Log inBook a demo

How a Fortune 50 Financial Services Company Used Plural to Reduce Kubernetes Maintenance by 95%

Book a demo

A leading U.S. financial services institution operates hundreds of Kubernetes clusters across multiple cloud providers and on-premises environments, supporting thousands of applications and microservices. As its Kubernetes infrastructure grew, the firm faced several critical challenges, including:

  • Inconsistent tooling & processes across teams resulting in security risks and configuration drift
  • Strict compliance requirements as a roadblock to developer self-service
  • Long upgrade cycles caused by complex dependencies and manual processes
  • High operational costs with multiple senior engineers required to manage high-volume, low-value cluster maintenance tasks
  • Limited visibility across the fleet, leading to inefficient troubleshooting and time-consuming maintenance

The firm sought to modernize its Kubernetes infrastructure with a more efficient and scalable solution to support rapid innovation while maintaining security and compliance.

The Solution

After evaluating several options, the organization selected Plural for its advanced feature set and ability to meet specific requirements. Plural’s self-hosted architecture satisfied stringent security standards while providing robust fleet management capabilities at scale.

Key features of Plural included:

  • A centralized control plane for managing all clusters through a single interface
  • Automated cluster lifecycle management with built-in security controls
  • Standardized deployment processes with GitOps workflows
  • AI-powered troubleshooting and upgrade planning
  • Comprehensive audit logging and compliance reporting
  • Robust RBAC integrated with existing identity providers

By implementing Plural, the firm gained centralized control, automated key processes, and established a robust framework for scaling its Kubernetes environment.

Results and Benefits

Implementing Plural transformed the way this financial services institution managed its Kubernetes infrastructure. By introducing centralized control, automation, and standardized workflows, the organization significantly improved developer productivity, security and compliance, operational efficiency, and cost savings.

Improved Operational Efficiency

  • Automated 95% of routine maintenance tasks, such as updates, scaling, and backups, freeing engineers to focus on higher-value work.
  • Decreased Kubernetes management overhead by 88% through centralized control and standardized processes.
  • Reduced engineering hours required for Kubernetes operations by 90%, allowing the org to reallocate resources to higher-value initiatives.

Amplified Developer Productivity

  • Enabled self-service cluster provisioning with guardrails, allowing developers to securely and efficiently create clusters without manual intervention.
  • Reduced provisioning times for new environments from weeks to hours, enabling faster iteration and quicker time-to-market for new features.
  • Enhanced troubleshooting with AI-powered insights, reducing downtime and improving application performance.

Fortified Security and Compliance

  • Reduced security incidents by 75%, significantly strengthening the organization’s overall security posture
  • Standardized security controls across all clusters, eliminating configuration drift and ensuring consistent policy enforcement
  • Automated compliance reporting and detailed audit trails simplified regulatory requirements, easily meeting PCI and SOC2 standards

Cost Savings

  • Achieved a 70% reduction in time spent on routine maintenance, saving significant engineering hours annually.
  • Generated $2M in annual savings through operational improvements.
  • Delivered a ~30x ROI over three years, demonstrating the financial value of adopting Plural.

These outcomes streamlined day-to-day operations while positioning the organization to innovate faster, scale efficiently, and maintain compliance in a highly regulated industry.

Conclusion

With Plural, this financial services institution achieved a transformative shift in how it manages Kubernetes at scale. By standardizing processes, automating routine tasks, and strengthening security controls, the organization streamlined day-to-day operations while reducing costs and enhancing compliance. Key results included an 88% reduction in Kubernetes overhead, $2M in annual savings, and a ~30x ROI over three years.

Looking ahead, the institution plans to expand its self-service capabilities and adopt more sophisticated automation workflows to further optimize its Kubernetes fleet. With a scalable, future-proof infrastructure in place, the organization is well-positioned to innovate securely, meet evolving business demands, and maintain leadership in the financial services market.

About

This leading U.S. financial services institution operates hundreds of Kubernetes clusters across multi-cloud and on-premises environments, supporting thousands of applications and microservices. The organization is highly regulated, requiring robust security and compliance measures to protect sensitive financial data while maintaining operational efficiency.

Key Challenges

The company faced several critical challenges, including inconsistent tooling and processes that caused configuration drift and security risks. Strict compliance requirements hindered developer self-service, while long, manual upgrade cycles and limited fleet visibility led to inefficient troubleshooting and high operational costs. Senior engineers spent excessive time on routine maintenance tasks, leaving little bandwidth for strategic projects and innovation.

Why Plural

The company chose Plural for its advanced features and ability to modernize Kubernetes management at scale. Plural’s self-hosted architecture provided centralized control, automated cluster lifecycle management, GitOps workflows, and AI-powered troubleshooting. It streamlined compliance efforts with automated reporting, audit logging, and standardized security controls, ensuring the organization met PCI and SOC2 requirements. Plural also optimized resource allocation by shifting maintenance tasks to mid-level engineers, freeing senior engineers for high-value initiatives.

Results

Plural transformed the company’s Kubernetes operations, automating 95% of routine tasks and reducing management overhead by 88%. Developer productivity surged as self-service cluster provisioning reduced environment setup times from weeks to hours, enabling faster time-to-market. Security incidents dropped by 75%, while automated compliance processes simplified meeting regulatory requirements. These improvements led to $2M in annual savings and a 30x ROI over three years, positioning the company to scale efficiently and maintain leadership in a competitive financial services market.