CRM in Support of Service

by Karen Bankston

Security Service FCU chose its customer relationship management system to support key goals

On-premise storage to ensure protection of member data, compatibility with existing systems, and scalability to ensure a good fit for a large financial institution operating a busy 24/7 call center were key criteria in Security Service Federal Credit Union’s search for a new CRM solution. The CU’s new system would replace existing technology nearing end of product life for a company that had changed ownership.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM “offered us the best solution to design a system the way we needed it to work,” says Todd Renaud, VP/management information for the $6.7 billion, San Antonio credit union with 900,000 members.

Security Service FCU relies on its CRM system to maintain a universal member profile and window into any previous member interactions in a branch or over the phone. The credit union studied a variety of options, from off-premise and cloud solutions, to systems that entailed full customization for an on-premise system. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, “we definitely developed some of our own functionality,” Renaud notes. “Some of it was out of the box, but there was a lot of assembly and customizing for our environment.”

The selection and implementation process took about 18 months, from the development of a business case to a full transition from the existing system. Actual deployment began in April 2012 and was completed in five months. All the business units that would rely on the new system, especially branch and call center staff, were represented on the team evaluating and selecting the new solution and participating in design.

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