing requests, adjusting CPU and memory safety buffers, and are crucial in discussing new strategies—but they appear quite resistant to change. They hold on to their safety buffers tightly. I totally get that it's about their peace of mind and not wanting any disruptions, but despite their occasional tweaks, substantial systemic changes seem off the table.
While I'm achieving over 90% Savings Plan coverage, I estimate that 60-70% of it is just covering idle resources. I'm looking for ways to engage the DevOps team better. I can sense some irritation when I bring up costs, yet this needs to be a joint effort. What strategies can I use to gain their cooperation effectively?
9 Answers
Sometimes you need to escalate things a bit. If the team is unyielding, bringing in senior management might help. I’ve had to go to the CTO before when teams are slow to cooperate on shared resources. It's not pretty, but sometimes it's necessary to get the ball rolling.
Is there any pressure from upper management for these changes, or are you driving this initiative yourself? That context could change how you approach the situation.
One thing to consider is the concept of burstiness. Depending on their workload, occasionally high usage could justify their larger instance sizes, even if you have suggestions for right-sizing. If they need to handle bursts, having extra capacity can be critical for performance and business continuity. It might be worth discussing this perspective with them—they should be able to explain their choices to you.
Absolutely! Going through post-mortems can also help identify when scaling is necessary. Rightsizing should include ensuring there's enough capacity while regularly evaluating with service owners.
The division between your FinOps role and the DevOps team could signal a bigger issue in the organization. It sounds like the structure isn't working well. For real collaboration, there should be a unified approach to managing resources. If the leadership isn't enforcing teamwork, there could be larger efficiency issues at play. Plus, moving away from instances and into containers or serverless models could drastically improve things, and it seems like the team might be lagging behind on that front.
Bring cost discussions into the planning phase using tools that estimate expenses. You might need to abandon outdated infrastructure if they resist change. Focus on establishing a continuous feedback loop for any deployment discussions, adjusting based on real-life performance metrics. This kind of iterative process engages everyone better and keeps conversations open.
Sometimes, you might need to assess the trade-offs. Is the business prioritizing cost savings over performance? Understanding this can guide your discussions. Use tagging to clarify costs by service so that the team can make informed decisions.
Don't let numbers fool you! A percentage reduction sounds great, but you need to consider the dollar amount. What happens when you save a lot? Will that translate into benefits for the DevOps team, like hiring more hands or bonuses? Make sure they see how cost savings can positively affect them too.
Rightsizing is usually a last resort. With a 90% coverage rate, consider optimizing first! Aim to reduce unused resources before diving into rightsizing, which may yield better results. Remember to evaluate: what can be reduced or turned off first?
If they’re really great at their jobs, it might feel weird that they’re sidelining you instead of finding ways to justify their costs or optimize them. Tech efficiency is crucial, and it’s time to align everyone around that as a primary goal.
Exactly! It’s not about who’s right; it’s about getting alignment. If you’re not their direct manager, you might need your leadership to stress the importance of your role. Find out who’s in charge of overseeing both you and the DevOps team.