PowerOn Take Control of Your Core Processing Software

1 8985 Balboa Diego, CA 92123-1507(888) :Take Control of your core Processing SoftwareJune 15, | Take Control of your core Processing SoftwareWhite PaperContentsPower to the People 3 Data Integration 3 Workflow Scripting 4 Peripheral Integration 4 Data Entry and Transaction Validation 5 Email Generation 5 NetTeller Online Banking Customization 6 There s a PowerOn Solution | Take Control of your core Processing SoftwareWhite PaperTo varying degrees, the developers of core Processing systems attempt to keep up with the needs and demands of credit unions. Some may add features by producing add-ons or extensions to their primary system or by purchasing a third-party solution.

2 They may rely on the release of upgrades or new versions to add developers provide consulting and programming assistance to help institutions adapt and customize their systems. Everyone recognizes, however, that the almost endless variety of credit union environments makes it impossible to anticipate every potential it s a clich , it s nonetheless true that technology is changing quickly. These changes will also require customization. Circumstances dictate that flexibility is the key to success in providing core Processing services. The use of open, common programming protocols enables maximum flexibility for to the PeopleSymitar takes this technological challenge very seriously and we have created a tool that both Symitar programmers and credit union IT departments can use.

3 This tool, called PowerOn , places Control directly in the hands of credit unions. They can modify their Episys core Processing systems in a multitude of ways. Institutions can, for example, design and create data screens, create user-defined inquiries for data mining, automate tasks, develop interfaces with other systems, and integrate data from multiple changes are made within the structure and protection of the core system, but independent of the core code. The goal is to give credit unions maximum freedom to adapt the core platform to their requirements. Most of the customization created with PowerOn falls into one of six areas: Data integration Workflow scripting Peripheral integration Data entry and transaction validation Email generation NetTeller Online Banking customizationUser-created PowerOn specfiles enable credit unions more Control over their customization.

4 These files are sets of instructions in scripting language, each one designed to create a specific result involving Episys data or actions. Each of the six areas above is detailed in the pages that follow with real-world examples of institutions stepping up and creating the capabilities they Integration Alliant Credit UnionPowerOn can pass records to and from a Web service to validate data, such as addresses. It can read and display information from corporate intranet and Internet pages a typical use of this ability is to display reference material. Along the same lines, the Software can read, write, manipulate, and incorporate data stored in an external SQL database or other XML-compatible database.

5 It can display data in text or graphical form. PowerOn can also use applications programmed in JavaScript , VBScript, and other scripting Alliant Credit union provides a good model, illustrating how to put this data integration potential to work. Alliant needed an efficient way to convert more than 18,000 Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) from an external organization into its own system. It also wanted a platform for automated setup of new the time, the credit union handled only about 50 HSA accounts, so the increase constituted a significant change. Alliant s programming team used PowerOn to create scripts that read the account holder files provided by the previous HSA custodian and then created new Alliant accounts.

6 When the scripts were completed and tested, they opened the floodgates. More than 18,600 new HSA accounts were created in a single day. These accounts were funded with one $18 million transfer, and the accounts reconciled to the | Take Control of your core Processing SoftwareWhite PaperAmazingly, only eleven individual accounts needed to be manually reviewed for data cleanup, and Alliant handled the entire conversion process without involving the HSA account holders. The team also created scripts that would update information on existing HSA accounts and create new accounts through an interface with the members employers benefits system.

7 New account setup up is simple and Web-based members don t even need to make a phone call. Alliant Credit union completed the project in less than three months, without any external help. Workflow Scripting Right Choice Credit union (now called First Service Credit union ) Many credit unions use PowerOn to code applications that will walk users through complex tasks, such as loan applications or opening and closing accounts. By scripting the task, credit unions can ensure that all data entered is valid and correct, that all necessary fields are updated, and that monetary transactions post these tasks occur within the Episys database, user security privileges are required to make changes, and Episys creates a proper audit trail.

8 Scripts can also automate decision making when they re programmed to take actions based on credit scores, loan balances, and so scripts can promote cross-selling by suggesting products to the teller based on member account data. The program can record the member s response to the product suggestion, create a referral to another department, and keep track of staff members progress toward cross-selling Choice Credit union of Houston, Texas is one institution that made profitable use of workflow scripting. When the credit union decided it needed an incentive program to boost its loan portfolio, PowerOn was the tool of choice to run the Right Choice incentive plan rewards employees by paying them a monthly amount based on a percentage of the outstanding balance of the employee s loan portfolio.

9 As the balance grows, so does the incentive. Right Choice also provides an incentive for generating non-loan activities. The full program is multi-tiered and fairly complex. The institution needed to track this information, calculate incentives, and give employees full visibility of their PowerOn , Right Choice created a new incentive compensation module. Mike McWethy, Vice President of Retail Sales and Branch Operations, said, By using PowerOn , we were able to accomplish this customization quickly and have the new process merge into our way of doing business seamlessly. They completed the module in just a few weeks.

10 We created a method that would perform all the calculations, that would be easy for management and staff to review, and that would be accurate, fair, and up to the moment, McWethy said. Being a $100 million credit union , we don t have an enormous amount of man-hours to spend, he added. Using any other platform, it would have been extremely costly and labor-intensive. For Right Choice, it was the right idea and the right tool at the right time. Since introducing the incentive program, the credit union has doubled its non-interest income from lending and today has 80 of member shares invested in Integration Alabama Telco Credit UnionIf Episys has a standard interface to a peripheral such as a signature pad, thermal printer, or optical system, PowerOn can create the ability to interact with that peripheral and customize its behavior.