Independent Banker - April 2021 - 30

PORTFOLIO
A core conversion that switched to virtual
" We have been doing
routine training in
a remote format
for several years,
so, more often than
not, we feel like our
education and training
sessions ... are still very
successful based on the
feedback we get from
customers. "
-PAUL JONES, DATA CENTER INC.
In late 2019, $518 million-asset Southwest National Bank in Wichita,
Kan., began converting its core the traditional way, but then the
pandemic hit. By March 2020, " everything went virtual, " says Trish
Minard, president, CEO and chairman of the board.
How did the virtual switch go? " It's definitely more efficient
does save a significant amount of
time, " he says. " Typically, it used
to take four weeks for a conversion
when we traveled to a site, but a
hybrid conversion can cut that
time roughly in half. We would
just go onsite for a week for data
audits and data validation before
going live, and then conduct
bank staff training remotely via
Microsoft Teams. "
If a community bank's previous
core system was hosted in the
cloud, it's easier to convert data to
IBT Apps' cloud-based system using
secure file transferprotocol (FTP),
Lentz says. But if the previous core
was an on-site legacy system, the
data has to be transferred via a
virtual private network, or VPN.
Both can be done remotely, though
staff training pre-pandemic had
been onsite. Now, even that is
offered virtually.
" During the pandemic, our
company has taken a hard stance on
ensuring employee safety, as well
for both the core provider and for my folks, " Minard says. " It had
been seven years since we had gone through a core conversion,
where we had the core people onsite meeting in offices with
bank people. More people in the bank was distracting, so using
videoconferencing was better in that regard. "
Another benefit was a set start and end time to the work, so
people had to be prepared, Minard says. " Five years ago, I do
not think a virtual conversion would be as successful as it is now, "
she adds.
However, there are drawbacks. " It becomes pretty clear in virtual
meetings when someone has little kids or barking dogs, and that
can also distract them enough to miss their deadline, " Minard says,
adding that some of those problems may subside when kids have
gone back to school.
Banks considering a remote switch should determine the best
timetable for virtual meetings with their provider. If there is a
conversion issue and it isn't discussed until the weekly meeting,
that can cause the process to become backed up, Minard says.
Time can be eaten up quickly, so it's important to address issues
right away.
Another issue was that it was almost impossible for the
conversion team to understand a problem's urgency. At one point,
Southwest National Bank's teller transactions were taking a few
minutes, but the provider said the issue could be resolved the next
morning, not realizing there were long lines of cars.
" But if I had to do it again tomorrow, " she says, " I wouldn't
hesitate to do a virtual conversion with the team we had. "
as the safety of our bank customers, "
Lentz says. " Post-pandemic, I think
remote conversions will continue,
mainly because of the cost savings
that our customers can realize by
going remote. They don't have to
pay for travel and lodging for our
employees to come to their bank. "
The pandemic has pushed more
community banks to embrace
30 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q April 2021
videoconferencing, a trend Lentz says
had already been occurring within
other industries.
" This is a great way to push more
community banks in that direction, "
he adds, " as part of a migration to a
digital-first mindset. " 
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a writer
in California.
Independent Banker - April 2021

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