CUES 131: A People Perspective on Core Conversions—with Tami Webb

When considering a core conversion, Tami Webb, who is VP/sales for CUES Supplier member United Solutions Company, Tallahassee, Florida, suggests first asking: 

Why do we want to change? What's the objective? What's driving all this work? 

Webb is our guest for this episode of the CUES Podcast. She has helped about 30 credit unions convert to a hosted core or remote data processing system. At USC, Webb works with clients to convert and use XP2 or DataSafe. She also has experience working with other Fiserv core solutions as well as Jack Henry’s Symitar Episys and Ease solutions. 

No matter what core system you are converting to, the first step is building the right conversion team, she says, starting with the project lead who will serve as the liaison between the internal team and the vendor. 

In addition to the project lead, the core conversion team should include an IT lead and subject matter experts for each area of the credit union. 

Take care to select the right SMEs for this project, someone who can rally their coworkers to be excited about the change. “I call them like a cheerleader, or the go-getter person,” says Webb. They are frequently someone who “doesn't mind change and that wants to be in that leader role. [They] can help encourage the team and get them to be excited about what's going to be happening.” 

When deciding on the project lead, someone who knows the system intimately will be better able to guide the team and stay organized, says Webb, as long as they have the full confidence and support of the top leadership team. 

“I truly believe by building the right conversion team and being prepared and working closely with a new core provider, credit unions can't help but have a successful conversion,” she says.

Links for this show:

Transcript

United Solutions Company