As we approach the end of the financial year in Australia, it is crucial for businesses to strategically plan and enhance their budgets, particularly in the realm of marketing technology (MarTech) and Sitecore infrastructure.  

Predictable costs and capacity are like the pillars of a sturdy bridge, providing reliability to your digital journey. Let us delve into why this is important and how you can boost your resources for the upcoming year. 

The Importance of Predictable Costs & Capacity 

To really focus on your strategic initiatives, you need to get clarity on the potential cost and capacity of resources in your Sitecore environment. Here is why it matters:  

Predictable Cost 

A common conversation throughout the industry is the unpredictability of Cloud Costs.  

These stem from several factors. Firstly, companies struggle to adapt to the fundamentally different nature of cloud resources compared to traditional on-premise environments, leading to ineffective management. Complex billing structures are also inherent to many cloud services contributing to wasteful spending. Companies often utilize several cloud services, compounding on the complexity of cost management. Lastly, inefficient cloud architecture can also worsen cost unpredictability with more companies opting for simplistic ‘lift and shit’ migration strategies. This results in the inability to leverage the unique efficiencies of cloud environments. 

How is this being overcome? Through automation and managed infrastructure.  

Once you have predictable costs, effective budgeting and planning follows and you can prevent unexpected expenses and overruns. It enables the efficient allocation of resources, directing investments towards revenue-driving activities rather than maintenance. Moreover, with fixed costs, such as the Dataweavers Platform Operations™ solution, there are no unpleasant surprises, ensuring financial stability and confidence in decision making. 

Predictable Capacity 

To address predictable capacity concerns, monitor traffic patterns and usage trends closely to anticipate resource needs more accurately. Additionally, implementing dynamic scaling solutions that automatically adjust resource allocation based on demand can ensure optimal performance during peak times. Moreover, leveraging cloud-based infrastructure services, such as auto-scaling features offered by cloud providers, allows for flexibility in resource allocation without the need for manual intervention.

Predictable capacity ensures reliable performance, allowing your platform to handle fluctuating traffic seamlessly. Furthermore, it aids in refining resource usage, avoiding under or over-provisioning which can lead to inefficiencies and increased costs. Adequate capacity ensures a consistent and reliable customer experience, even during demand spikes. 

Getting the Most of Your Martech Stack for ROI 

Leveraging your MarTech stack to boost the return of investment can be achieved by conducting a thorough audit to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and redundancies. By highlighting capabilities based on business impact and user adoption, it ensures alignment with marketing objectives. The effective usage of these capabilities is paramount through training, automation, and workflow enhancements. Consolidation of redundant tools and replacing these with better alternatives can also reduce costs and complexity in your MarTech stack. Finally, continuously monitoring outcomes and measuring ROI will enable you to identify key areas of improvement. 

Leveraging Microsoft Azure for Sitecore 

For capacity planning, a blended approach that balances performance and cost is optimal for Sitecore deployment on Azure PaaS. Consider factors such as web application response times, content delivery and analytics for effective capacity planning. Finally, address additional considerations such as marketing automation and email dispatch for comprehensive planning. 

To make the most of your marketing and Sitecore budget for 2024, strategic planning is crucial. By ensuring predictable cost and capacity, leveraging expert solutions like Dataweavers Platform Operations™, you can drive reliability, velocity, and innovation in 2024 and beyond. 

To learn more visit dataweavers.com/cmo/velocity