ARTICLE
This is precisely where a FinOps approach becomes particularly relevant.
What is FinOps?
FinOps, short for Financial Operations, is an operating framework and cultural practice designed to maximize the business value generated by technology, creating shared financial accountability across Engineering, Finance, and Business.
It therefore does not simply mean reducing cloud costs. It means understanding how technology resources are used, making spending more transparent, and linking it to business priorities, so that different teams can make more informed decisions.
The scope of FinOps has also expanded: originally focused mainly on Public Cloud, today it can include cloud, SaaS, licensing, data centers, and other technology services. At its core, however, several key principles remain: collaboration across teams, cost visibility, shared accountability, and continuous optimization.
Why is the post-move phase so important?
The post-move phase is the point at which the cloud shifts from being a transformation project to becoming an everyday operational reality. This is where actual costs, real usage patterns, and potential inefficiencies emerge—factors that can be difficult to predict during the migration itself.
Without continuous control, the flexibility of the pay-as-you-go model can quickly result in unoptimized spending, oversized resources, or unused services. A FinOps approach therefore makes it possible to turn the data collected after migration into concrete decisions, aligning consumption, costs, and business priorities and ensuring that the cloud continues to generate value over time.
FinOps best practices in the post-move phase
An effective FinOps strategy requires methodology, reliable data, and collaboration across different business functions.
1. Create shared governance
It is important to define responsibilities, processes, and ways of collaborating across IT, Engineering, Finance, Procurement, and Business. In more complex organizations, it can be useful to create a FinOps team or center of excellence responsible for coordinating policies, KPIs, and shared processes.
2. Make costs and data truly actionable
To take action on spending, it must first be made visible and understandable. The goal is to have reliable and up-to-date data that makes it possible to allocate costs, identify anomalies, and measure the value generated.
KPIs such as cost per service, resource utilization, and forecast accuracy help connect technology spending to business outcomes.
3. Automate repetitive activities
Automation makes it possible to quickly reduce many inefficiencies. Autoscaling, automated management of non-production environments, and shutting down unnecessary resources are some examples of activities that can help optimize costs and usage.
4. Review and optimize continuously
FinOps is not a project with an end date. Costs, workloads, services, and business needs change over time.
Periodic reviews make it possible to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives undertaken, identify new opportunities for improvement, and continuously adapt the strategy to the organization’s needs.
5. Choose the most suitable pricing models
The main providers offer different commercial models and commitment options that can help reduce spending when used correctly.
The combination of technical optimization, suitable pricing models, and governance makes it possible to achieve sustainable benefits over time.
FinOps in the Swiss context
For Swiss companies, FinOps is not only about cost control, but should be part of a broader framework of governance, security, and data protection.
The use of cloud providers and external suppliers does not remove the company’s responsibilities under the FADP: in addition to costs and performance, it is therefore necessary to consider data processing, security, information location, and possible transfers to other countries.
This becomes even more relevant in regulated sectors. For banks, securities dealers, and insurance companies subject to FINMA supervision, cloud and outsourcing must be managed together with the associated risks and control requirements.
FinOps therefore integrates with Cloud Governance, Risk Management, Cybersecurity, and Compliance, with a broader objective than simple cost savings: maximizing the value generated by technology investments, while at the same time maintaining the level of control required by the organization and the regulatory environment.
From cloud to business value
Migration to the cloud is only one phase of technological transformation. The real challenge lies in governing the environment over time, maintaining visibility over costs, control over resources, and the ability to adapt to business needs.
FinOps creates this connection between technology, finance, and strategy, transforming operational data into more informed and value-oriented decisions.
Var Group Suisse supports organizations throughout their Cloud Journey and in the adoption of a FinOps approach, combining technological expertise, governance, and consulting to build a model aligned with the specific needs of each company.