FinOps-Enabled DevOps: Cost-Aware Delivery Pipelines and Automated Cloud Spend Guardrails

Abstract

Cloud cost management increasingly requires integration into engineering delivery workflows rather than periodic finance reviews. This research proposes a FinOps-enabled DevOps model that introduces cost-aware pipeline checks, budget-based guardrails, and automated anomaly detection for spend. The framework integrates unit-cost metrics into release decisions and supports policy-driven scaling controls. Evaluation indicates reduced cost regressions and improved accountability for cost changes alongside performance and reliability outcomes.