Can technology help community banks compete?

Many people believe that integrated banking technology solutions are beyond the resources of many community banks. This assumption is based on the belief that high cost and complex management skills are associated with the design, installation and maintenance of such systems. Consequently, the return on investment is not enough to make a suitable business case for small and medium-sized banks.

Times have changed. Gone are the days when individual solutions required costly integrations, lengthy deployments, and vast human resources. Thanks to Internet-based banking technology, community bankers are now able to add value to each customer’s interaction. Currently, community bankers have access to low-cost banking tools based on web technologies that help banks make proactive and high-quality business decisions, which gives a clear competitive advantage.

A business case can be easily built for many of the benefits of integrated banking technology solutions, not only for the end result, but also to meet customer needs.

Focus on customer

Community banks can now focus on standing out from the competition. This is beneficial for the end result, avoiding tedious and inaccurate paper processes, as they require a lot of time and effort on the part of employees. Using online banking tools to speed up routine processes allows employees to focus on their most important function: customer service.

Available to all institutions

With minimal capital expenditures, community banks can afford banking web technologies. Many solutions offer transaction-based pricing, which allows banks to pay only for the services they request and perform. Modern technology allows institutions of any size to use the same banking tools based on web Techthat were developed to serve the largest financial institutions. These technological advances help banks compete on an equal footing.

Easy to implement and upgrade

The introduction of integrated banking technology solutions is very flexible, so that local banks can make a quick transition with a small amount of internal resources. Many banking web tools require only an Internet browser and can be easily incorporated into existing operations. As the rules change, technological updates are perfect and do not require interruption of daily services.

Today, public banks face a huge challenge. They must protect customers, transactions and the end result, while providing superior service, meeting regulatory requirements and business goals. Internet-based external banking technology offers a clear solution to this complex challenge. By choosing integrated banking technology solutions, community bankers can benefit from technology and compete better.