The best way for companies to provide premium experiences to their customers is a cloud-enabled platform, argues USAA Assistant Vice President and Head of Information Management for P&C Allen Crane in this week’s podcast
USAA Assistant Vice President and Head of Information Management for P&C Allen Crane has a simple message for those companies yet to begin their cloud transformation journey. Start now.
The USAA built their cloud infrastructure from the ground up to provide services with the ‘wow’ factor, as Crane explains in this week’s episode of the Business of Data podcast.
However, cloud transformation initiatives are complex, challenging and require careful planning. A process that Crane compares to a pilot building an aeroplane in flight.
“We’re building a new plane in the sky that has to fly higher and faster than the one we’re already in,” Crane says. “And once we get that other plane flying, we have got to get all of the passengers off this plane and onto the new plane while it’s still in the air.”
In addition, Crane says, it is essential to obtain the support of senior leadership for such a long and complex transition to be a success.
“The most important thing in my mind is that the support starts at the top,” Crane says. “If you don’t have that level of support from the top you really won’t be successful.  You can’t do something at this scale at the grass-roots level.”
Companies must be able to provide their customers with premium experiences to remain competitive, argues Crane. Cloud transformation is an essential first step to achieving this.
“The world is moving to the cloud. Your user experiences will be enabled by the cloud. Machine learning and AI and all of that will be dependent on the cloud to deliver the kind of expectations that you want to deliver for you customers,” emphasizes Crane. “The sooner you get there the better off you will be.”
Key Takeaways

Plan the transition carefully. Migration to the cloud requires a retooling of the foundations of your data infrastructure
Win the support of senior leadership. Long and complex cloud transformation initiatives require the support of those at the top to be a success
Get started early. The sooner your company starts the cloud transformation journey, the sooner your customers will reap the benefits