4 min read
Introduction
When a leading UK bidding company expanded through multiple acquisitions of online bidding platforms, they embarked on an ambitious project to build a unified, scalable bidding platform from the ground up. However, when we joined the project just months before launch, we discovered alarming cloud costs exceeding £15,000 per month - a figure that threatened the project's ROI.
The Challenge
The development team consisted of over 20 engineers supported by a dedicated DevOps team. During the 12-month project timeline, the priority was clear: deliver a robust platform designed for scale. However, when we joined the project just months before launch, we discovered alarming cloud costs exceeding £15,000 per month - a figure that threatened the project's ROI.
Our Findings
Our comprehensive audit revealed several critical cost inefficiencies:
- Premium API Management in Non-Prod: The team was using expensive premium API Management tiers across all environments, including development and staging
- Oversized Database Resources: Database instances were significantly over-provisioned, often running at less than 10% capacity
- Overbuilt Kubernetes Infrastructure: The Kubernetes cluster was scaled for theoretical peak loads rather than actual usage patterns
- Lack of Cost Visibility: No processes existed to monitor or optimize ongoing cloud expenditures
The Solution
We implemented a two-phase approach to immediately reduce costs while establishing long-term financial governance:
Immediate Cost Optimization (Completed in 4 Weeks)
- Downgraded API Management to appropriate tiers for each environment (saving £3,200/month)
- Right-sized database instances based on actual usage metrics (saving £4,800/month)
- Optimized Kubernetes cluster configuration and auto-scaling rules (saving £2,500/month)
- Implemented resource scheduling for non-production environments (saving £1,100/month)
Long-Term FinOps Implementation
- Established bi-weekly cost review meetings with engineering and finance teams
- Created a cloud expenditure approval process for new services
- Implemented granular cost allocation tagging for all resources
- Developed forecasting models to predict future spend
- Trained team leads on cost-aware architecture principles
The Results
Our interventions delivered immediate and sustainable results:
- 52% Reduction in Monthly Cloud Costs: From £15,000+ to £7,200/month
- Improved Cost Visibility: Real-time dashboards provided transparency across teams
- Sustainable Practices: The FinOps culture became embedded in team workflows
- Scalability Maintained: All optimizations preserved the platform's ability to handle peak loads
"The cost optimization work not only saved us thousands monthly but transformed how we think about cloud expenditures. What was once an afterthought is now a key consideration in every architectural decision."
This case clearly demonstrates the critical importance of establishing a FinOps culture from the very beginning of cloud projects. When cost optimization is treated as an afterthought, projects can quickly exceed budgets, threatening their overall viability and ROI.