by W.B. King
While many credit union executives, employees and members have slowly adjusted to new methods of operations due to COVID-19, not all credit union departments have been impacted in the same manner.
In the early days of the pandemic, for example, technology departments, and the all-important operations they oversee, had to function with exacting efficiency because the success of the organization largely depended upon it (and still does). And in many cases, existing technology operating systems could be maintained or monitored remotely, which removed the need for human interaction. But what about a credit union that was in contract to implement a new technology offering when the pandemic hit?
“From the inception of our firm, our ‘normal’ has been to provide services remotely,” said Sabeh Samaha, CEO of the Miami, Fla.-based Samaha & Associates. For over 23 years, the firm has worked collaboratively with credit unions executing hundreds of successful projects, including core, digital banking and debit/credit card projects, he noted.
Overcoming COVID-19 Tech Barriers
Samaha explained that his team was tapped by the Frederick, MD – based Nymeo Federal Credit Union earlier this year. The credit union was undertaking an online banking conversion to better serve its approximate 22,000 members.
“We have partnered with Samaha & Associates on several projects. Most recently we engaged the Samaha team for an online banking conversion,” said Nymeo Federal Credit Union’s Chief Technology Officer Greg Bowman. “We found their benefits to go beyond the considerable financial negotiations savings. They know the industry and products to bring a wealth of knowledge during the vendor selection process.”
Bowman said that Samaha’s team utilized its high-level vendor contacts to secure critical resources. “With their strong implementation experience, Samaha & Associates are able to facilitate every phase of the implementation process. This has helped to eliminate unforeseen issues and create an overall smoother implementation,” said Bowman.
“We continue to utilize their services because their ability to assist in every phase of a project, from request for proposal (RFP) to implementation, has been extremely valuable,” Bowman added. “The Samaha team has been a great asset and they continue to be our first call when we consider a project.”
Throughout 2020, Samaha said his team has been executing numerous high-level technology projects for its trusted credit union clients. He added that working with Nymeo Federal Credit Union was a pleasure and that the collaboration speaks to the collective ability to adapt to the changing business conditions resulting from the pandemic.
“Partnering with the wonderful people at Nymeo Federal Credit Union this year underscores that working remotely is extremely effective,” said Samaha. “We are honored to serve the credit union industry and look forward to exceeding our clients’ expectations, especially in today’s new normal.”