AWS Consulting Services — Architecture & Optimisation
AWS offers 200+ services — choosing the wrong ones costs months and thousands in wasted spend. Opsio's AWS consulting services provide certified architects who design, review, and optimise your AWS environment for performance, security, cost efficiency, and operational excellence using the AWS Well-Architected Framework as the foundation for every recommendation.
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What's Included
Architecture Design & Review
Greenfield architecture design and existing environment review using the AWS Well-Architected Framework. We assess operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimisation, and sustainability — delivering prioritised recommendations with implementation guidance.
Cost Optimisation
Comprehensive cost analysis using AWS Cost Explorer, Compute Optimizer, and Trusted Advisor. Right-sizing EC2 and RDS instances, implementing Reserved Instances and Savings Plans, configuring S3 lifecycle policies, and establishing FinOps practices with budget alerts and cost allocation tags.
Security & Compliance
CIS AWS Benchmark hardening, IAM policy review and least-privilege enforcement, encryption at rest and in transit, VPC security architecture, GuardDuty threat detection, Security Hub aggregation, and compliance mapping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA.
DevOps & CI/CD
Pipeline design using CodePipeline, CodeBuild, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI with automated testing, container image scanning, infrastructure deployment via Terraform, and GitOps-driven Kubernetes releases using ArgoCD.
Serverless & Containers
Application architecture using Lambda, Step Functions, API Gateway, EventBridge, ECS Fargate, and EKS. We design event-driven and container-based architectures that scale automatically and minimise operational overhead.
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- Certified cloud engineers
Opsio is our partner for IT operations and cyber security – a crucial part of our business. We roast 12 million cups of coffee each day, and therefore have high demands for availability and reliability to deliver the best possible quality for our customers. Our partnership with Opsio is vital for us to succeed with this central function.
Magnus Norman
Head of IT · Löfbergs
Maximise Your AWS Investment
Most organisations use a fraction of AWS capabilities and overpay for what they do use. EC2 instances run oversized because nobody profiled the actual workload. S3 buckets lack lifecycle policies, accumulating terabytes of data that should have moved to Glacier months ago. Security groups allow overly broad access because the original developer took a shortcut during a deadline. These inefficiencies compound silently until the monthly bill triggers an executive review — by which point you have months of architectural debt to unwind. Opsio's AWS consulting services are advisory-first: the deliverables you receive are architecture documents, Well-Architected Review reports, Terraform modules, IAM policy rewrites, and prioritised cost-savings analyses — not invoices for 24/7 operations or a migration cutover. This page is intentionally distinct from our execution sibling at AWS migration services, where MGN, DMS, MAP funding and 7Rs cutover plans live, and from our steady-state operations practice at AWS managed services, which assumes ownership of CloudWatch, patching, GuardDuty, and incident response after consulting has shaped the environment. Use this page when you need outside-in opinion: an architecture reality check, a cost reduction plan, a security baseline against CIS AWS Benchmarks, or a roadmap to retire technical debt before it becomes operationally painful.
The engagement is anchored on the six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework — operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimisation, and sustainability. A Well-Architected Review interviews your engineers, inspects accounts via read-only IAM roles, and produces a findings document scored by risk and impact, with prioritised remediation work that your team or ours can execute. Cost-optimisation consulting goes further than a Trusted Advisor screenshot: we baseline twelve months of consumption, model Reserved Instance and Savings Plan coverage scenarios using our cloud cost optimisation services playbook, and rebuild S3 lifecycle policies, RDS sizing, and Auto Scaling configurations in pull-request-ready Terraform — so the savings actually ship.
Security engagements harden IAM policies, design landing-zone guardrails with Control Tower and Service Control Policies, and align controls to SOC 2 and ISO 27001 evidence packages. DevOps consulting reviews your CI/CD posture, codifies infrastructure using Terraform with state, modules, and Sentinel/OPA policies. We pair every recommendation with reading: the Well-Architected Framework foundation guide for stakeholders, and the Well-Architected Review value brief for sponsors who need to justify the engagement upward. Every consulting engagement produces actionable deliverables — architecture diagrams, Terraform modules, security remediation plans, cost-savings reports — not slide decks that gather dust. We implement alongside your team, transferring knowledge through pair programming and architecture decision records so your organisation builds lasting AWS competency. Featured reading from our knowledge base: Zero Trust Architecture Consulting: Implement Zero Trust in 2026.
How Opsio Compares
| Advisory capability | In-house architect | AWS Partner consultancy | Opsio AWS consulting |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Well-Architected Review depth | Strong on the workload they own; thin across the full six pillars | Often a slide-led summary rather than evidence-backed scoring | Read-only IAM review across all accounts, scored finding-by-finding against the six pillars with risk and effort ratings |
| Cost-optimisation deliverable | A spreadsheet of right-sizing ideas; rarely shipped | PDF report with target savings; implementation left to client | 12-month consumption baseline, RI/SP coverage model, and pull-request-ready Terraform that lands the savings |
| Security hardening artefacts | Identity policies refined when time allows | Recommendations document; remediation chargeable separately | Rewritten IAM policies, Service Control Policies, GuardDuty/Security Hub tuning, mapped to SOC 2 and CIS benchmarks |
| IaC + DevOps assessment | Strong where the team already has IaC; gaps elsewhere | Generic CI/CD review without environment-specific code | Terraform module audit, state-backend review, Sentinel/OPA policy proposal, and concrete pipeline upgrades |
| Engagement scope flexibility | Bound to existing headcount and quarterly priorities | Fixed-scope SOW; difficult to extend without a new contract | Fixed-scope Well-Architected Review, hourly advisory, or fractional principal architect — chosen per workstream |
| Boundary with operations & migration | Same team often muddles strategy and operations | Tends to upsell into managed services even when not needed | Explicit hand-off: execution routes to /aws-migration-service/, steady-state ops routes to /aws-managed-service/ |
| Knowledge transfer & continuity | Native — but bandwidth-limited | End-of-engagement handover; report often sits on shelf | Pair programming, ADRs, and 30-day post-delivery support; no lock-in into managed services unless you want it |
Ready to get started?
Why Choose Opsio for Cloud Services
Certified AWS architects
Solutions Architect Professional, DevOps Engineer Professional, and multiple Specialty certifications across our consulting team.
Implementation, not just advice
We build Terraform modules, write IAM policies, and configure services alongside your team — not just produce slide decks.
Well-Architected methodology
Every engagement follows the AWS Well-Architected Framework with documented architecture decision records for full traceability.
Knowledge transfer included
Pair programming, documentation, and training ensure your team can maintain and evolve the architecture independently.
Not sure yet? Start with a pilot.
Begin with a focused 2-week assessment. See real results before committing to a full engagement. If you proceed, the pilot cost is credited toward your project.
Our 4-Phase Delivery Process
Discovery & Scoping
Understand your business objectives, current AWS usage, pain points, and goals. Define the engagement scope and success criteria. Timeline: 1 week.
Assessment & Analysis
Deep technical analysis of your AWS environment — architecture, security posture, cost patterns, and operational maturity. Deliverable: findings report with prioritised recommendations. Timeline: 1-3 weeks.
Design & Implementation
Architect solutions, build Terraform modules, implement security controls, and configure AWS services. Each recommendation implemented and validated. Timeline: 2-8 weeks.
Knowledge Transfer & Handover
Documentation, team training, and operational runbook handover. Ensure your team can operate and evolve the environment independently. Timeline: 1-2 weeks.
Key Takeaways
- Architecture Design & Review
- Cost Optimisation
- Security & Compliance
- DevOps & CI/CD
- Serverless & Containers
AWS Consulting Services — Architecture & Optimisation — FAQ
What do AWS consulting services include?
Opsio's AWS consulting covers architecture design and review using the Well-Architected Framework, migration strategy and execution, cost optimisation (typically saving 25-40%), security hardening aligned to CIS benchmarks and compliance frameworks, DevOps transformation with CI/CD and infrastructure as code, and serverless and container architecture design. Each engagement is tailored to your specific challenges and objectives.
How much can AWS consulting save on our cloud bill?
Most clients achieve 25-40% reduction in AWS monthly spend through right-sizing, Reserved Instance and Savings Plan optimisation, S3 lifecycle policies, unused resource cleanup, and architecture improvements. A typical mid-size environment spending $50,000-$200,000 per month sees savings of $15,000-$80,000 monthly. We provide a detailed savings analysis with implementation priority during the assessment phase.
Do we need AWS consulting if we already have AWS staff?
Yes — AWS consulting complements your internal team with specialised expertise across the full service portfolio. Most in-house teams are strong in a few AWS services but lack depth in security, cost optimisation, or emerging services. Opsio fills those gaps with certified architects who have cross-industry experience and can bring best practices your team has not yet encountered. Many clients engage us for specific projects or periodic Well-Architected reviews.
What AWS certifications does Opsio hold?
Our consulting team holds AWS Solutions Architect Professional, DevOps Engineer Professional, Security Specialty, Database Specialty, Machine Learning Specialty, and Advanced Networking Specialty certifications. We are an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with the AWS Migration & Modernization Competency. Every consultant assigned to your project holds relevant certifications for the work they deliver.
What does an AWS Well-Architected Review actually deliver?
A Well-Architected Review delivered by Opsio runs across the six pillars — operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimisation, and sustainability — and produces a findings document with each issue scored by impact and remediation effort. Deliverables include a risk-ranked remediation backlog, target-state architecture diagrams, a 30/60/90-day improvement plan, and pull-request-ready Terraform modules for the highest-priority items. The review takes 2-3 weeks for a typical mid-market environment and includes read-only IAM role provisioning, stakeholder interviews, and a final read-out with both engineering and executive sponsors.
How is this different from an AWS migration engagement?
Consulting is advisory: the deliverables are documents, code modules, and recommendations. A migration engagement (see /aws-migration-service/) is execution: it includes Application Migration Service runs, Database Migration Service cutovers, Snowball logistics, MAP funding administration, the 7Rs framework applied per workload, and the production cutover itself. Many clients buy consulting first — a Well-Architected Review and a target-state architecture — and then commission a migration engagement to execute the move. We deliberately separate the two pages so scope and pricing remain clean.
How is this different from ongoing AWS managed services?
Managed services (see /aws-managed-service/) take operational responsibility 24/7: CloudWatch monitoring, GuardDuty alert triage, EC2 and RDS patching, AWS Backup management, Reserved Instance lifecycle, and incident response with SLA-backed response times. Consulting stops at the recommendation and any pull-request-ready code attached to it. You can hire us for consulting only and operate the result with your own team, hire us for managed services without prior consulting, or sequence consulting then operations. The advisory engagement does not lock you into managed services.
What engagement models are available?
Three common shapes: a fixed-scope Well-Architected Review (2-3 weeks, defined deliverables, fixed price); an hourly advisory retainer for ad-hoc architecture, security, and cost questions billed against a pre-purchased block; and a fractional principal architect retainer where a senior consultant joins your team for a defined number of days per month over 3-6 months to lead a transformation programme. We pick the shape that matches the question — exploratory work usually starts hourly, a transformation usually starts with a fixed-scope review.
Will an AWS Partner consultancy share commercial conflicts of interest?
AWS Partner Network status — Opsio holds AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with AWS Migration & Modernization Competency — signals verified technical depth and audited customer evidence. Where conflicts could arise, we are explicit: cost-optimisation findings target your AWS bill regardless of whether the savings reduce our managed-services revenue, and our consulting outputs are designed to work whether you operate them, we operate them, or a third party does. We do not steer recommendations toward managed-services lock-in.
Can Opsio implement the recommendations, or only advise?
Both, and the boundary is your choice. Many recommendations are delivered as pull-request-ready Terraform — IAM policy rewrites, S3 lifecycle policies, RDS sizing changes, Auto Scaling configuration, VPC redesign — which your team can merge directly. Where execution requires sustained hands-on time (e.g. a major IAM redesign or a landing-zone deployment), we provide a clear scope and timeline to implement alongside your team. The advisory and implementation engagements are billed and contracted separately for transparency.
Still have questions? Our team is ready to help.
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AWS Consulting Services — Architecture & Optimisation
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