DigitalEx Case Study: WAMS, Inc. Optimizes Cloud Cost Management and Enhances Client Services

Executive Summary

WAMS, Inc., a leading managed IT and Cloud Services Solution Provider with a specialization in the legal vertical, faced certain challenges in managing and optimizing cloud costs for their clients. By implementing DigitalEx’s FinOps platform, WAMS, Inc. improved their cost management processes, and enhanced their operational efficiency. This case study explores how DigitalEx’s solution addressed WAMS, Inc.’s specific needs and delivered several benefits to the company.

Client Profile

• Company: WAMS, Inc. 
• Industry: Managed IT and Cloud Services, specializing in the legal vertical
• Founded: 1974
• Location: Southern California
• Primary Clients: Law firms (90% of client base)
• Services: IT support, hosted services (Azure, Office 365), managed security

Challenges

Before implementing DigitalEx, WAMS, Inc. faced several challenges in managing their Azure cloud services:

1. Inaccurate Cost Forecasting: Microsoft’s native tools failed to provide accurate forecasts, leading to unexpected cost overruns and client billing issues.
2. Lack of Visibility: Identifying the causes of cost increases was difficult, making it challenging to avoid surprises in client costs.
3. Inconsistent Reporting: Discrepancies between Microsoft’s cost dashboard and the monthly reconciliation file created cost management issues.
4. Time-Consuming Auditing: The monthly audit process to compare customer costs against charges was manual and time-intensive, taking up to 20 hours per month.
5. Resource Management: Grouping all resources together made it difficult to attribute costs to specific services or clients.

Solution Implementation

WAMS, Inc. chose DigitalEx’s FinOps platform to address these challenges. Key features implemented include:

1. Unified Dashboard: DigitalEx’s platform replaced all of Microsoft’s native tools, providing a single pane of glass for managing multiple client environments.
2. Budgeting Tool: Allows WAMS, Inc. to set and track budgets against contracted cloud spend for each client.
3. Custom Reports: DigitalEx developed tailored reports to meet WAMS, Inc.’s specific needs, including cost grouping by tags and detailed supplementary reports.
4. Alerting System: Daily reports on new resource provisioning help catch unusual activities promptly.

Implementation Process: 

DigitalEx’s team worked closely with WAMS over a 6-week period to configure the platform to their unique needs. This included: 

• Building custom reports aligned with WAMS’ billing structure 
• Consolidated all client costs into a single pane of glass
• Setting up client-specific tagging conventions 
• Integrating at the partner level within Microsoft Partner Center
• Training WAMS staff on the new platform

Results and Benefits

Quantitative Outcomes

1. Time Savings: Monthly audit process reduced from 20 hours to 5-6 hours, saving approximately 15 hours per month.
2. Improved Cost Accuracy: Better alignment between forecasted costs and actual expenses, reducing financial discrepancies.
3. Enhanced Profitability: Easier identification of underpriced services and unaccounted resources, leading to more accurate client billing.

Qualitative Outcomes

1. Streamlined Operations: The unified dashboard and custom reports significantly simplified cloud cost management across multiple client environments.
2. Improved Decision Making: Better visibility into costs enabled WAMS, Inc. to make informed decisions about resource allocation and pricing strategies.
3. Enhanced Client Trust: The potential to offer clients direct access to their cost data in the future will further strengthen client relationships and transparency.
4. Flexible Pricing Model: DigitalEx’s solution is enabling WAMS, Inc. to move towards a more dynamic, usage-based billing model.

Key DigitalEx Features Highlighted

1. Budgets: Allows quick comparison of costs against client agreements, with automated monthly email reports.
2. Custom Reports: Tailored to WAMS, Inc.’s needs, these reports group costs by tags and provide detailed breakdowns, facilitating easier auditing.
3. Cost Dashboard: Enables quick month-to-month cost comparisons and detailed cost breakdowns for individual clients.

Impact on WAMS, Inc.’s Business Model

1. Resource Organization: DigitalEx’s insights led WAMS, Inc. to reorganize their Azure resources, grouping them by cost categories for better management and visibility.
2. Future-Ready Services: The platform’s capabilities are there to allow WAMS, Inc. to potentially offer direct client access to cost data and implement dynamic, usage-based billing in the future.
3. Competitive Edge: DigitalEx’s superior features and customization capabilities give WAMS, Inc. an advantage over competitors that are using less flexible platforms.

Client Testimonial
“DigitalEx is really the first platform that came along that we felt could actually do what we needed. The fact that they tie in at the partner Center level and bring everything under one login is a game-changer. Their willingness to customize features and reports to our specific needs sets them apart from the competition.”

– Kevin Gilbert, Cloud Services Manager, WAMS, Inc.

Conclusion

By implementing DigitalEx’s FinOps platform, WAMS, Inc. has significantly improved its cloud cost management processes, enhanced operational efficiency, and positioned itself for future growth. The platform’s flexibility and the DigitalEx team’s willingness to customize solutions have not only addressed WAMS, Inc.’s immediate challenges but also opened up new possibilities for service offerings and client engagement.

As WAMS, Inc. continues to leverage DigitalEx’s capabilities, they are well-positioned to enhance their competitive edge in the managed services market, particularly for law firms and other professional services clients requiring precise and transparent cloud cost management. The partnership between WAMS, Inc. and DigitalEx showcases how innovative FinOps solutions can transform business operations and create new opportunities for growth in the rapidly evolving cloud services landscape.