diff --git a/controllers/appwrapper_controller.go b/controllers/appwrapper_controller.go
index 57d7bf2..393c4f3 100644
--- a/controllers/appwrapper_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/appwrapper_controller.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller/controllerutil"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
 )
 
@@ -42,12 +43,11 @@ type AppWrapperReconciler struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	scaledAppwrapper []string
-	reuse            = true
-	ocmClusterID     string
-	ocmToken         string
-	useMachineSets   bool
-
+	scaledAppwrapper     []string
+	reuse                = true
+	ocmClusterID         string
+	ocmToken             string
+	useMachineSets       bool
 	maxScaleNodesAllowed int
 )
 
@@ -94,41 +94,49 @@ func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 		getOCMClusterID(r)
 	}
 
-	//onAdd replacement
-	if appwrapper.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateEnqueued || appwrapper.Status.State == "" {
-		//scaledAppwrapper = append(scaledAppwrapper, aw.Name)
-		demandPerInstanceType := discoverInstanceTypes(&appwrapper)
-		//TODO: simplify the looping
-		if useMachineSets {
-			if r.canScaleMachineset(ctx, demandPerInstanceType) {
-				r.scaleUp(ctx, &appwrapper, demandPerInstanceType)
-			} else {
-				klog.Infof("Cannot scale up replicas max replicas allowed is %v", maxScaleNodesAllowed)
+	// Checks for finalizer on appwrapper where its deletion timestamp == 0
+	if appwrapper.ObjectMeta.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() {
+		if !controllerutil.ContainsFinalizer(&appwrapper, finalizerName) {
+			//onAdd replacement
+			if appwrapper.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateEnqueued || appwrapper.Status.State == "" {
+				demandPerInstanceType := discoverInstanceTypes(&appwrapper)
+				//TODO: simplify the looping
+				if useMachineSets {
+					if r.canScaleMachineset(ctx, demandPerInstanceType) {
+						r.scaleUp(ctx, &appwrapper, demandPerInstanceType)
+					} else {
+						klog.Infof("Cannot scale up replicas max replicas allowed is %v", maxScaleNodesAllowed)
+					}
+				} else {
+					if canScaleMachinepool(demandPerInstanceType) {
+						if err := r.scaleUp(ctx, &appwrapper, demandPerInstanceType); err != nil {
+							return ctrl.Result{}, err
+						}
+					} else {
+						klog.Infof("Cannot scale up replicas max replicas allowed is %v", maxScaleNodesAllowed)
+					}
+				}
+				return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 			}
-		} else {
-			if canScaleMachinepool(demandPerInstanceType) {
-				r.scaleUp(ctx, &appwrapper, demandPerInstanceType)
-			} else {
-				klog.Infof("Cannot scale up replicas max replicas allowed is %v", maxScaleNodesAllowed)
+			// Adds finalizer to the appwrapper
+			controllerutil.AddFinalizer(&appwrapper, finalizerName)
+			if err := r.Update(ctx, &appwrapper); err != nil {
+				return ctrl.Result{}, err
 			}
 		}
-
-	}
-
-	// Checks for finalizer on appwrapper where its deletion timestamp != 0
-	if !appwrapper.ObjectMeta.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() {
-		if contains(appwrapper.ObjectMeta.Finalizers, finalizerName) {
+	} else {
+		// if the deletion timestamp != 0 then the machines are scaled down and the finalizer is removed
+		if controllerutil.ContainsFinalizer(&appwrapper, finalizerName) {
 			if err := r.finalizeScalingDownMachines(ctx, &appwrapper); err != nil {
 				return ctrl.Result{}, err
 			}
-
-			// Remove the finalizer from the AppWrapper's metadata
-			appwrapper.ObjectMeta.Finalizers = removeString(appwrapper.ObjectMeta.Finalizers, finalizerName)
+			controllerutil.RemoveFinalizer(&appwrapper, finalizerName)
 			if err := r.Update(ctx, &appwrapper); err != nil {
 				return ctrl.Result{}, err
 			}
-			return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 		}
+		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
+
 	}
 	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }
@@ -226,7 +234,7 @@ func canScaleMachinepool(demandPerInstanceType map[string]int) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) scaleUp(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper, demandMapPerInstanceType map[string]int) {
+func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) scaleUp(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper, demandMapPerInstanceType map[string]int) error {
 	//Assumption is made that the cluster has machineset configure that AW needs
 	for userRequestedInstanceType := range demandMapPerInstanceType {
 		//TODO: get unique machineset
@@ -235,12 +243,12 @@ func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) scaleUp(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper
 		if useMachineSets {
 			r.scaleMachineSet(ctx, aw, userRequestedInstanceType, replicas)
 		} else {
-			scaleMachinePool(aw, userRequestedInstanceType, replicas)
+			r.scaleMachinePool(ctx, aw, userRequestedInstanceType, replicas)
 		}
 	}
 	klog.Infof("Completed Scaling for %v", aw.Name)
 	scaledAppwrapper = append(scaledAppwrapper, aw.Name)
-
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) IsAwPending(ctx context.Context) (false bool, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper) {
diff --git a/controllers/machinepools.go b/controllers/machinepools.go
index 61b6c46..adf35d8 100644
--- a/controllers/machinepools.go
+++ b/controllers/machinepools.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog"
 )
 
-func scaleMachinePool(aw *arbv1.AppWrapper, userRequestedInstanceType string, replicas int) {
+func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) scaleMachinePool(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper, userRequestedInstanceType string, replicas int) error {
 	logger, err := ocmsdk.NewGoLoggerBuilder().
 		Debug(false).
 		Build()
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ func scaleMachinePool(aw *arbv1.AppWrapper, userRequestedInstanceType string, re
 		klog.Errorf(`Error building MachinePool: %v`, err)
 	}
 	klog.Infof("Built MachinePool with instance type %v and name %v", userRequestedInstanceType, createMachinePool.ID())
-	response, err := clusterMachinePools.Add().Body(createMachinePool).SendContext(context.Background())
+	response, err := clusterMachinePools.Add().Body(createMachinePool).SendContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.Errorf(`Error creating MachinePool: %v`, err)
 	}
 	klog.Infof("Created MachinePool: %v", response)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) deleteMachinePool(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.AppWrapper) {
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) deleteMachinePool(ctx context.Context, aw *arbv1.
 			if err != nil {
 				klog.Infof("Error deleting target machinepool %v", targetMachinePool)
 			}
+			klog.Infof("Successfully Scaled down target machinepool %v", id)
 		}
 		return true
 	})
diff --git a/controllers/utils.go b/controllers/utils.go
index 22e2d69..bdb5827 100644
--- a/controllers/utils.go
+++ b/controllers/utils.go
@@ -135,14 +135,3 @@ func contains(s []string, str string) bool {
 
 	return false
 }
-
-// removeString removes a string from a string slice
-func removeString(slice []string, str string) []string {
-	result := make([]string, 0, len(slice))
-	for _, s := range slice {
-		if s != str {
-			result = append(result, s)
-		}
-	}
-	return result
-}