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The Core

FAMU FCU Chooses United Solutions OnCore XP2 Core

April 13, 2016

We sat down with the CEO of Florida A&M University Federal Credit Union, Ernest Allen, to talk about their decision to move to the OnCore XP2 platform. Read on to see why they chose OnCore XP2 and why he enjoys working with United Solutions

USC: What was most important to you when looking at converting to a new core system?

Allen: Knowing whom I’m doing business with and feeling comfortable with them is the most important thing to me. We’ve been doing business with United Solutions for some time and since I’ve been here, and that was the most important thing. There will be issues with any system and during any conversion that will need to be resolved. Having a working relationship with our vendor that takes issues seriously and takes care of them is so important to me.

As far as OnCore XP2, we just wanted to make sure that the new core system was efficient and had been reviewed by someone we had faith in.  We wanted to know how the system worked and if it met our requirements. We spent a lot of time looking at different core system providers during my time here. This was not an overnight decision. We looked to see if those systems were offering something significantly different and more efficient than what we had, and we saw a lot of good systems out there. So when we looked at XP2, our main concern was, can it give us what we want to have? Is it more efficient than what we have? Could it help us save time? Could it help us service more members? And the answer was yes.

USC: What were some of the more specific things you wanted in the OnCore XP2 system versus your current system, DataSafe?

Allen: When looking at the functionality for a teller, there was a lot more they could do. When they’re with a member, there’s more information available on one screen and it’s a lot easier to move around to provide information to them without having to stop and change screens. This gives the tellers more opportunity to cross-sell products, having all the information about a member in front of them at one time. They can’t do that on the current system, so it was a big selling point for us. You’ll hear this recurring theme about saving time and becoming more efficient, because that’s very important to us. We’re looking forward to having a user-friendly, point-and-click environment for our staff.

I think the majority of systems out there do the same type of things and the XP2 system seems to have the ability to do what we’re already doing, and more, but more efficient and faster. When we set up a side-by-side comparison of what we have and what XP2 offers, it’s offering us everything we want for the future of our credit union.

USC: We’ve been branding our whole technology solution as OnCore, where it’s not just your core system, but all the other products and services we can offer you to become a better credit union. Was there anything specifically about the OnCore offering from United Solutions that you liked, encouraging you to go with us rather than another vendor for XP2?

Allen: We already have quite a few partnerships with United Solutions, everything from collections services to our mobile deposit capture app, even to our network intranet here at the credit union. United Solutions is local, which is another key issue that we looked at. I know not every credit union has the luxury to say that their technology vendor is local, but it makes a difference for us. It’s really all about the familiarity we have with United Solutions, and having worked with United Solutions the last 2 years that I’ve been here has really shown the willingness they have to work with us.

USC: You’ve answered throughout the questions we’ve asked, but what do you like most about working with United Solutions?

Allen: We’ve addressed it several times, and it’s the main theme you’ll find in pretty much any question you’re going to ask me. It’s like when you’re going out to buy something, you care more about whom you’re buying it from than the actual thing. There are a lot of hardware providers, a lot of software providers. But if you know whom you’re doing business with, you feel comfortable knowing that when issues do arise you’re going to get solutions. You’re going to get their best effort to resolve issues. Every product or service will eventually have issues, no matter if you’re getting it from ABC or XYZ vendor. There will be issues during our conversion, but we have confidence that United Solutions is going to resolve them when they come along, and that’s the difference. It’s not fun to work through problems, but if you’re working with somebody that you already know and that you have faith in, you tend to want to stay with that.

About Florida A&M University Federal Credit Union

On May 8, 1935, Dr. J.R.E. Lee persuaded six individuals to deposit $50.00 each of their personal funds to obtain a federal credit union charter, and The Florida A&M College Employees Federal Credit Union was born to encourage its members to save money and to provide loans to other members. In 1953, the credit union changed its name to the Florida A&M University Federal Credit Unionand in 2002, the credit union relocated to its present location in a 10,000 square foot state-of-the art facility. Over the years the credit union has expanded its membership to include a wide range of community organizations and churches. The FAMU Federal Credit Union is proud of its community involvement and looks forward to many more years of service. Visit www.famufcu.org for more information.