If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. This old adage rings truer today than ever, especially when it comes to almost any competitive business environment. In this age of technology, innovations are coming at the speed of light. Businesses that don’t keep up get left in the dust. In industries with lots of choices, like banking, consumers expect even the smallest institutions to keep up with the pack.  That’s because, for the customer, a bank that’s willing to change is one that’s also eager to continually improve upon the customer experience.  With this understanding, being open to updating your bank’s software is one of the most important things you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Expect Some Push Back

For many people, change is difficult, even if it’s for the better. Some employees and customers alike will get into a routine and want to stay there. This is understandable, as there is a level of comfort in the routine. However, understanding the resistance and giving in to it are two different things. History is littered with businesses that closed their doors because they were too inflexible to change. So when it’s time to explore better ways of doing things, show your great leadership skills and be firm, while also painting a vivid picture of how the new software will help everyone involved. The better you explain your vision for the project, the higher the level of acceptance you are likely to receive.

Five Steps to Overcoming Change Prevention

For those of you open to updating your current software — and who don’t want to fall into “The Change Prevention Committee” yourselves — we’ve outlined five essential steps to follow when instigating a software change:

1      Discover Your Primary Needs
2      Define Your Goals
3      Determine the Best Vendor/Product
4      Manage Constraints
5      Implement Your New Product

If you are interested in learning more about each step and missed our recent webinar (co-sponsored by Gonzo Banker) on the subject, click here to view the presentation.  Or, to download the PowerPoint slides from the webinar for internal review, click here.

Here’s the bottom line: if you’re looking to keep your bank moving forward, change is necessary. Sometimes it can seem like a daunting task. Stay focused on your goal, use the steps above and in doing so, you’ll pave the way for a successful software selection and implementation.

Alan Wooldridge is Co-President of AccuSystems, LLC of Pueblo, Colorado. The company specializes in banking software systems that provide bank imaging and banking document management to community banks throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Alan attended Colorado State University at Pueblo and has been developing winning bank software products for over two decades.  Connect with Alan on Linkedin.