Enhancing Credit Unions Through Workload Automation & Orchestration
CUs that adopt these tools will become more efficient, agile and ready to adapt to the financial sector's demands.
As the financial landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed, credit unions are in a relentless race to meet the changing demands of members. Credit unions must contend with a mounting expectation for superior digital banking services as members become more tech-savvy and less willing to settle for traditional banking methods.
In response to this demand, an increasing number of credit unions are turning to cloud-based applications. These applications offer a host of benefits, including the potential to scale operations, reduce costs, and improve organizational flexibility, all while staying ahead in the fiercely competitive financial sector.
Navigating the Risky Waters of Economic Uncertainty With Outdated Systems
The fluctuating economy poses a significant challenge to American consumers. A recent National Association for Business Economics study paints a picture of the coming months that does not deviate from this trend. The study indicates that 58% of respondents foresee a higher than 50% chance of an economic downturn. However, even amidst these grim predictions, there is still hope for credit unions. One such beacon is the possibility of leveraging technology to weather this financial storm. An essential move credit unions can make is implementing workload automation and orchestration to enable dated technologies to remain relevant by facilitating their interaction with newer, more advanced ones.
The use of outdated systems poses a daunting challenge for financial institutions. Antiquated systems are not equipped to handle the needs of a digitizing world, leaving credit unions vulnerable to significant risks that could negatively impact their operations, security and overall efficiency. Some of these risks include escalated operational expenses for maintaining software and hardware, increased security vulnerabilities, prolonged service disruptions, heavier compliance burdens, limited scalability, difficulties in integrating with newer technologies and issues around compliance.
Harnessing the Power of Workload Automation & Orchestration
To meet the ever-evolving demands of members and enhance retention, it is vital to leverage cloud-based technology. But what happens when a credit union has a mix of both old and new technologies? For example, perhaps a legacy core system would be more burdensome to part with than it’s worth. This does not mean credit unions can afford to avert new customer service opportunities with cloud-enabled applications such as digital card issuance. Workload automation and orchestration are crucial tools in the digital transformation journey. They help manage and schedule the execution of tasks, processes, and workflows in a digital environment, making operations smooth, efficient and largely error-free.
Workload automation reduces manual labor by automating routine tasks and, as a result, reduces the potential for human error. Orchestration goes one step further to manage multiple automation tasks across various systems, platforms and applications, integrating them into one seamless operation. Combining workload automation with orchestration creates a powerful tool that simplifies routine and time-consuming tasks. These tasks that internal IT teams and financial professionals deal with daily include mortgage and loan processes, online banking and bill payments.
The transition to cloud-based applications also allows financial institutions to adapt quickly to new business requirements. For instance, employee retention becomes essential during an economic downturn. With streamlined operations and automated routine tasks, employees can focus more on strategic initiatives, leading to a better employee experience and, therefore, reduced turnover rates.
Interestingly, a study by the Harris Poll revealed that 40% of financial consumers are willing to switch their primary financial institution for a better digital banking experience. This statistic underlines the pressing need for financial institutions to modernize their services and offers a compelling reason for the shift to cloud-based applications.
When cloud-based applications are supported by robust workload automation and orchestration tools, credit unions have a direct path to satisfy the demands of their members. A comprehensive workload automation and orchestration solution reduces the complexity of managing multiple environments, reduces IT infrastructure costs and frees up IT resources. As a result, IT teams can focus on strategic initiatives and higher-level tasks rather than getting bogged down with routine, time-consuming activities.
The Power of Automation Orchestration in Driving Digital Transformation
Employing workload automation and orchestration tools in financial institutions can substantially amplify the benefits of digital transformation. These tools can handle and streamline complex cloud-based environments, a requirement for operating across multiple IT environments in modern financial institutions. A harmonious blend of workload automation with true orchestration capabilities can align with cloud migration goals, enhancing the benefits while reducing complexity.
By adopting cloud-based workload automation and orchestration solutions, credit unions can make the most of a cloud-forward digital transformation. The result is an organization that is more efficient and agile, ready to adapt to the dynamic demands of the financial sector. Such a shift lays a strong foundation for credit unions to effectively meet member expectations amid the ongoing volatile economic landscape.
Ryan Dimick is the Chief Product Officer at SMA Technologies in Houston, Texas.