Overview
What Is Technology Cost Management and Governance?
A clear view of what technology costs, who owns each cost, and how spending is controlled.
The Need
- Technology costs spread across many budgets and suppliers
- No clear owner for each cost
- Spending that is hard to forecast
The Approach
- Bring technology costs into one view
- Assign each cost an owner
- Report and review spending regularly
Assumptions and Dependencies
- Access to finance, procurement and billing data
- Business owners willing to take on cost ownership
- An agreed cost model
Challenges
Challenges This Solution Helps Address
The problems that most often lead organizations to look at technology cost management.
Solution Fit
Is This Solution Right for Your Organization?
Signs that technology cost management is likely to help, and what to check before you start.
Business Owners
- CIOs and IT leaders
- Finance leaders
- Business unit heads
Typical Triggers
- Budget overruns
- Annual planning or cost reduction targets
- Rapid growth in cloud and SaaS spending
Environment
- Cloud, software, devices, networks and services
- Finance and procurement systems
Fit and Dependencies
- Works best with finance and IT working together
- Results depend on owners acting on reports
What It Includes
What the Solution Includes
The main elements and the role each plays. The exact scope is agreed for each engagement.
How It Works
How It Works
A cycle of visibility, ownership and review.
Assess
Review finance, procurement and billing data, and current reporting.
Design
Agree the cost model, owners and reporting.
Deploy and Integrate
Bring cost data together and set up reports and alerts.
Validate
Check figures with finance and cost owners.
Operate and Improve
Review costs regularly and act on findings.
Use Cases
Use Cases This Solution Supports
The scenarios this solution addresses. Start with the one closest to your situation.
Services
Services to Help You Implement and Operate It
The Signisys service that delivers this solution.
Technology
Platforms and Technologies
The technology areas involved. Specific platforms and partner status are confirmed per engagement.
Implementation
Planning a Successful Implementation
Points to review early, so the work is scoped accurately.
- Data sources for each type of technology cost
- How costs should be allocated
- Who owns each cost area
- Budget cycles and approval processes
- Existing contracts and commitments
- Engagement model and ongoing support
Measuring Success
How to Measure Success
Example measures, not results achieved by Signisys. Agree a baseline, and keep targets separate from measured results.
Spend Variance
The difference between planned and actual spending.
Costs with an Owner
The share of technology costs with an assigned owner.
Forecast Accuracy
How close forecasts are to actual spending.
Savings Realized
Savings delivered from agreed actions.
Our Approach
How We Deliver This Solution
How Signisys works, from the first assessment to handover and beyond.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about technology cost management.
What business problem does this solution address?
Technology spending that is scattered, unowned and hard to forecast.
How does the solution work?
It brings costs into one view, assigns owners, sets budgets and reviews spending regularly.
Which environments can it support?
Cloud, software, devices, networks and services, with finance and procurement systems.
What prerequisites should we assess?
Your cost data sources, allocation model, owners and budget processes.
Which services are available to implement it?
Consulting and Managed Services, covering assessment, implementation and ongoing improvement where agreed.
How do we know it is working?
Agree a baseline for measures such as spend variance, costs with an owner, forecast accuracy and savings realized, and track them over time.
Take Control of IT Costs
Share your objectives and current environment with Signisys to discuss the approach, requirements and next steps.