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The FinOps Maturity Model, developed by the FinOps Foundation, helps organizations understand where they stand today, identify the capabilities they need to develop, and progress in a structured way toward a more efficient, collaborative, and strategic approach to cloud financial management.
More than just measuring progress, this model shows how FinOps evolves within the organization — from the first step of visibility to the stage where cloud costs and investments are fully integrated into business strategy.
What Is the FinOps Maturity Model?
The FinOps maturity model describes the stages organizations go through as they adopt and operationalize FinOps practices.
Rather than focusing only on cost savings, the model evaluates maturity across:
- Visibility and allocation
- Optimization practices
- Governance and operating models
- Cultural adoption and accountability
If you’re new to FinOps, start with our foundational guide:
What Is FinOps? A Complete Guide to Cloud Financial Management
Why the FinOps Maturity Model Matters for Enterprises
For many enterprises, managing cloud costs is only the beginning. True FinOps maturity comes when teams move beyond cost-cutting and start using cloud spending data as a driver for better decisions, innovation, and business value.
Large organizations face unique challenges — multiple teams, complex account structures, shared services, and strict governance needs. The maturity model helps them:
- Benchmark their current state and define a realistic roadmap
- Align stakeholders across finance, engineering, and business units
- Build accountability through shared visibility
- Measure progress in a structured, transparent way
Without a clear maturity path, FinOps efforts often stall after early wins in visibility or optimization, never reaching full business integration.
The Three Core Stages of the FinOps Maturity Model
According to the FinOps Foundation, maturity evolves through three core stages — Crawl, Walk, and Run.
These stages align closely with the FinOps Lifecycle: Inform → Optimize → Operate.
Stage 1: Crawl — Establishing Visibility and Trust
At this stage, teams are just starting their FinOps journey. The focus is on understanding cloud costs and building reliable data foundations.
Characteristics:
- Limited or inconsistent cost allocation
- Manual reporting processes
- Reactive cost optimization
- Centralized ownership, often within finance or IT
Primary focus:
- Build trust in cost and usage data
- Define tagging and allocation standards
- Provide shared visibility through basic dashboards
This stage corresponds to the Inform phase of the FinOps lifecycle — building the foundation for collaboration and accountability.
Learn more about the lifecycle here:
FinOps Lifecycle Explained
Stage 2: Walk — Driving Optimization and Accountability
Once visibility is established, organizations shift to embedding accountability and improving efficiency.
Engineering, finance, and business units begin to collaborate actively.
Characteristics:
- Regular optimization initiatives
- Shared KPIs across teams
- Showback or chargeback models emerging
- Decisions guided by cost-performance trade-offs
Primary focus:
- Use metrics and KPIs to measure efficiency (e.g., cost per service, unit economics)
- Automate parts of the optimization process
- Balance performance, reliability, and cost
Here, FinOps starts generating tangible business value, not just savings.
This stage aligns with the Optimize phase.
See which metrics matter most at this level:
FinOps Metrics and KPIs That Matter
Stage 3: Run — Scaling FinOps as a Strategic Capability
In the most mature stage, FinOps becomes part of the company’s DNA.
Financial operations and engineering practices merge into a unified model of cost awareness and strategic decision-making.
Characteristics:
- Real-time cost visibility and forecasting
- Federated ownership across departments
- Governance frameworks that encourage innovation, not restrict it
- Cost optimization integrated into product and architectural design
Primary focus:
- Connect cloud investments directly to business outcomes
- Empower autonomous, cost-aware teams
- Operate with predictive analytics and continuous improvement
This is the Operate phase — where FinOps transforms from financial control into a model of value governance.
Learn how organizations structure this stage:
The FinOps Operating Model for Enterprises
How Metrics Evolve Across Maturity Stages
As organizations progress, their metrics evolve from operational to strategic:
| Stage | Focus | Example Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Crawl | Visibility and allocation | % of resources tagged, data accuracy |
| Walk | Efficiency and optimization | Unit costs, savings realized, coverage ratios |
| Run | Value and predictability | Forecast accuracy, business KPIs, ROI of FinOps |
Mature FinOps teams measure value creation, not just cost reduction.
Common Pitfalls in FinOps Maturity
Many organizations struggle to progress because they:
- Treating maturity as a checklist instead of a continuous process
- Over-invest in tools without first building cultural alignment
- Ignore training and education for engineers and finance teams
- Lack executive sponsorship and clear ownership
Successful FinOps maturity depends on a balance of people, process, and technology — with culture at the center.
Using the FinOps Maturity Model as a Roadmap
Rather than asking “Are we mature?”, enterprises should ask:
- What stage are we in today?
- What capabilities are missing?
- What outcomes do we want next?
The FinOps Maturity Model serves as a strategic roadmap, helping organizations move from cost visibility to value realization.
It guides decision-making across domains, ensures accountability at every level, and aligns cloud investments with long-term business goals.
Final Thoughts
FinOps maturity is not about control — it’s about clarity, trust, and better decisions.
When approached intentionally, it enables organizations to:
- Scale cloud adoption responsibly
- Improve governance and predictability
- Empower teams through shared accountability
- Turn cloud spend into measurable business value
In short, FinOps maturity means running cloud with purpose — where every dollar invested drives innovation, agility, and growth.