AWS Cloud Financial Management

AWS re:Invent 2022 Cloud Financial Management program preview

46 days to go before AWS re:Invent 2022 (Nov.28-Dec.2).  This year we will be welcoming the 11th re:Invent. Started back in 2012, re:Invent has become the marquee event of the year where we share product launches, and provide a breadth of content and programs catered towards customers and partners like you from all backgrounds and across the globe. If you are joining us in Vegas this year, we know it can be overwhelming to plan your week, including travel time in between sessions and meetings. Below is a sneak peek of the ways you can engage with the AWS Cloud Financial Management (CFM) team.

Drop by AWS Cloud Financial Management kiosk at the AWS Expo center and chat with one of our team members.  You can ask questions or simply say hi and share your stories. If your team prefers a more in-depth discussion with AWS CFM leaders and experts, you can contact your account teams and request customer meetings at re:Invent. We will assign speakers for your meetings, so your team can have a 1:1 conversation with us in a private setting.

This year, we’ll also resume the Peer Connect event at re:Invent (Dec.1) and an online version right after re:Invent (Dec.7: 8AM Pacific Time session and 5PM Pacific Time session).  Sign up and join the waitlist for these Peer Connect events.  We’ll confirm your registration prior to each event.

For those of you who want to join us in one of our breakout sessions, chalk talks, builders’ sessions, or workshops, you can find the list of the Cloud Financial Management re:Invent sessions below. For the sessions you’re interested in attending, you can start reserving your seats now (available since Oct.11).

I. Breakout sessions are one-hour lecture style presentations where AWS speakers and customers share updates and learnings surrounding a specific use case.

(COP203) Manage and control your AWS costs

Be in the know of your AWS spend. Come learn about ways you can set up your AWS environment with the necessary guardrails and set up custom monitoring to keep spend within limit. Mercado Libre will join us and share what they’ve learned from their 20+ years in balancing cost control and business growth.  Session video available on YouTube.

(COP205) Simplify your AWS cost estimation

Planning is the foundation for overall CFM effort.  We’ll share how you can baseline your expected spend and take into consideration internal and external drivers for better forecasting.  Intuit will join and share their planning journey as they migrate and develop in the cloud, and how they evolve their approach with their business. Session video available on YouTube.

(COP207) Moving from paying for what you use to what you need

Optimization is not built in one day. There are a variety of cost optimization opportunities for you to leverage, as you get more familiarized with your cloud usage and build up your confidence. Fidelity will join us on the stage to share how they maximize the cloud investment. Session video available on YouTube.

II. Chalk talks are one-hour long interactive sessions where AWS speakers and the audience engage in a two-way discussion on a specific topic.

(COP202) Cloud metrics strategy and customizable billing

Cloud metrics strategy plays a big role in evaluating the efficiency of your cloud resource utilization and constructing the necessary accountability.  The AWS Billing Conductor, launched earlier this year, allows you to customize your billing and generate pro forma reporting for chargeback purposes.

(COP208) Optimize other services

There are different ways to optimize costs for the services that are typically hidden in standard cost reporting and lumped together as “other services”.  Come learn and share what services and resources your teams need to zoom in and find ways to tackle their cost.

(COP217) Ways to avoid cost surprises

Cloud cost surprises come in all shapes and sizes and they may not all indicate unnecessary or irresponsible spend for your users. It is helpful to understand how many kinds of cost surprises there are. We’ll share tips and tricks you can use to reduce or avoid them.

(COP218) Measuring your cloud unit economics

Cloud unit cost has undoubtedly become the touchstone for cloud investment planning and evaluation. Yet, it can take some time to establish and socialize your own unit cost strategy internally. Learn and share ways to select and evaluate the effectiveness of your cloud unit metrics.

III. Workshops (2-hour) & Builders’ sessions (1-hour) are designed to dive deeper into specific problems and learn how AWS tools can solve these problems with live demonstration and audience practices.

(COP307) Track and visualize your AWS cost and usage KPI targets

Setting up and frequently reviewing your cloud cost KPI targets is critical in identifying trends and rooms for cost optimization.  Come and learn how you can create your own KPI dashboards.

(COP335) Customize billing and cost reporting with AWS Billing Conductor

AWS Billing Conductor provides a streamlined approach to customize your rates, and billing and cost reports for cost allocation.  Join this builders’ session to learn how you can use this service to simplify your billing and cost reporting.

(COP336) Visualize, understand, and manage your AWS costs

Actionable cost insights with the right level of cost control allows you to scale on AWS with confidence. Join this hands-on session to learn which resources are available for you to achieve cost transparency, keep spend within control, and set up an efficiency target.

Conclusions

Hope this cheat sheet is helpful as you build your re:Invent catalog.  We’ll keep updating this blog as re:Invent approaches to make sure we include all CFM activities, so you don’t miss out.

Bowen Wang

Bowen Wang

Bowen is a Principal Product Marketing Manager for AWS Billing and Cost Management services. She focuses on enabling finance and business leaders to better understand the value of the cloud and ways to optimize their cloud financial management. In her previous career, she helped a tech start up enter the Chinese market.