Many cloud guides often advise quick-fix tips and tricks on how you can strategically reduce costs. Instead, we want to provide a more holistic view of Cloud Investment Management, taking into account the wider processes and best practices, guiding you to better cloud consumption management and cost optimisation. By enacting these changes, you can reduce costs and your organization will reap the long-term benefits.
To help organizations progress with a better strategy for Cloud Investment Management, we have created a ‘Best Practice Approach for Cloud Investment Management’ guide. In the guide we explore:
- The challenges of Cloud Investment Management – We take you through the main difficulties, such as managing cloud ecosystem costs, and the issues with controlling, planning and tracking these fees
- Why not to rely exclusively on tools – At Livingstone, we understand that the many SAM tools on the market can be overwhelming – all claiming to solve your problems and reduce costs. We explain why it is important to inspect these closely, as they may not be the best fit for your organization
- The importance of collaboration – Successful Cloud Investment Management requires cooperation between IT and Procurement teams, combining their knowledge to achieve a shared goal
- How and why to ensure accurate forecasting – Developing a clear picture of future cloud requirements by producing an accurate forecast using current cloud consumption is vital to achieving desired contractual outcomes, reducing costs and mitigating risks n.
- Smart negotiations and why they matter – This is crucial to ensuring an optimized contractual outcome, and we look at why organizations must step away from safe negotiation strategies
- How to bring everything together – Cloud environments can contain many tools and products, but they should be treated as one single estate in order to achieve truly successful optimization
- Why getting objective advice is key – Managing cloud investments is a huge undertaking. Enlisting external, objective advisors can help provide key insights and streamline procedures, no matter the size of your organization.
Our ‘Best Practice Approach for Cloud Investment Management’ guide expands into greater detail on each of the above points. It is designed to help organizations navigate Cloud Investment Management, to claim control of their cloud ecosystem, achieve successful negotiations and make cost-savings.
You can download the full FREE eGuide here to see more on Cloud Investment Management best practices, or contact one of Livingstone’s team of experts for more information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gareth Redshaw, Director for SME, Cloud & Strategic Partners at Livingstone Group
Gareth joined our team through the acquisition of Cloud Optics, who are now a company in the Livingstone Group.
With over 15 years’ experience in software licencing Gareth has helped clients optimise spend, develop their future strategy and taken control of high-profile vendor negotiations; this includes one of the largest UK Government contracts.
Having successfully managed UK wide government EWA contracts from 2009-2011, more recently Gareth developed a proven methodology for cost optimisation. He has implemented this across EMEA wide clients and delivered substantial savings.
Gareth developed and grew the largest LSP’s practice for Microsoft government SME consulting and Cloud Commercial Optimisation. In addition to this he was responsible for this same LSP’s Licence Consulting UK, Ireland & Nordics.