Business View Magazine l October 2022

112 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 10 implemented something that made it much easier for members to reset their passwords, to shut down their debit cards in case of travel or fraud, and to see their ACHs coming in. The premise here is that we’re always enhancing what we have, because we never think it’s exactly the way it should be. But at the end of the day, it’s not about what we think. It’s about what our members want from us.” SeaComm has recently developed a workflow engine to render instant credit decisions as part of a program that provides automatic loan offers to members. “They’re done in waves of campaigns, like when you shop, sometimes you get an offer based on your buying habits,” Wilson explains. “Maybe your car loan is coming up, or maybe a credit card. We’re now able to push those offers out and members are already pre-approved when they get them. Members just log in through their e-mail or via our Internet banking provider, which is NetTeller. They click on ‘Accept’ and that immediately starts the process. It makes it so much easier and almost seamless for our members to be able to go out and shop, whether it’s for a new car, a new RV, or any of those types of things.” Although the cooperative is aware that there are operational risks inherent with these kinds of online transactions due to the potential for identity theft and fraud, Wilson believes that the rewards far outweigh the dangers. “We’re staying on top of the technology,” he assures. “We put a lot of money into it, to add all of the security features. We recognize that there are still risks, so we have to make sure we’re balancing that. Those types of programs are helpful. You can open an account online. You can do a loan online. You never have to set foot in the credit union unless you need cash. You can do it all electronically.” SeaComm also reaps the benefits of having “a plethora” of vendor partners who assist with their CRM, technology updates, and enhanced online offerings. “One thing about a smaller institution is that you need good vendor partners to help you transition,” elaborates Wilson. “We’re not a fintech. We don’t develop our own software. So we need to have those types of companies to assist us. Diebold Nixdorf is one of them – they provide ATMs, electronic cash recyclers (ECRs), all of our banking equipment so to speak. They’re important to us because we couldn’t provide that level of