A proven DataFinOps approach takes a holistic view of cost governance through the lens of an iterative three-stage (or phase) lifecycle. Frequently an organization is in more than one stage simultaneously—with different departments, teams, and individual users at different levels of maturity.
![Inform > Optimize > Operate](https://datafinops.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/inform-optimize-operate-circle-1024x569.png)
- Inform: Understanding and getting visibility into what’s going on, how much it’s costing, measuring and quantifying everything, tracking costs, and identifying exactly where the money is going.
- Optimize: Identifying where you can eliminate waste and inefficiencies, take advantage of less-expensive cloud pricing options, or otherwise run cloud data operations more cost-effectively.
- Operate: Going from reactive problem-solving to proactive problem-preventing, empowering individuals to self-service for cost optimization themselves, implementing automated guardrails, sustaining iterative improvements.
![Inform > Optimize > Operate w/ team members](https://datafinops.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/datafinops-team-1024x616.jpg)
Inform
Visualize
Track
Alocate
Optimize
Reduce
Improve
Empower
Operate
Manage
Prevent