Are you looking to realise ongoing value from Azure post-migration? Your cloud environment should evolve with the needs of your business. Otherwise, your cloud costs will escalate — possibly into the tens of thousands of pounds per year.

Microsoft’s Well-Architected Framework (WAF) is a comprehensive blueprint that can realign your Azure optimisation with your developing business requirements. Doing so can help drive ongoing value and performance from your investment in Azure. But how does the Well-Architected Framework work and where does it add value to your business?

As an Azure cloud solutions provider, we’re highly experienced in Microsoft best practices and utilise them in our work with clients. In this article, we’ll outline what the Well-Architected Framework is and how it works. We’ll also explore how we use it so you can maintain an optimised and efficient cloud architecture as your company grows.

What is the Well-Architected Framework?

Your cloud utilisation will change with time as your business develops. As a result, your overall Azure optimisation will decline since you’re no longer employing your cloud environment as it was initially designed.

Microsoft’s Well-Architected Framework is a holistic model that can help you maintain your cloud utilisation post-migration. By regularly reviewing your cloud usage and collaborating with an Azure cloud solutions provider, you can drive cost optimisation and strategic value across your business.

Note that, if you’ve not migrated to Azure yet, you won’t be able to generate Azure cost optimisation using the Well-Architected Framework. Instead, you’ll need to use the Cloud Adoption Framework since you’re migrating to the cloud for the first time.

How does the Well-Architected Framework drive Azure optimisation?

The Well-Architected Framework sets out five key pillars that managed services partners should consider when delivering Azure cost optimisations for their clients.

With its broad scope for Azure optimisation across each pillar, the WAF offers a highly customisable solution set for organisations to maintain a streamlined and optimised cloud environment.

1. Cost management

Azure cost optimisation is vital for your cloud architecture as your expenditure can quickly mount with inefficient workload designs or ineffective cost guardrails.

Microsoft’s WA framework helps realign your Azure environment and instantly lower your annual cloud spend.

2. Operational excellence

Human error and process inefficiencies can impact your cloud performance as they delay workflows and create errors in data sources.

The WA framework outlines ways to automate your operations to hasten product deployment cycles, reduce variance and detect faults more easily.

3. Performance efficiency

Your cloud environment may place limits on your growth. As such, it’s crucial to create scalable cloud environments wherein your storage and network needs grow with your long term demand.

The WAF offers recommendations to eliminate redundant processes and artificial overheads in your cloud architecture so you can scale more readily.

4. Reliability

Vulnerable cloud architectures can result in customer platform interruptions, lost data and sudden downtimes.

The WAF outlines methods to establish more robust cloud environments that limit service disruptions and offer continual platform access to your customers.

5. Security

Finally, increases in malware and phishing attacks are creating a growing problem for firms. Data breaches cause acute financial harm via ransoms or regulatory fines as well as lasting reputational harm from customers’ lost trust.

The WAF suggests easy ways to strengthen your cybersecurity with today’s cloud-first best practices and AI-enabled tools so you can stop data breaches in real-time.

What does Atech do as an Azure cloud solution provider?

At Atech, we use the Well-Architected Framework in our work with clients. Our methodology builds directly upon Microsoft best practices and incorporates a range of other accreditations in cybersecurity, like the ISO 27001.

In fact, we’re a multi-Gold Microsoft partner with extensive experience in Azure optimisation. We have the highest Microsoft certifications in eight Microsoft domains, including mid-market solutions, application development and integration, cloud productivity and more.

For example, our work with eVestor helped them generate 1638% ROI over three years. When refactoring eVestor’s Azure architecture, we generated an average saving of 54% by downgrading or resizing their Azure applications, leading to nearly £30k saved per year.

Moreover, as a direct Azure cloud solution provider, we’re a single point of contact for all your Azure optimisation requirements. We also provide a single, simplified invoice for easy billing.

Maintain your Azure optimisation as you grow

Don’t lose the benefits of a streamlined Azure architecture just because time passes and your business needs evolve.

Microsoft’s Well-Architected Framework offers a flexible and detailed strategy to deliver ongoing Azure optimisation across your business performance. You can achieve continual Azure cost optimisation and performance efficiency by regularly assessing your existing cloud deployment across the five key pillars.

Moreover, Azure cloud solutions providers like Atech can help you go even further in securing your data, empowering your commercial strategy and identifying ways to add value to your company.

Access comprehensive Azure cloud solutions with Atech

Atech is a leading UK Azure cloud solutions provider and a multi-Gold Microsoft partner.

We’ve migrated and refactored over 10,000 servers to Azure and delivered transformational cloud infrastructure for our clients, providing them with agile and flexible enterprise technology ecosystems.

During our consultation workshops, we can benchmark your existing cloud deployment against Microsoft best practices and identify potential gaps so you can extract maximum value from your cloud investments.

Get in touch to learn the next steps in addressing risks and opportunities in your cloud infrastructure and discover new ways to streamline your business today.