If a credit union's vision is to provide personalized, one-on-one, face-to-face consultative services to a segment-based group, it may not need mobile.

“But, if a credit union wants to be a full-service provider to members in the member's delivery channel of choice, then the credit union needs to have a mobile-first mindset across their entire business,” said Robert Israelite, CUNA Mutual lending and compliance specialist, Tuesday during a session at America's Credit Union Conference.

Many veteran CEOs doubt members are applying for loans on mobile devices, and boards are even further removed, he said.

“Most credit union staff have never applied for a loan in a member channel and that's a problem,” Israelite said. “They have internal ways of doing it. Staff need to put themselves in the shoes of a real member or potential member who doesn't have strong ties to the credit union.”

Credit union leaders who have decided mobile is essential to their business need to know and experience every online member-facing channel. Israelite urged attendees to “go through every link on your site, and if you don't control it talk to business partners who do to get it optimized for mobile. You need to understand what your members are experiencing.”

If a credit union determines mobile serves its mission and value, “you'd better get moving because you're already late to the party,” Israelite added.

He said credit unions late into the game have already lost more members than they'll ever know about. Those members, he added, have moved on and they'll never come back.

“We lose a credit union every day with the merger pace continuing,” he said. “There is urgency if your credit union has determined it needs to adopt mobile, but hasn't yet. You are setting up your legacy for your credit union to be around. If you miss this, you won't fulfill your legacy.”