Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. CO-OP Financial Services’ announced security and other upgrades to Springboard its proprietary credit card servicing application, which enables credit union staff access to member real-time card data.

First introduced in 2007, the newest version of Springboard, the 14th Edition, offers the addition of a security token, which according to CO-OP, ensures a higher level of protection for credit unions and their members. An invalid address indicator also helps frontline and operations staff more quickly identify calls from fraudsters. And, a new Executive Fraud Report, available to select Springboard users, provides a monthly snapshot of key fraud metrics specific to the credit union.

Other features streamline access to data intelligence for both credit union staff and members and provides access to multiple accounts from one screen, creating a unified experience for users. In addition, a new CO-OP Shared Branch Management Report, available to select Springboard users, provides insights to help credit unions make more informed decisions. It will communicate how members are using shared branching services, reporting on things like top branch locations, top transactions initiated and average dollar amounts.

“Our approach to technology is always iterative and user-focused,” Shazia Manus, chief product and strategy officer for CO-OP, said. “Springboard is an excellent illustration of this approach given the product team’s continuous improvement of the platform.” She added every new feature built into Springboard solves a specific member problem or improves a specific member experience.

According to Manus, Springboard is the only application of its kind available to credit unions. Distinct features designed specifically for both frontline and operations staff differentiate it from similar products on the market. “The functionality is truly expansive, and growing with each new iteration,” she said. “Every card operation, from call center to portfolio management, can be managed through a single interface seamlessly.”

“In 2007, many credit union call centers were still using legacy 3270 green screens to support cardholders,” Manus said. “Credit unions were not alone. Despite exponential advancement in computer displays, networks connectivity and processing power, the 1970s green-screen continued to hang on as a dominant protocol in many software programs. Beyond a bad user experience, such a system limited credit union access to information that members expected them to have at their fingertips.”

“Credit unions had a hard time living up to their member-first promises because the technology tied their hands,” Manus noted. “Without fast, clear access to member information, they couldn’t provide the knowledgeable, personalized service members were beginning to demand. Disparate systems made it difficult to have a complete view of the member’s relationship. Simple questions took too long to answer. Training for new employees was onerous and time-intensive.”

TMG, acquired by CO-OP Financial Services in April 2017, originally developed the app. “Our developers started out with a small subset of functionality,” Manus said. “Over the years, we have continued to incrementally add new features and functionality by co-creating with our credit union partners.”

Springboard began as a user interface to help credit unions better access data and business intelligence from big box, third-party platform processing systems, like those managed by First Data, a long-time CO-OP Financial Services partner. Subsequent iterations, which included role-based permissions, allowed credit unions to define which employees would have access to which accounts and which data sets.

Among the more significant milestones Springboard achieved was integration with a formerly disparate reporting application known as The Vault. This enhancement brought both standard and dynamic reports into the Springboard system.

“To enable the Vault integration, Springboard was essentially re-architected, which opened the door to bringing in even more functionality,” Manus said. “This included enhancements that allowed Springboard to recognize accounts from other third-party providers, which gave call center reps even more information to help the member.”

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CO-OP Upgrades Springboard, Security Business Intelligence

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