Microsoft FinOps Toolkit Enhances Power BI Reporting for MCA Cloud Cost Management

Microsoft’s FinOps toolkit enhances Power BI reporting for cloud costs, especially for organizations transitioning from Enterprise Agreement (EA) to Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA). It leverages the latest Cost Management exports, supports multiple billing accounts, and offers advanced, customizable reports for better financial insights. Unique :

EA to MCA: Power BI Cost Reporting Just Got Smarter

Managing cloud costs can be tricky, especially when switching from Enterprise Agreement (EA) to Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA). Luckily, Microsoft and the FinOps community have teamed up to simplify cost reporting in Power BI.

What’s New: Power BI Meets MCA

Previously, the Cost Management app for Power BI only supported EA accounts. MCA users had to build reports from scratch using outdated connectors. These connectors had limitations like missing data details, capped spend monitoring, and no multi-account support.

Now, the FinOps toolkit offers ready-made Power BI reports that work seamlessly with MCA accounts. It leverages exported Cost Management data in the new FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification (FOCUS) format. This means “a single set of columns for both EA and MCA billing accounts,” making life easier for finance and IT teams alike.

“The FinOps toolkit provides a set of reports that connect to exported data from Cost Management. Simply export your data, download the reports, and point them at your storage account.”

Major Updates: The FinOps Toolkit Reports

The toolkit includes five powerful reports designed to cover all your cost management needs:

Cost Track costs over time with insightful breakdowns.
Rate Optimization: Identify savings from discounts and commitments.
Policy + Governance: Monitor your governance posture aligned with the Cloud Adoption Framework.
Workload Optimization: Analyze resource utilization and efficiency opportunities.
Data Ingestion: Keep an eye on export health and troubleshoot common issues.

These reports support multiple billing accounts and subscriptions, a game-changer for organizations managing complex cloud environments.

Getting Started: Step-by-Step Setup

First, create an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS) account with hierarchical namespace enabled. This boosts performance and handles large datasets smoothly.

Next, configure Cost Management exports in the Azure portal. Use the “All costs (FOCUS) + prices” template and export data in Parquet format with Snappy compression for optimal speed.

Don’t forget to set up reservation recommendation exports if you want to optimize reserved instances. Multiple exports may be needed for different services or scopes.

Finally, download the FinOps toolkit Power BI reports or templates. Connect them to your ADLS storage by updating the storage URL parameter. Then, watch your cost insights come alive.

“If you’re familiar with the EA template app, you should feel right at home, but with many welcome additions.”

Why This Matters

Switching from EA to MCA no longer means losing visibility into your cloud spend. The FinOps toolkit bridges the gap, offering scalable, up-to-date, and interactive reports in Power BI.

For tech-savvy teams, this means faster decision-making, better cost control, and smoother collaboration between finance and IT.

Ready to take control of your cloud costs? Dive into the FinOps toolkit and transform your reporting today.

Power BI’s Cost Management connector has limitations with MCA accounts and outdated APIs.

FinOps toolkit uses the FOCUS format for comprehensive cost and usage data integration.

Supports multi-account and multi-subscription reporting for consolidated cost analysis.

Includes five specialized reports: cost summary, rate optimization, policy governance, workload optimization, and data ingestion.

Requires setting up Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 for improved performance and seamless data export integration.

From the New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub