So, what is it like to work at EPL?

In February 2013, EPL opened its doors to my wide-eyed and nervous self. As a 23-year-old, the chance to not only work in a more corporate atmosphere, but to also in an environment like EPL’s was an unbelievably exciting opportunity for me. I was set on making a positive impression at my new “work home.” What I didn’t realize at the time, however, was how much EPL would also make an impression on me.

I could speak extensively about the positive aspects of working at EPL, but wanted to highlight a handful of attributes that make EPL stand out as a distinct employer:

Our Customers. We at EPL feel privileged to have such valued relationships with our customers. The ability and willingness of our team to provide one-on-one, customized assistance to each of our credit unions is unparalleled. Our friendly and highly dedicated customer service allows us to get to know our customers on a personal basis and simultaneously position them for success. Our customers trust us to make sure their credit union and its members achieve their highest ambitions, and we do everything we can to make sure that success is delivered. We truly do have a wonderful group to work with – both here at EPL and at the credit unions we serve.

Open Door Policy. The constant exchange of information and knowledge I witness every day is both energizing and fulfilling. No matter the role or title, every person on our team serves as a mentor to others. Have a question? Call a coworker and they will pause their task to help walk you through your issue until you reach a resolution. Managers here are also keen on ensuring each employee’s success and happiness. The fact that I can walk up to my supervisor and ask, “Do you have a minute?” and have an impromptu conversation is both invaluable and instrumental in fostering a culture of collaboration, cooperation and caring — a culture that unmistakably trickles down throughout the rest of the company.

Flexibility. EPL employees are given the opportunity to work remotely, which symbolizes management’s trust in employees to remain productive and responsive. It also gives employees freedom and flexibility in their schedules, while still providing excellent customer service.

Growth Opportunities. Employees here are also encouraged to explore and learn about all departments of the company. This cross-training creates limitless learning opportunities for an employee, which, in turn, allows the individual to grow and flourish in both knowledge and skill and gives them the ability to expand their role if they wish to contribute their talents in other areas.

Our Future. Since 1977, EPL has experienced many transformations in order to continue to effectively serve the credit union industry. I feel incredibly lucky and thrilled to be a part of a new evolutionary period of our company. With the investment from Dedagroup NA in 2015, and our recent strategic partnership with The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, we now have the ability to expand our collaborative efforts with larger, international organizations and serve a wider audience for the advancement of the credit union industry. Not to mention, we have the pleasure of getting to collaborate with a highly motivated team in both the U.S. and abroad, as we share the collective purpose of applying innovation and efficiency to everything we develop!

As is inevitable for any business, our team will sometimes encounter challenges. But beyond any difficulties and growing pains we may face lies EPL’s wonderful team members, who possess an unwavering dedication to serving our customers and the fundamental belief that only together can we achieve the greatest success.

Ashlyn Fogg

Sales Operations Specialist

EPL, Inc.

EPL’s May 2016 Product Advisory Team Meeting Recap

May was an exciting month at EPL, as we were thrilled to host our second Product Advisory Team (PAT) Meeting here in our hometown of Birmingham, Ala., at The Wynfrey Hotel on May 23—24, 2016. The biannual strategic meeting provides an avenue to connect more deeply with many of our credit union customers, discuss new developments within EPL’s “Connection Suite” of products and collaborate to identify collective top areas of focus for the upcoming year.

This customer-centric event is significant and meaningful to EPL, as we value our customers and their members’ experiences above all else—it is the core of our industry. We were very pleased with the turnout at the May meeting, with a larger number of credit unions participating than at our first PAT meeting in September 2015. The increased participation is more evidence that our customers know their voices are heard, and they value the opportunity to connect with us and other credit unions in this forum.

Not only is the PAT intended to be the direct voice of EPL’s customer base, but also is intended to empower growth, maximize revenue and improve members’ experiences at credit unions of all sizes. During the first day of meetings, we had the opportunity to discuss progress on initiatives laid out last fall, including general ledger enhancements, relationship pricing, in-house credit cards, proprietary lending services, e-communications, teller operations, online banking and other functionalities of our technology offering, such as security, client support and architecture.

On day two, we engaged collaboratively to hone in on top areas of focus, and will direct our attention toward additional capabilities for the general ledger, more choices and options in lending within i-POWER® and also via integrations, online banking enhancements, major additions to document management, user interface enhancements and advanced account research, including great ATM, debit card and electronic interaction enhancements.

We have recognized the critical need for more in-depth communication on industry issues, and need you—our subject matter experts—to share your institutional knowledge and experience with us during our smaller focus groups. Your insight is invaluable to the process, and plays such a vital role in helping us discover what is working well and what we need to improve upon. Customer insight is what allows us to continue to build a system that better accommodates evolving needs.

Our post-meeting feedback surveys showed that customers positively responded to the new format of the meeting, and we will continue to refine our approach in an effort to increase engagement and streamline various processes. One thing is for certain—we are convinced of the value created by our PAT meetings—not just for improving EPL’s technology offering, but also for building deeper relationships with our customer base as a whole.

At EPL, customer collaboration does not begin with or end at the PAT meeting. We invite you to continue to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas with our customer support team as we look toward our next PAT meeting in November 2016. Until then, we will work tirelessly to deliver on the issues that that matter most to our customers.

If you have questions about EPL’s PAT, please let us know on Twitter, Facebook or via email at rhiannon.stone@epl.net!

Rhiannon Stone

VP, solutions delivery

EPL, Inc.

GAC in review: 3 key takeaways

The CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) unites thousands of credit union leaders in our nation’s capital at the year’s biggest credit union advocacy event. The GAC is recognized as the premier event for political impact, and features keynote presentations from high-profile leaders, political figures and media influencers. It is an important opportunity to connect and learn from progressive thinkers and doers, as well as engage with legislators and regulators on key issues.

This year, EPL had a strong presence at the conference, and our team networked with credit union leaders and showcased our exciting product offering. We also had the chance to attend several workshops and presentations to learn more about the issues that directly affect our customers.

We absorbed a vast amount of critical information, but of course—there were specific themes that arose more often than others. Below, we have compiled our top three takeaways from the GAC that we believe credit unions need to be aware of:

1. Cybersecurity Preparedness

This year’s conference featured a keynote speech delivered by award-winning broadcast journalist and author of Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, Ted Koppel, on the topic of cybersecurity preparedness.

It is imperative that credit unions prevent, detect and prepare for potential security breaches using contemporary technology. Speaking candidly with technology vendors about your expectation of receiving the highest level of security against breaches will help them create and manage disaster preparedness plans that map out your credit union’s response to any incident. As it happens, current regulations mandate that vendors provide advanced and holistic safeguards to protect your member data.

However, in order to be effective, the plan needs to define immediate and longer-term objectives for operations and communications to ensure sustained confidence from regulators and members. In addition, you should train your management team and staff on how to respond to any such matter. 

2. Advocacy is Everyone’s Job

CUNA President & CEO Jim Nussle reminded attendees that advocacy needs to take place all 52 weeks of the year, not just during the GAC. “Advocacy is everyone’s job,” he said. One area that is in need of more attention is technology. Credit unions will have to accommodate the needs of “tech-savvy natives” as technology plays a larger role in the lives of future generations, said Tansley Stearns, Filene Research Institute chief impact officer. “This next generation of members is going to demand service that includes digital technology.”

Core solutions providers will play an important role in developing the technology tools and platforms that meet the expectations of new generations of members. Adapting to mobile and desktop requirements is only the first step. Technology is changing rapidly and what satisfies today likely will be outdated within a few years. Evolving with, not in spite of, market demands will be key to the success of the credit union industry as a whole. 

3. Speeding Up Auto Loan Approvals

President & CEO of CU Direct, Tony Boutelle, said in an interview at CUNA’s GAC that as auto sales continue to increase, many credit unions still take longer than other financial institutions to approve loans. New car sales are estimated to reach 17.7 million this year—a drastic increase from the 11 million sold in 2009 during the recession. 49 million used cars are likely to be sold this year, Boutelle predicted, although consumer confidence may slow down slightly as the November election approaches.

It has been revealed in a study by Google that consumers desire “micro-moments” or the ability to make instant decisions about such things as purchases no matter where they are. Therefore, it would behoove credit unions to take advantage of organizations that offer them a variety of services that use technology to help speed up lending in several areas, including auto loans. Such services allow you to offer a branded shopping service to members who are considering a vehicle purchase. 

These are just three of many takeaways from our perspective—what we are really interested in is what you think! What other issues discussed at the GAC that affect your credit union were important to you?  Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or via email at wayne.benson@epl.net.

EPL Staff

EPL, Inc. 

New Year, New Core

With the New Year comes new resolutions, intended to improve a variety of aspects of life in one way or another. While many associate New Year’s resolutions with the promise to live a healthier lifestyle or drop a bad habit, business owners tend to strive for less cliché goals intended to create long-lasting, positive effects for their company. These may include streamlining operations or achieving strategic growth goals. For credit unions, one such resolution should be to determine if it is the right time to integrate a new core solution and then to take action. 

A reoccurring phenomenon among credit unions is many never think the time is right to begin the process of conversion—so, what better time to make a move than with the start of a new year? Optimizing core functionality can be a key differentiator as you work to hit 2016 growth goals and reach benchmarks in your long-term strategic business plan. This process should be looked at as a solution—an opportunity to improve technology and service offerings, thereby improving the overall member experience for your credit union. To guarantee this process is seamless, you need to ensure both the core and the core provider are the right fit for your credit union, as a one-size-fits-all approach tends to generate inferior results and dissatisfaction.

To effectively begin the process, one of your credit union’s Q1 2016 goals must be to identify your specific needs. Whether your credit union is outpacing its current technology platform or your core provider’s service is lackluster, the motivators that are driving you to make a switch need to be noted and highlighted in your selection process for a new solution. For providers to work collaboratively with credit unions to generate an ideal solution, they must be able to identify how their core can meet the criteria you’ve outlined in your internal technology assessment. A tailored approach by a company that understands your credit union’s needs is a vital component to a successful conversion and leads to achieving your long-term objectives.

As our CEO, Wayne Benson, noted in a recent article in CUToday, “One of the most important questions your credit union must ask, and in turn core providers must answer, is what can we do to streamline the process? There are numerous considerations at play: data protection, compliance and regulatory issues, third party integrations, staff and member experience, customer service, and of course—architectural changes. A provider must factor in these and other variables to ensure inoperability issues are addressed, not created—an unfortunate byproduct of poor customer-vendor communication.”

The key in this process, and in your decision to convert in 2016, is to preserve the mindset of acting proactively rather than reactively. Changing in preparation for shifting member demand and technological evolution is a much more comfortable proposition than changing because one no longer has a choice. Innovation within the financial industry is already happening and will continue to improve, so don’t let the fear of change put you at the back of the pack.  

Cheers to a Happy New Year full of success and growth!


Robin Kolvek

Senior VP of Business Development

EPL, Inc.

Celebrating our customers on International Credit Union Day

               

International Credit Union Day has been held on the third Thursday of October since 1948. This day of recognition gives us a chance to reflect on our industry’s history, acknowledge credit union accomplishments worldwide, and celebrate milestones as the industry continues to grow its member base year-to-year. At EPL, we use this day to honor our outstanding credit union customers, show our appreciation for all the hard work that they do, and express gratitude for the opportunities they give us each day to provide excellent service through our core software and technology solutions.  

To commemorate this day of well-deserved recognition, we wanted to share five of our favorite things about working with our credit union customers: 

1. Credit unions provide spectacular service to their members, making it a delight to work together as partners. Last year’s American Customer Satisfaction Index revealed that credit unions received an 85 percent customer satisfaction score. Great customer service makes for great satisfaction, and therefore great results. At EPL, we operate under a business model that puts customer satisfaction at the top of our priority list. In fact, through our i-POWER® system, credit unions can expect first-rate customer service with an 85 percent first call issue resolution – a mirrored figure, indicative of our shared values. 
2. Credit unions embrace innovation. The credit union industry has made a steadfast commitment to invest in advanced, competitive technology solutions in order to keep pace with increased market demand. Similarly, EPL works to constantly develop and refine innovative solutions for our credit union customers by delivering high-tech efficiencies, including a modern, open-architecture core system that provides choice access to a connection suite of products and services. 
3. Credit unions care deeply about their communities. Credit unions recognize that some people deserve a fresh start or someone willing to take a chance on them, which is why they provide flexibility to their new members. Many credit unions offer first time buyer loan programs to younger members who have no credit, or fresh start auto loan programs to individuals who might need a second chance to rebuild their credit. Others operate in low-income communities, whose citizens have limited or restricted access to financial services. EPL also believes in helping communities that need it the most, and one of its recent ventures is focused toward creating technology solutions to meet the unique needs of this market segment.
4. Credit unions give members a stake in the company. When you join a credit union, you aren’t just a “client” like you are at the bank—you’re a member with an ownership stake. At EPL, we operate under the same philosophy. From the start, EPL has been owned by its credit union customers, including the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, ensuring that we always provide products and solutions that truly serve our credit unions’ needs.
5. The credit union movement is growing. According to the National Credit Union Administration, in Q2 2015, membership in federally-insured credit unions topped 101million, with three million new members since Q2 2014. An increased member base means an increased demand for core solutions that not only help retain current members, but also continue to attract new members as we move into 2016. At EPL, we’re growing rapidly too. Earlier this year, we had a multimillion dollar investment from Dedagroup NA, the North American subsidiary of the Italian IT services group, Dedagroup ICT Network. This has enabled us to continue to produce new, innovative solutions to meet member demand and exceed customer expectations.

The list goes on—simply put, we are honored to serve our credit union customers, and we thank you for being such wonderful partners. Today, and every day, we celebrate you. 

EPL Staff

EPL, Inc.