Certified – My ITFM Toolbox Is Now More Complete Than Ever
FinOps, FinOps, FinOps.
For the past years, it’s been my playing field, my craft, and my focus.
But sometimes it feels like working with one set of tools on an entire garage full of vehicles. Useful, but not enough.
The idea that there was more to it had been sitting in the back of my mind since 2021. When I started freelancing, there was already a TBM book on my desk. I read it, nodded, put it aside, and went all-in on FinOps — because that’s where the demand was.
Then last year at FinOps X, a presentation showed how TBM had taken that organization further than FinOps alone. No lightning bolt, but a warning light that wouldn’t turn off. And now, a year later, I’ve officially passed my TBM certification. Great. But more importantly: I know exactly why I did it — to make my IT Financial Management toolbox more complete than ever.
FinOps stays, TBM joins in
FinOps contributes to cloud, and more recently also to multiple scopes such as SaaS, licensing, and even certain on-prem environments. It has evolved from a specialist lens to a broader way of bringing financial awareness to technology.
TBM already operates on that wider field: a clear taxonomy and set of rules that Finance, IT, and business can read together. It moves the conversation from “what does this cost?” to “what does this contribute to?” — across cloud, licensing, and datacenter.
Why this works for me
As an infrastructure architect, I’ve spent years translating complex technological challenges for clients. I could explain why a server setup was more efficient, or how a cloud solution could scale.
But one question kept me awake: how does it all tie together at the business level? How do you explain not just what it costs and how it works, but why it matters for the organisation?
That’s where ITFM — IT Financial Management — comes in.
FinOps gives me the tools to keep the cloud layer sharp and optimised. TBM adds the layer on top that maps the entire IT landscape — including licensing, datacenter, and labour costs — and translates it into business value.
Where it often breaks down
In many organisations, each team speaks from its own reality. IT brings consumption data, Finance brings budget reports, and the business brings project goals. All three are “true,” but they speak different languages.
The result? Debates over numbers that aren’t comparable, reports that don’t tell the same story, and decisions based more on assumptions than facts.
ITFM changes that.
With FinOps, you bring focus and speed to the cloud bill.
With TBM, you add a shared language, taxonomy, and logical layers that Finance, IT, and business can all understand.
The outcome is one story, where costs, performance, and value are connected — and where conversations finally happen at the same level.
I’ll always breathe FinOps, but with TBM I can shift into a higher gear. Sometimes FinOps alone is enough. Sometimes the situation calls for both.
One thing’s for sure: my ITFM toolbox is now more complete than ever.