Dozens of locations, multiple infrastructure towers, billing data scattered across unstructured files. Manual reconciliation was both slow and error-prone — until FogLifter® rebuilt the foundation.
This engagement involved a global managed service provider managing IT infrastructure for a large aerospace and defense contractor. The environment spanned dozens of locations across the United States and internationally, with highly complex, multi-tower outsourcing arrangements covering servers, storage, middleware, databases, backups, and labor.
Prior to FogLifter, billing data was manually extracted from dozens of unstructured data files across disparate storage systems. There was no automated mechanism to correlate infrastructure usage to contract billing, and invoice accuracy depended on laborious manual processes that were both slow and error-prone.
Four operational gaps holding back accuracy and time-to-cash across a sprawling outsourced estate.
Capability by capability, mapped to the FogLifter pillars: Count, Cost, Caliber, Compliance.
FogLifter now generates 60+ domestic and international invoices monthly, covering 200+ Resource Units (RUs), billed to actuals within one week of month close. Previously this required manual extraction from dozens of unstructured data files across disparate storage systems. Improved invoice accuracy directly decreased disputes and accelerated time-to-cash.
FogLifter correlated and aggregated data from 100+ storage systems across 20+ locations, mapping storage from the LUN to the VM layer to meet the client's uniquely stringent billable requirements. This level of granularity was not achievable through manual processes.
The initial storage engagement alone saved over 100 man-hours per month in report generation. As the engagement expanded to cover all managed infrastructure towers, labor savings grew substantially beyond the initial storage scope.
FogLifter determined the real cost of service across servers, storage, middleware, databases, backups, and labor — aggregating usage data across several dozen environments in both structured and unstructured formats. Custom, trended dashboards enabled drilling into data for planning, reporting, and clarity across organizational units.
FogLifter programmatically updates the client's ServiceNow® CMDB via API calls — eliminating manual CMDB cleanup cycles and maintaining ongoing accuracy across a sprawling multi-location infrastructure.
The engagement began with a storage reporting challenge and expanded to full enterprise invoice creation following a major RFP win and 50+ contract amendments. That organic expansion — driven by demonstrated accuracy and efficiency — is itself a proof point for prospects evaluating long-term ROI.
What changed in the day-to-day operating model behind the headline numbers.
| Capability | What it now does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Billing cycle | Within 1 week | From month close to actuals-based invoice. Previously dependent on manual extraction from dozens of unstructured data files. |
| Storage granularity | LUN → VM | End-to-end mapping from LUN to VM layer to meet the client's stringent billable requirements. Not achievable through manual processes. |
| CMDB updates | API-automated | Programmatic ServiceNow® updates via API. Eliminates manual cleanup cycles and maintains accuracy as the estate changes. |
| Towers under FogLifter cost-of-service | 6+ | Servers, storage, middleware, databases, backups, and labor — aggregated across structured and unstructured sources. |
| Engagement expansion | 50+ amendments | Started as a storage reporting challenge. Expanded to full enterprise invoicing after a major RFP win — a proof of value, not a sales claim. |
| Reach | Domestic + intl | 60+ invoices generated monthly across both domestic and international entities, on the same actuals-based methodology. |
— FogLifter documented outcome data
