NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Make IT real and make it matter.

That was one position posed Friday by Ed Brett of Westminster Savings Credit Union in British Columbia to attendees at the CU Water Cooler Symposium in the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

The Canadian credit union's manager of product and delivery service said the challenge with technology and banking has been how to take those concepts that exist in the abstract and make them real.

“The most important part of the Amazon experience for me is not what occurs at the point of purchase but what happens seven days later. There's the package and it's Christmas or my birthday again,” said Brett.

“When I was in IT the things that mattered to the organization were abstractions to me,” he said. “IT is disconnected from that conversation and that is a risk for your credit union. It's dangerous to have your IT group treat your members as abstractions as well. “

He advised marketers to be excellent observers of the little things.

“Look for ways that members actually use the technology rather than how you want them to,” said Brett. “How you want them to have a relationship with you is not up to you anymore so you have to start paying attention to what really matters.

He added that IT has been an untapped, underutilized resource and looking ahead there should more of an effort to include IT in the strategic process.

“Have them be a part of the discussions and let them take responsibility for the growth, strategy in your credit union and be as creative about your credit union as your systems,” said Brett.

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