Unlock Spend Visibility and Optimization with AWS Cost Categories: Lessons from Avis Budget Group
"If you're reducing or if you're increasing the productivity of agent, that's a, that's a win-win for both of us, and that's what that story is." - Paras, on optimizing Amazon Connect
Steph Gooch
Amazon Employee
Published May 19, 2025
Join us as we dive into the journey of Avis Budget Group's transition to a mature FinOps practice. In this "In Case You Missed It" recap, we'll highlight the key insights shared by Kate, a FinOps Analyst at Avis budget group, and Paras, a Senior Technical Account Manager at AWS, as they discuss the challenges faced and solutions implemented to gain control over their cloud spend.
Key Takeaways:
1. Establishing a FinOps Role and Culture: Avis recognized the need for a dedicated FinOps lead to drive visibility and accountability across their cloud operations.
2. Leveraging Cloud Financial Management Assessments: The team conducted a thorough assessment to identify their strengths and areas for improvement in FinOps maturity.
3. Tackling Tagging Challenges: Avis struggled with inconsistent tagging practices across business units, which hindered their ability to obtain accurate cost allocation reports.
4. Automating Cost Allocation with AWS Cost Categories: By utilizing AWS Cost Categories, Avis was able to automate their cost allocation process, reducing analysis time from days to just 30 minutes.
5. Optimizing Amazon Connect: Avis explored ways to optimize their contact center costs, including leveraging AI-powered features and optimizing phone number utilization.
6. Fostering Cross-Team Collaboration: Avis emphasized the importance of breaking down silos and collaborating with application teams to drive FinOps initiatives.
1. Establishing a FinOps Role and Culture: Avis recognized the need for a dedicated FinOps lead to drive visibility and accountability across their cloud operations.
2. Leveraging Cloud Financial Management Assessments: The team conducted a thorough assessment to identify their strengths and areas for improvement in FinOps maturity.
3. Tackling Tagging Challenges: Avis struggled with inconsistent tagging practices across business units, which hindered their ability to obtain accurate cost allocation reports.
4. Automating Cost Allocation with AWS Cost Categories: By utilizing AWS Cost Categories, Avis was able to automate their cost allocation process, reducing analysis time from days to just 30 minutes.
5. Optimizing Amazon Connect: Avis explored ways to optimize their contact center costs, including leveraging AI-powered features and optimizing phone number utilization.
6. Fostering Cross-Team Collaboration: Avis emphasized the importance of breaking down silos and collaborating with application teams to drive FinOps initiatives.
Notable Quotes:
- "If you want this report, I need some time to digest it, to analyze it, to then make it digestible for senior leaders to be able to understand and read it quickly. They don't need the specific details there. So I was like, I need a Tagging mandate." - Kate, FinOps Analyst at Avis
- "If you want this report, I need some time to digest it, to analyze it, to then make it digestible for senior leaders to be able to understand and read it quickly. They don't need the specific details there. So I was like, I need a Tagging mandate." - Kate, FinOps Analyst at Avis
Call to Action:
Don't miss the opportunity to dive deeper into the world of FinOps and cost optimization. Check out the on-demand live stream of this episode on the AWS YouTube channel.
Don't miss the opportunity to dive deeper into the world of FinOps and cost optimization. Check out the on-demand live stream of this episode on the AWS YouTube channel.
Youtube link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=y-235adoh9E
Any opinions in this post are those of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of AWS.