Traceable cost evidence
Record where a cost came from, how it was allocated, the covered period, the currency and cost type, the workflow key used for correlation, and whether the source reconciled.
Enterprise FinOps integration pattern
Connect governed AI evidence to the cost sources finance already uses.
Value Control can use customer-approved cost exports, finance extracts and scoped provider queries without replacing the FinOps and finance systems already in place.
Implementation boundary: each source requires customer-authorised credentials, field mapping, currency and period alignment, reconciliation, security review and acceptance testing. This page describes an architecture pattern, not a pre-certified provider connector.
Cost source to accountable decision
01
Customer-owned sourcesFinOps views, billing data, finance extracts and workflow evidence
02
Approved acquisitionScheduled export, secure file or scoped read-only query
03
Versioned evidence contractCost type, period, currency, allocation and completeness
04
Exact correlationMatch approved workflow and period keys; retain exceptions
05
Value Control reviewFinance validation and recorded Scale, Optimise, Review or Retire decision
Clear responsibility boundaries
Connect the evidence. Keep ownership where it belongs.
The pattern supports controlled movement of cost records into a governance workflow while preserving the source system, allocation method and finance approval process.
No automatic financial recognition
The integration does not prove causation, approve accounting treatment, guarantee savings or convert an estimate into recognised benefit. Customer finance remains the validation authority.
Provider-neutral reference architecture
Five controlled stages from source to decision.
Each stage preserves the source, mapping and review basis needed to explain the resulting portfolio decision.
Source ownership
FinOps, billing, finance and Songlines evidence stay authoritative within their existing systems.
Approved acquisition
The customer selects export, secure file or read-only query and scopes the credential and cadence.
Map and normalise
A versioned field contract records terminology, currency, period, allocation and completeness.
Exact correlation
Approved initiative, workflow and period keys connect cost with governance evidence; exceptions remain visible.
Validate and decide
Finance reviews the basis before an accountable Scale, Optimise, Review or Retire record is approved.
Minimum evidence contract
Make the cost basis inspectable before using it.
The final contract is customer-specific. These are the minimum categories Cetus recommends reviewing for a controlled implementation.
Reconciliation basis: Source total = accepted direct cost + accepted allocated cost + exceptions + excluded cost.
| Category | Representative fields | Control question |
|---|---|---|
| Source identity | Provider, account or view, export identifier, extraction time | Can the record be traced to the approved source? |
| Financial basis | Currency, cost type, tax treatment, amortisation basis, exchange-rate source | Is the cost definition understood and consistent? |
| Time basis | Usage period, billing period, data-finality status, correction version | Does cost align with the outcome and evidence period? |
| Allocation | Direct or shared, allocation rule, allocation driver, owner, unallocated amount | Is the chosen allocation approved and reproducible? |
| Correlation | Initiative ID, workflow ID, environment, business unit, model or service key | Does an exact approved key connect the records? |
| Quality and reconciliation | Completeness, duplicate status, unmatched reason, source total, accepted total | Are differences visible rather than silently absorbed? |
Documented upstream patterns
Use customer-approved provider capabilities without replacing them.
The following cards describe publicly documented provider mechanisms that may inform an implementation. They do not represent current native or certified Cetus integrations.
Exports, telemetry and allocation
CloudZero documents CSV and API telemetry streams, allocation APIs and customer-written adaptors for custom cost sources. A Cetus implementation would require customer credentials, selected fields, mapping, reconciliation and validation.
Status: architecture pattern only
Read-only cost view or controlled export
Finout documents cost queries from preconfigured Views, custom cost-centre files and daily telemetry. A Cetus implementation would require an approved view or export, scoped credentials, mapping, reconciliation and validation.
Status: architecture pattern only
Common terms, customer policy
FOCUS can provide common billing terminology where the source supports it. Finance extracts can add labour, implementation, review, incident and other approved cost components. Cetus does not claim FOCUS conformance.
Status: customer-specific mapping
Implementation acceptance
Validate the path before relying on the result.
A customer-approved implementation should demonstrate the evidence below before cost is used in a finance working report or portfolio decision.
- Approved source, owner, credential scope and retrieval cadence.
- Documented source-to-contract field mapping and version.
- Currency, cost type, billing period and usage period alignment.
- Direct, shared and unallocated cost treatment approved by finance.
- Source totals reconciled to accepted and exception totals.
- Missing, late, duplicated and unmatched records remain visible.
- Logs, retention, privileged access and incident responsibilities agreed.
- Finance validation remains separate from calculated recommendations.
Scale
Optimise
Review
Retire
Primary documentation
Architecture statements are grounded in published source capabilities.
Start with one workflow and one approved cost source.
Scope the source, field contract, evidence period, finance owner and acceptance tests before extending the pattern across the portfolio.