Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - How Aflac built a cloud-fluent culture to speed up migration (ENT238)

Summary

Mainu Khalita, the global head of AWS EBA program, introduced the concept of Experience-Based Acceleration (EBA) to help organizations accelerate their cloud journey.
Tasha Bain, VP at Aflac, shared Aflac's story of building a cloud-fluent culture and speeding up their cloud migration using EBA.
Key benefits of moving to the cloud include faster innovation, data-driven decisions, scalability, cost reduction, sustainability, security, and resilience.
70% of migration friction points are non-technical, often related to people, processes, and change.
EBA is a hands-on, agile, immersive approach that breaks down silos, aligns leadership, and empowers teams to innovate and build solutions in the cloud.
Aflac's cloud migration journey began in 2019, and they have since completed multiple EBAs, resulting in accelerated migrations, modernizations, and new capabilities.
Aflac faced challenges such as gaining widespread support, engaging team members in upskilling, navigating outdated processes, and maintaining leadership support.
EBAs at Aflac have been successful due to a people-first approach, hands-on learning, rapid resolution of blockers, and a fun, collaborative environment.
Aflac plans to continue building cloud fluency, creating self-propelled teams, and leveraging AI/ML and automation for digital transformation.

The EBA methodology has proven effective for Aflac, demonstrating that a culture of continuous learning and collaboration is crucial for successful cloud adoption.
Leadership engagement and support are critical for overcoming migration challenges and ensuring alignment across the organization.
The EBA approach emphasizes the importance of empowering teams to make decisions and innovate, which can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and time to market.
Aflac's experience shows that EBAs can be a catalyst for cultural transformation, encouraging a shift towards a more agile, innovative, and cloud-fluent organization.
The success stories shared by Aflac highlight the potential for EBAs to deliver tangible business outcomes, such as improved customer satisfaction and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The EBA methodology can be scaled and integrated into an organization's standard operating model, reinforcing a culture of experimentation and innovation.
AWS provides support and expertise to organizations adopting the EBA methodology, ensuring they are not alone in their cloud migration journey.