Few practices exemplify the impact of DevOps more than Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Anyone who remembers hearing “I don’t know why it’s not working; it worked on my machine …” can vouch for this! IaC provides a standard way to create declarative descriptions of infrastructure to represent desired environment states — essentially allowing teams to manage IT infrastructure using configuration files.

As companies migrate to the cloud, they often overlook costs, instead focusing on innovation, speed, and flexibility. They assume the cloud is inherently cost-effective and less costly than on-premise infrastructure. As they expand their cloud operations, though, organizations soon realize that the same things that make the cloud alluring and extensively flexible, can also potentially push usage bills way beyond budget. Companies can struggle to find a balance between innovation and rising cloud costs.

As cloud adoption continues to increase, organizations are recognizing the need for cloud operations. CloudOps, as it’s often called, has become the industry standard for cloud-powered enterprises that intend to get the most out of their cloud services. Previously, it was common for organizations to rush into cloud adoption, with IT operations handling cloud installation, management, and maintenance tasks. The cloud, at the time, was considered to be a complementary extension of on-premise systems.

Many organizations are considering migrating to Kubernetes, and while it certainly has advantages, it’s not for everyone. In this article, we’ll explain why you might use Kubernetes, what you should ask yourself before embarking on a Kubernetes migration, and tips to keep in mind as you make the switch.

A variance analysis report is used to measure actual performance against your budgeted or planned performance. From a finance perspective, it’s essentially a way to measure your organization’s planning effectiveness. While there are a number of reasons you might be surprised by your variance analysis, it can be a signal that something went wrong along the way and you have not been collaborating with your team, are using the wrong tools, or have ineffective processes.

For many organizations, cloud costs are a mystery. Beyond knowing their total cloud spend, businesses have little insight into the biggest drivers of their costs, let alone how they can better manage their cloud investment. With on-premise infrastructure, organizations have a predictable understanding of their costs, but the same cannot be said for the cloud.

According to AWS, “Creating a software system is a lot like constructing a building. If the foundation is not solid, structural problems can undermine the integrity and function of the building.” This is especially true when it comes to the cloud. If an organization doesn’t effectively oversee key areas of its foundation, it’s likely the result is not going to be successful. When it comes to cloud management, we look at it through the lens of the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Like any SaaS organization, CloudZero cares about our COGS, margin, and unit cost. As you can imagine, we have a fair amount of insight into how those numbers are changing every day thanks to being “customer zero” on our cloud cost intelligence platform. Talking with other companies, I often find that the best organizations understand that measuring the cost implications of new products and features once you’ve deployed them can be too late.

If you're in FP&A, it can sometimes feel like outsiders think your job is all about routine tasks, like tracking budgets and reporting on cost — which couldn’t be further from the truth. A great FP&A professional deeply understands the business, has a strong command of its metrics, and uses that data to serve as a trusted advisor and partner to stakeholders. You’re not just a “counter” and “tracker” — you’re a driver of strategic outcomes.