[FEEDBACK]: Support for a forecast dataset

[tfcross]

Summary

The existing FOCUS dataset is purely for historical spend, but it could be also be useful to have predicted, or forecast costs in the same format. This can be aggregated from multiple sources, in much the same way as the historical FOCUS data, to provide a rolled up forecast, and easily visualised alongside historical data.

Which area does this issue relate to?

A: Missing FinOps feature, use case, or scenario

Detailed Description

If we imagine a time when all of yout provider cost data is in FOCUS, pulled in from various sources into a common platform for analysis and visualisation, that gives you a single pane of glass for historical spend. If I wanted to see that alongside forecasted spend, I would either have to rely on a single source for forecasting, based on my FOCUS data, or I could source forecast data from many providers and normalize those forecasts just the same as we do for historical spend with the current FOCUS standard. In this scenario, having a common schema for forecasted spend would unlock some really nice capabilities.

What use cases, FinOps or others, can't be performed with the existing specification unless this issue is addressed?

The two immediate use cases that spring to mind:

• Allowing teams designing new services to use FOCUS as an output for cost estimation, which could then be aggregated into more accurate forecasts and compared against actuals post deployment.
• Allowing teams to use a FOCUS-based forecast to indicate when a recommendation will be acted upon, allowing you to aggregate the future execution of recommendations and combine that with your existing FOCUS-forecast data to further improve forecast accuracy and hold teams accountable, driving conversations like: "You had this rightsizing on your forecast, but it didn't materialize when you thought it did, can you adjust your forecast and replan this optimization?".

Which FinOps personas does this issue relate to?

Practitioner, Engineering, Finance, Leadership

Which provider groups or specific providers does this issue relate to?

All providers

On a scale of 1 - 4, how critical is this for your organization?

4: Suggestion, not planning to use FOCUS soon

Objective

No response

Data Examples

No response

Issues, PRs, or Other References

No response

[jpradocueva]

Summary from the Maintainers' call on Nov 25

Context:
This issue focuses on introducing standardized methodologies and data fields for forecasting within the FOCUS specification. It aims to support consistent predictive analysis for cost management, enabling users to leverage the specification for budgeting and planning purposes.