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Core Consulting
Credit unions who partner with Synergent always have a team of operational experts to turn to. Being thoughtful, intentional, and strategic, our team of consultants provides credit unions with informed, trusted, data-driven guidance.
Core Consulting provides credit unions the opportunity to work with and receive advice from a subject matter expert to maximize their core processing investment. Our experts work directly with credit union partners with the goals of growing shares, increasing loans, strategizing operations, and gaining efficiencies in mind.
There are four different types of consultations offered to credit unions who partner with Synergent for their Jack Henry™ Symitar® core processing: Efficiency Consult, Targeted Consult, Deep Dive Consult, and New Product Consult.
Efficiency Consult
This complimentary review focuses on ensuring the credit union is using all of their existing core products and services as efficiently as possible. No additional or new implementations will occur as an outcome. The purpose is to help the credit union make the most of their Jack Henry Symitar core investment and the add-on modules they’ve already purchased.
Targeted Consult
The Targeted Consult is a 15-hour system review of a specific focus area, such as collections, lending, application processing, or technology adoption. This may include extra guidance and project management for single product deployments. The process will culminate with an actionable, systematic change that takes place on a “Go Live” date.
Deep Dive Consult
The Deep Dive Consult is similar to the Targeted Consult in that it is a system review of a specific focus area, however, the Deep Dive Consult is intended to provide actionable, systematic change with suggestions for the credit union to consider, as well as configuration to extract the greatest value possible for a specific area. It is a more intensive process, typically taking 16+ hours to complete.
New Product Consult
The New Product Consult is led by the credit union’s dedicated Account Relationship Manager and involves assessing and recommending new products for credit unions to adopt to increase year-over-year growth and improve internal and external service. This will help credit unions select products that will provide members with innovative, in-demand products and allow them to learn about, understand, and make strategic investments based on market trends.
Funded Consults
Funded consultations are in-depth opportunities for credit unions to pursue to determine what else is possible to maximize their core investment. A variety of set offerings makes it easy for credit unions to pick the area that best suits their needs, however, a tailored consultation can also be done to align with a credit union’s goals.
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General Ledger Evaluation with Branch Accounting Focus
With a General Ledger (GL) evaluation, together we will review your current chart of accounts, financial statements, GL translation, distribution tables, and batch postings. Using this information, we will provide recommendations for effective reporting. We also review GL account access and accounts payable to gain new efficiencies and to ensure GL postings are clear and precise within each batch job.
- Clean up chart of accounts
- Review GLs against translation table
- Review accruals
- Analyze fixed assets and prepaids
- Complete accounts payable efficiency analysis
- Make GL posting recommendations
Transfers In & Out
In this review of your transfer records—including share, loan, IRS, and EFT/payroll transfers—we will analyze all current transfer records and the values contained within each field, as well as complete a review of current exceptions that occur. Our team also will review all related jobs to ensure proper, valuable reports are being created to meet your needs.
- Analysis of all transfer types
- Review batch jobs that run transfers
- Review of all reports (Journal, Exception, Notice of Transfer, Set Transfer, Expiration Journal) and provide analysis of exceptions
- Provide data cleanup recommendations
Data Permissions and Security Review
Your data is only as secure as your permissions are within your staff and consoles. This deep-dive review will include reviewing your console, user, and security group setup, as well as reviewing field FM controls and process controls when it comes to accessing accounts or functional areas. Your security and file maintenance journals will also be reviewed to provide the best output possible to ease research in file maintenance and security overrides.
- Analyze all RB.SECURITY.PRIV permissions at user, group, and console levels
- Recommend field restriction possibilities to ensure fields aren’t erroneously changed
- Review print control access permissions
- Discuss restricted permissions within the account records
- Review password settings, override settings, and security reports
Assessment of Your ACH Process
Maximizing the member experience and ensuring proper balancing and reconciliation is our goal when reviewing your ACH posting jobs. In this consult, we take a deep dive into your current ACH process, including posting, exceptions, and origination. We also will analyze your lookups and EFT records to ensure the accuracy of each posting.
- Review ACH and origination posting jobs
- Provide updated balancing template for reconciliation of ACH clearing GL
- Review ACH exceptions process
- Shadow staff in processing exception items
- Offer recommendations for efficiencies in posting and reviewing items
Report Analysis (Core vs. Easy Writer)
Many reports are available within the core and some may be duplicates of your own reports created through Easy Writer. In this consultation, we will go through each of your Easy Writer reports and provide feedback on core reports that will help you achieve your goals with suggestions for prompts that can be tailored to your needs. We also will explore any manual processes that could be automated.
- Review core reports against Easy Writer reports
- Reduce duplicate reporting and identify missing reports that are needed
- Review core reports run during goodnight process
- Identify Easy Writer reports that can be automated
- Add reporting functionalities and efficiencies
Ins and Outs of Loan and Membership Processing
The application process has many moving parts. Reviewing your membership and loan application process to ensure efficiency in creating records and ensuring you have the reports you need for quality control and beyond will be our focus during this consultation. This will include reviewing functionalities within Synergy for document auditing. Together, we will review the workflows, screen definitions, field controls, and your booking process, as well as custom fields and tracking records, to help maintain member data hygiene.
- Discuss current application processes and procedures
- Review application defaults, workflows, and spec file parameters
- Identify changes to make workflows more efficient
Fee Maximization Review
Ensuring maximization of your credit union’s income possibilities and ensuring the proper reporting of fees are the key goals of this consultation. We will review your current fee schedule and ensure that your jobs and parameters reflect correct fees and posting accuracy while cleanly providing related reports. We will also offer recommendations on different fee types that could allow for greater income.
- Review current fee structure, reports, and postings
- Compare fee schedule with batch jobs and parameters (ACH, draft, ATM, dormancy, late charge, etc.)
- Review exception reports for inconsistencies
- Review jobs and parameters outside of fee schedule
Account Cross-Sell Assessment
Your product and service penetration are as good as your sales culture. To maximize your sales, we will review your current setup to identify any possibilities to enhance your account cross-sell opportunities while allowing for proper reporting and tracking.
- Review current account cross-sell procedures
- Review products/services offered, and criteria set for each
- Review reports to view member profitability and cross-selling efforts
Annual Data Cleanup
Data hygiene is an ongoing process to ensure all your data files are accurate and current. While completing ongoing updates as they occur is beneficial, we recommend setting aside dedicated time each year to complete a formal database cleanup. Synergent consulting experts can perform the heavy lifting by analyzing your database, sharing output, and assisting you with a full systematic cleanup.
- Review reports, accounts, postings, vendors, and processes
- Verify account codes and settings
- Cleanup dormant or inaccurate accounts
Project Management Consultation
Do you have strategic goals, projects, or implementations you cannot get to? Do you need an extension of your staff to help your team achieve goals on time and within budget? Synergent’s expertise can help you manage progress with a true project plan and set expectations to achieve your goals.
- Create project plan, including complete timeline and resource allocation
- Host project meetings on a frequency that meets the needs of the credit union and any vendors involved
- Provide guidance and expertise to ensure successful completion
Core Consulting & Business Continuity Planning
Core Consulting is a service offered to any credit union that has the Jack Henry™ Symitar® core processing platform, whether through Synergent or another source. Business Continuity Planning is offered to all credit unions to help them prepare for an emergency should one arise. Together, these services can maximize a credit union’s preparedness and help them leverage their core investment to the max.
