Cost optimisation: A major partner challenge
Cloud cost management presents a strategic challenge for businesses. It’s not just about reducing overspending or adjusting budgets – it requires a focus on calculated investments that maximise value while sustaining performance and scalability.
Partners play a key role in proving this value – but complex pricing models and unexpected expenses don’t make it easy.
This begs the question: what does it take to succeed with cost optimisation?
In our survey, partners called out cost optimisation as their top challenge in meeting customer requirements, with the core difficulty being customer buy-in. Helping businesses recognise the long-term value of cost-saving strategies and aligning decision-makers around these priorities can be a significant obstacle.
“In some respects, the challenge is getting customers to see the value of investing in cost-saving measures. In others, it’s getting the right people within the customer base to say yes – particularly if they’re concerned about exposing inefficiencies.”
Richard Beeston, CTO at Digital Space (UK)
Partner perspective
With cloud adoption accelerating, businesses are also increasingly coming up against complex pricing, hidden costs, and fears of budget overruns. But turning these priorities into real solutions isn’t always easy, as partners face their own hurdles when it comes to making cost optimisation work.
We asked partners:
What are the three biggest challenges you face when recommending cloud cost optimisation to your end customers?
Understanding pricing models
Cloud pricing structures are notoriously difficult to explain.
From pay-as-you-go fees to region-specific charges, customers often feel overwhelmed and unsure about what they’re signing up for. If partners can simplify these models and translate them into clear, actionable insights, they’re far more likely to build customer confidence.
Avoiding unexpected expenses
One of the biggest operational hurdles in cloud cost management is the unpredictability of expenses.
Even when budgets are planned, hidden fees or unplanned usage spikes can throw things off-course. These unexpected costs don’t just harm a budget; they also strain the trust between partners and customers.
To avoid this, proactive measures like real-time cost tracking, predictive tools, and comprehensive prebilling reviews are essential.
Leveraging vendor programs
Vendor programs, aimed at boosting partner profitability, often come with layers of complexity.
For those new to the cloud, it can be difficult to know what programs are available, much less how to leverage them. And while partners work to overcome the steep learning curve, they face another critical hurdle: technology competencies.
Technology competencies are often essential for accessing key programs, funding, and better profitability terms. Without them, partners miss out on resources that could make all the difference in building long-term success.
Earning these competencies isn’t quick or easy. For experienced companies, it can take at least six months, while partners who are newer to cloud could take up to two years.
But a good workaround is to partner with a distributor that already holds those competencies. This means skipping the lengthy and resource-heavy certification process while still accessing the tools to grow, improve profitability, and deliver value to customers.