The Chain of Intent Process
The "chain of intent" approach to FinOps is designed to reduce decision fatigue and errors by using structured policies to automate decision-making. The process moves from high-level executive goals down to technical implementation.
The "chain of intent" approach to FinOps is designed to reduce decision fatigue and errors by using structured policies to automate decision-making. The process moves from high-level executive goals down to technical implementation.
The Chain of Intent Process
| Phase | Description | Key Participants |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Intent | Aligning FinOps activities with the overall company strategy and risk-reward profile. | Leadership / Executives |
| Strategic Policies | Translating high-level intent into non-technical mandates using a structured "ad-lib" format. | FinOps and Leadership |
| Tactical Policies | Expanding mandates into measurable, implementable workflows that define conditions and actions. | FinOps and Technical Teams |
| Implementation | Codifying tactical policies into automated tools (e.g., using YAML) for direct resource management. | Technical Teams |
Key Policy Components
- Strategic Policy Format: These are structured as "To [increase/reduce] [metric], we will ensure that [usage] is [action], and we will not allow [non-negotiable red line]".
- Tactical Policy Workflow: A robust tactical policy identifies a violation, notifies the responsible party, manages non-compliance, reviews exceptions, and eventually automates remediation.
- Hierarchical Structure: Implementation should be organized from generic top-level policies down to specialized policies for different business units or environments like production versus development.
Challenges Addressed
- AI Velocity: AI costs can spiral rapidly, necessitating proactive governance rather than relying on delayed billing data.
- Uncertainty: New AI projects often have unpredictable usage and costs.
- Engineer Efficiency: Reducing trivial decisions for engineers allows them to focus their energy on deep engineering tasks.
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