If you spend time on Google or read magazines, you’ve run into the ever-present “Top 5 things you can do” article. Each list is like a Tic Tac—it takes a second to consume and gives you just a little bit of good feeling. Lists are frequently trite, though, because they state what everyone already knows. But lists attract attention, and in the end, that’s what I want to do: ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION.
So here’s my list… Top 5 Things IT Leaders Need to Do to Spend as Little as Possible in AWS.
Fine Print: This is different from the 100 lists out there titled “Top 5 Things to Optimize Your Cloud,” published by CloudHealth, CloudCheckr, Cloudability, and the rest.
1) Commit to an AWS Managed Service Provider
Many reading this will see this as self-serving—after all, I work for an AWS MSP. But put that concern aside. Unless a business has an internal team that’s been managing AWS for years, holds AWS certifications, understands the inner workings of AWS sales teams, watches visibility and security tools 24x7x365, and has the budget to employ such a team, there’s no way to spend as little as possible in AWS. This is the most important starting point—especially for life sciences companies looking for scalable, compliant infrastructure.
2) Draft a Solid Agreement
The business needs a rock-solid agreement with its AWS MSP. It’ll be tough to get the terms right, but clarity on expectations is critical to short- and long-term success. Look for an MSP that crafts a custom Statement of Work covering responsibilities on both sides and has financial flexibility as your AWS usage evolves. If you’re in biotech or healthcare IT, this kind of agility is key to aligning cloud services with regulatory growth.
3) Build a Strategy Together
Once you’ve committed to an AWS partner, embrace them. This relationship will be unlike the traditional IT services for life sciences companies might be used to. Trust and collaboration matter. A good MSP provides a mix of engineering and administrative expertise, with local team members who are AWS-certified and embedded in your organization. Jointly creating governance policies with automated and manual enforcement ensures costs are controlled without disrupting innovation.
4) Manage Your AWS MSP
Inspect what you expect. At first, managing the AWS MSP team will be the most time-consuming part of reducing your AWS spend. Use the tools they bring to build dashboards and reports that show savings trends clearly and in near real time. Set expectations based on your agreement and track performance monthly. If your team is short on time or bandwidth—as is often the case with biotech IT support teams—this step is non-negotiable.
5) Work with a Team and a Process, Not a Brand
If you’ve followed the steps above, your MSP relationship will be transparent and effective. A great AWS MSP won’t feel like IBM or AT&T. They’ll be a nimble, tenured local team of AWS engineers. They’ll show up each week with ideas to reduce your AWS bill, and they’ll be part of your team. For managed IT services for life sciences, working with a flexible partner who understands cloud cost optimization is a competitive advantage.
So there’s your Tic Tac for the day. At PTP, we believe we can do all of these things better and cheaper than just about anyone else. We’ll help you spend as little as possible in AWS. Months from now, your CFO will thank you. Probably with a raise.
Bonus: Top 5 Things PTP Does to Reduce AWS Spend
1) Shut down idle EC2 instances
2) Shut down unused EC2 instances
3) Right-size all over-provisioned instances
4) Set up automated tiering in S3
5) Recommend On-Demand to Reserved Instance conversions based on activity
If your job is to do these 5 things every day—and you’re crushing your AWS spend goals—congrats. But if not, give us a call.
Cut Your AWS Bill Without Slowing Innovation
PTP helps life sciences teams gain full visibility and control of their AWS spend—while staying compliant.