AWS Cloud Cost Optimization – The Cut | Applying Consulting

Applying Consulting is an AWS Advanced Partner helping organizations take control of their cloud spending. The Cut is our cloud cost optimization service, combining a one-time audit with a proprietary FinOps Agent that delivers permanent, automated cost governance inside your AWS account.

Phase 1 – Cost Audit (Service): A comprehensive analysis of your AWS environment to identify quick wins: idle resources, oversized instances, Reserved Instance opportunities, and Savings Plans recommendations. Typical results: 20–40% reduction in monthly AWS spend. Delivered in 2–4 weeks with a prioritized action plan and projected savings.

Phase 2 – FinOps Agent (Applying's Proprietary Product): A software agent developed by Applying Consulting that deploys inside the client's AWS account. The agent runs automated cost analysis on a weekly or monthly schedule, identifying cost killers — oversized resources, unused services, inefficient configurations, and consumption anomalies. It generates automated alerts and reports without human intervention.

Key differentiator: The audit is a one-time event. The FinOps Agent is a permanent capability installed in the client's account. This transforms a consulting engagement (one-time revenue) into a recurring product (sustained value). Clients gain proactive detection of overspend before it appears on the invoice — not after.

Business impact:

• Direct reduction of AWS monthly spend (20–40% typical)
• Automated cost governance without dedicated FinOps headcount
• FinOps culture: teams understand the relationship between architecture decisions and cost

This service relates to AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Trusted Advisor, AWS Compute Optimizer, Savings Plans, Reserved Instances, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, Amazon CloudWatch, AWS Lambda, Amazon EventBridge, and Amazon SNS.