June 2023 Summaries

Vantage has introduced a new capability that allows users to view resource-level costs for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services, such as Compute Engine, Cloud Functions, and App Engine, among others. This enhancement enables Vantage customers to identify which specific resources are driving costs and to create Cost Reports filtered by specific resource identifiers. Previously, Vantage could only display costs at broader levels like service or project due to limitations in GCP's billing export data, but recent updates from GCP have made this more granular view possible. Users can now click on a “Cost by Resource” button in Cost Reports to see detailed breakdowns of costs by resource, including types of costs such as compute or data transfer. This feature is available at no additional cost to Vantage users and is automatically updated in all customers' GCP data imports.

Creating effective cloud cost reports tailored to different levels within a business is essential for empowering various stakeholders to understand and manage their expenses efficiently. Engineers require detailed, application-specific data to improve application efficiency, while managers benefit from cost reports that provide insights across multiple teams and applications, often necessitating a self-service approach to meet their unique needs. Senior leadership, on the other hand, needs high-level cost reports with the ability to drill down into specifics, focusing on long-term strategies and major cost drivers. Tools like Vantage can enhance billing data by providing enriched, resource-level information, facilitating easier querying and regular monitoring. Ensuring that cost data is accessible and self-service empowers employees across the organization to make informed decisions, ultimately fostering a culture of financial transparency and accountability.

Vantage has introduced Resource Reports, a new feature allowing users to view, filter, and generate detailed reports on active resources across multiple service providers such as AWS, Snowflake, and MongoDB Atlas. This functionality provides a granular perspective on individual resources generating costs, enabling users to create custom reports based on various dimensions like account, tag, region, and service-specific metadata. Previously, Vantage offered a general overview of active resources, but the new feature allows for more specific filtering and organization, facilitating easier management and oversight by teams. Available to all users at no additional cost, Resource Reports are part of the existing "Active Resources" section in the Vantage console, and they automatically sync daily to reflect any changes in resource conditions. This addition supports enhanced resource management by offering a default "All Resources" report while allowing for the creation of custom reports tailored to specific needs without limitations on the number of reports. Future expansions include support for more providers and additional functionalities like exporting reports and sorting by accrued cost.

Unit Costs serve as a critical tool in cloud cost management by helping FinOps practitioners determine which expenses are essential to address and optimize. By incorporating Unit Costs into cost reports, organizations can quickly identify whether cost increases are justified, such as when adding new customers or testing new features, or unjustified, such as efficiency decreases without additional usage. These reports, enhanced with historical context and application-specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), offer valuable insights into business and application-level efficiencies. For instance, an e-card business can benefit from tracking costs per greeting card sent and per template tried, allowing for swift identification of issues, whether they stem from application inefficiencies or changes in user behavior. By effectively scaling costs against the appropriate metrics, businesses can streamline their cloud spend analysis and focus on resolving genuine cost anomalies, ultimately transforming their approach to cloud expenditures.