Credit unions rely on their IT systems to perform nearly all aspects of daily operations. From electronic service delivery to customer records, credit unions cannot afford to have system downtime. Each second a credit union is offline means a possible damaged reputation, decrease in employee morale and loss of revenue.

The exact cost of system downtime in a credit union setting varies, and involves many factors. What we do know is that downtime is inevitable and, ultimately, how an organization responds to downtime makes a big difference.

Planned vs. Unplanned

Both planned and unplanned downtime disrupt the flow of a credit union’s operations, and require a strategy to minimize confusion and disruption among employees and members.

Planned system downtime is mandatory in all credit union IT environments to perform updates, patches and general system maintenance. IT departments typically schedule these downtimes to take place during low-impact operational hours which, in a credit union setting, is often on weekends or evenings. Notifying all affected personnel of the scheduled downtime with specific instructions on the course of action to take during the downtime is imperative to minimize frustration, and overall impact.

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