Cloud Cost Management and FinOps for Asset Managers: Navigating Compliance, Risk, and Innovation

In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, asset management firms are under unprecedented pressure to deliver superior investment performance, optimize operational costs, and provide exceptional client experiences—all while navigating a complex web of regulatory requirements. As cloud adoption accelerates across the industry, the challenge is no longer whether to leverage the cloud, but how to do so strategically, efficiently, and compliantly. This is where robust cloud cost management and FinOps (Financial Operations) practices become essential.

• Regulatory Complexity: Stringent compliance and reporting obligations demand granular visibility into cloud usage and costs, as well as robust data governance.
• Multi-Cloud Environments: Many firms operate across multiple cloud platforms and SaaS solutions, leading to fragmented cost data and inconsistent billing models.
• Data-Centric Operations: The need for real-time analytics, advanced modeling, and seamless data sharing requires scalable, secure, and integrated cloud architectures.
• Innovation Pressure: To drive alpha and stay competitive, asset managers must rapidly adopt new technologies—without letting costs spiral out of control.

Regulatory scrutiny in asset management is intense. Firms must demonstrate not only that they are managing client assets prudently, but also that they have robust controls over technology spend and data security. This means:

• Granular Cost Allocation: Every cloud expense must be mapped to its business value—whether it’s supporting a specific fund, client segment, or regulatory reporting function. Tagging, resource grouping, and automation are critical for accurate chargeback and showback models.
• Unified Cost Visibility: Aggregating cost and usage data from all cloud providers and on-premises systems into a single view is essential for compliance, forecasting, and audit readiness.
• Automated Governance: Manual processes can’t keep pace with the scale of modern cloud estates. Automated guardrails—such as resource quotas, budget thresholds, and automated shutdowns—help enforce policies and prevent unplanned expenses.

A data-centric approach is foundational for asset managers seeking to unlock the full value of cloud. Key considerations include:

• Real-Time and Scalable Data Solutions: Prioritize platforms that support real-time or near real-time analytics, enabling timely investment decisions and regulatory reporting.
• Seamless Data Sharing: Choose cloud-native or cloud-independent solutions (e.g., Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery) that facilitate data sharing across clouds and applications, creating a single source of truth.
• Integration with Industry Data Providers: Leverage built-in or custom interfaces to ingest both traditional and alternative data sets, supporting proprietary research and advanced modeling.

FinOps is most effective when it’s a collaborative effort between IT, finance, operations, product, and procurement. This team should set policies, drive accountability, and champion a culture of cost awareness.

Platform selection should be guided by a forward-looking vision. Evaluate solutions based on their compatibility with your technology landscape, support for multi-cloud strategies, and ability to enable end-to-end processes. Integrate best-in-breed SaaS for CRM, marketing, and risk analytics, while investing in proprietary tools where differentiation is critical.

Move away from purely functional structures to value or data domains. This enables agility, better data governance, and the ability to leverage emerging technologies like AI and ML. Ensure your architecture supports both batch and real-time data processing, scalability, and easy integration.

Leverage automation to enforce cost controls, monitor compliance, and optimize resource utilization. AI-driven platforms can detect anomalies, proactively optimize resources, and automate compliance reporting—reducing operational burden and risk.

While off-the-shelf SaaS solutions address many needs, proprietary research, modeling, and integration tools are essential for maintaining your firm’s unique “secret sauce.” Cloud-native development accelerates time-to-market and ensures robust security and flexibility.

Cloud transformation is not a one-time event. Regularly benchmark performance, review resource utilization, and identify opportunities to right-size or re-architect workloads. Encourage experimentation and agility across teams.

A leading global investment firm partnered with Publicis Sapient to modernize its mission-critical asset management web properties across 48 countries. By implementing robust monitoring, site reliability engineering, and unified cost management on AWS, the firm achieved:

• 20% cost optimization
• 99% uptime SLA guarantee
• 75%+ improvement in application performance and availability

This transformation enabled the client to focus on delivering superior digital experiences, drive alpha, and stay ahead of regulatory and market demands.

Publicis Sapient brings deep expertise in cloud strategy, data architecture, and digital transformation for financial services. Our approach includes:

• End-to-End Partnership: From strategy and platform integration to ongoing optimization, we guide asset managers through every stage of their cloud journey.
• Industry-Specific Solutions: We understand the unique compliance, risk, and innovation challenges asset managers face, and tailor our solutions accordingly.
• Proprietary Platforms and AI-Driven Automation: Our platforms enable real-time cost monitoring, anomaly detection, and autonomous optimization—ensuring regulatory compliance and operational resilience.
• Outcome-Driven Approach: Every engagement is designed to deliver measurable business value, from cost savings to accelerated innovation and enhanced client experience.

Cloud cost management and FinOps are not just about cutting costs—they are about optimizing spend to achieve business goals, drive innovation, and ensure compliance. By embedding these principles into every aspect of cloud operations, asset managers can unlock the full potential of their cloud investments, leapfrog competitors, and deliver superior outcomes for clients.

Ready to transform your asset management business with cloud? Connect with Publicis Sapient to start your journey.

Relevant Links

• Your Guide to Cloud Cost Management
• AI-Driven Automation in Cloud Cost Management: From Monitoring to Autonomous Optimization
• Le cloud comme catalyseur de transformation pour la gestion d’actifs en Europe (Europe)
• Your Guide to Cloud Cost Management
• El Cloud como Catalizador de Transformación en la Gestión de Activos en América Latina (LATAM)