What if you could automate the removal of wasted cloud resources—and bid farewell to inefficiencies?
HCMX, the FinOps solution from OpenText empowers engineers to optimize cloud usage by routing savings recommendations directly to them for easy verification and automated execution—boosting cloud ROI.
Involve engineers in spend optimization—it’s critical.
According to the 2023 FinOps Foundation survey, empowering engineers to take action and be more financially responsible has been the top concern of FinOps (cloud financial management) practitioners for the third year in a row. FinOps is a practice that extends across multiple departments, including Finance, Procurement, C-suite, IT, and Engineering (SW development). Of these, Engineering holds a vital position as the primary consumer of cloud services. However, companies often struggle to involve and engage engineers in their FinOps programs.
Engineers’ assessment in determining which recommendations are worth executing is paramount. This is because savings recommendations that come from cloud providers or AI cannot take into account all the intricacies of virtual machine (VM) operations. For instance, AI could propose rightsizing or removing instances, but these suggestions might be based on anomalies, temporary development errors, or a lack of awareness of the VM serving as a backup that should remain underutilized. Engineers on the other hand are acutely aware of these factors and distinctions. The most effective approach therefore involves combining AI-powered recommendations with human input (most frequently input from engineers).
As CCoE or FinOps teams puzzle together a plan to optimize cloud costs, Engineering must be its key piece. The challenge lies in how to fit it in. The answer—an automation-driven FinOps engine that simplifies the process and empowers engineers in an unobtrusive, engaging way.
Let’s take a look at how to put simplified OpenText FinOps to work in just four easy steps.
Streamline waste cleanup with OpenText HCMX FinOps SaaS.
Step 1: Aggregate optimization recommendations
Start by consolidating recommendations from leading cloud providers into a central hub that acts as a single pane of glass. A central hub eliminates the need for multiplatform navigation.
List of recommendations sorted by amount of savings ($), from highest to lowest.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the dashboard shows all the usage recommendations made available by leading cloud providers AWS and Azure—including suggested actions to rightsize, shutdown, delete, and more.
Step 2: Route recommendations to responsible assignees—accurately
Engage engineers by delivering notifications and savings recommendations directly to them for easy verification and automation-driven execution. This is where OpenText FinOps delivers a distinct advantage made possible by: advanced cloud account management (here, owners/assignees are defined) and a fusion of workflow automation and built-in ITSM-related strengths.
Account owners no longer need to engage in a laborious process of logging into different portals and navigating across various regions, to access the necessary details associated with the native cloud tooling recommendations.
With assignees receiving a personalized view into the list of their recommendations for savings and optimization, the assessment phase begins.
Step 3: Assess recommendations and make informed decisions
OpenText FinOps enables a streamlined process for accepting or dismissing suggestions.
Options to select from in a rightsizing recommendation.
As the assigned decision-makers evaluate each recommendation, they can double-click into the details to make well-informed decisions that boost ROI. In addition, the home dashboard displays both potential and realized savings. This way, teams can track their progress and see the impact of their actions on the business—strengthening their accountability and providing additional motivation for maximizing savings.
The top row displays realized and potential savings. A kudos dashboard displays the top-performing accounts in terms of savings realized.
After the course of action is selected, automation takes care of the rest.
Step 4: Implement recommendations automatically
Once the recommendation has been evaluated and a decision made, automated workflows implement the selected actions—rejecting the recommendation, executing it right away, or scheduling it for a specific time. For decisions that require additional scrutiny, the workflow can trigger additional manager approvals that get executed in single or multilevel approval flows. It is even possible to initiate change requests via integration with OpenText SMAX. If you use a third-party ITSM solution like ServiceNow or Jira, then seamless integration with these systems is available too.
Example of a change request workflow process implementing a recommendation.
The workflow automation fosters engineer involvement without imposing cumbersome manual duties. Any approved recommendation is carried out with automation, eliminating routine manual tasks, saving time, and mitigating the risk of errors.
What’s the alternative?
Without a FinOps solution—one excelling in data organization and automation—companies often resort to informal email exchanges, checklist management, and spreadsheet updates that demand constant maintenance, frequent follow-ups with engineers, inevitable time delays, and mounting frustration.
The OpenText FinOps solution replaces manual chaos with streamlined automation—prioritizing optimization, not administrative tasks.
Summary
FinOps from OpenText consolidates recommendations across the major cloud providers, routes them accurately, supports assessment and decision-making, and ensures automation-driven implementation.
Next steps: Learn more or try it for free
Experience it for yourself. Try the OpenText FinOps Fast-Track Program—free of charge. Our dedicated team is ready to support every step of your FinOps implementation. To apply for the program or to learn more about it, contact us here.
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