True Sky’s Blueprint For Internal And External Change Management

True Sky Federal Credit Union ($908.8M, Oklahoma City, OK) is well into a technology transformation that has yielded valuable lessons about change management from both the staff and member perspective.

The credit union simultaneously converted its core processor and revamped its digital banking systems, then soon after launched a fleet of interactive teller machines (ITMs). Using that technology and its relationships with local social needs providers, True Sky plans to bring responsible financial services to local banking deserts

Muscle Memory: Staff And Members Adapt To Change

True Sky converted to the Fiserv DNA core in February 2021, bringing 30 peripheral systems, including its digital banking platform, into the new millennium.

“To say it was a major change for us is an understatement,” says Sean Cahill, president and CEO of True Sky. “Probably the biggest change for us was culture. We had a system and employees that had been paired together for more than 20 years.”

Overnight, staff members that were experts in the old system had the same knowledge as brand-new employees.

“People put a lot of value in how they can help their co-workers, and suddenly they were unable to do so in the manner they had done for years because they were learning along with everyone else,” Cahill says. “That was hard.”

Adding to the challenge was the fact employees were finding their footing with the new technology and staff structural changes at the same time they were helping members adjust to the new system. The learning required for the conversion slowed down the team. Teller lines and contact center calls were bogged down for a couple of months as the credit union re-built muscle memory, Cahill says.

True Sky was expecting twice the normal number of calls surrounding the conversion — and it staffed up to support that — but volume turned out to be five times higher. That combined with one of the worst winter storms ever to hit Oklahoma dramatically impaired service levels.

“We literally ran out of trunk lines to answer calls,” Cahill says.

However, as employees developed muscle memory with the new technology, operations gradually improved, and members embraced the enhanced features and capabilities.

Embracing ITMs: Lead With The Varsity

Immediately following its core conversion, True Sky deployed a fleet of ITMs that has now grown to 36 machines staffed by dedicated remote employees at a ratio of one full-time employee per six machines. The credit union also extended service hours to further ensure uninterrupted member access, even during adverse weather conditions that can be typical of central Oklahoma.

And it led with the A-team.

“We choose our best existing branch and contact center staff to populate our ITM call center,” says Alex Michaud, senior vice president and chief information officer. “This is a small team of people specially trained to serve members efficiently and professionally. Our members now can make the same connections and build the same style of relationship with our ATM staff as they do in the branch or on the phone.”

This approach paid dividends, as members readily embraced the ITMs, recognizing their convenience and expanded capabilities. The machines are now producing adoption metrics above peer levels based on benchmarking reports, Michaud says.

Perhaps the credit union’s most effective strategy for ITM adoption is having an employee on-site nearby for the first 30 days after it goes live.

“One of my favorite activities is exposing a member to our ITMs for the first time,” Michaud says. “Once they tap the screen and within a few seconds are speaking to one of our tellers, their faces light up.”

Technology Change To Manage Mission

True Sky is leveraging the power of ITMs to expand the credit union’s capabilities in both its existing branch settings and its desired footprint.

“ITMs can be an invaluable tool to serve our current and potential members in more situations,” Michaud says. “We can use ITMs as a more-capable replacement for traditional pneumatic drive-through scenarios, as stand-alone terminals where a full branch might not be feasible, and in technology-driven staff-less branches.”

True Sky is exploring grocery stores as a possibility for ITM placement, and a tech-only branch in an underserved neighborhood already offers services in partnership with a community room and food bank operated by a local church.

“I see us continuing to partner with faith-based organizations to collaboratively serve underserved markets and credit deserts,” CEO Cahill says.

Don’t Stop Here! Learn about transformation, culture, and more in the five-part series “Anatomy Of True Sky Federal Credit Union.” Read this award-winning feature today in the Callahan client portal.

Intrapreneurship And Innovation

True Sky FCU is embracing what it calls “intrapreneurship,” using its new technology management skills to continuously innovate and better serve members.

“We currently have our digital banking platform [POP/io] implemented in every one of our branches so members can interact with our subject matter experts from any location,” Michaud says. “We look forward to exposing this channel to the internet to allow people to have video-based interactions with our members from wherever they are. All they need is a laptop, cell phone, or tablet.”

Via its new enhanced digital offerings, the credit union has plans to implement palm vein member authentication, expand instant loan skip functions, connect members to multiple instant payment platforms, and introduce robo-advised wealth management.

Meanwhile, True Sky will continue to empower staff and members to embrace innovation, learn new processes, and use new technology to navigate simple and complex transitions.