We are going to the Jack Henry conference in in Orlando next month and it has me thinking about our banking customers.
We have a large number of banks that use our Spool File software, and a number of banks also use our Forms software to seamlessly produce e-statements at a reasonable cost. We are excited to meet up with existing customers and meet new bankers at the Jack Henry conference and let them know about our new notification software. MessageFlex helps banks maintain efficient work flow of their IBM Power Systems by setting sentries that watch for malfunctions.
The last thing a bank needs is to have a critical glitch in end-of-day Jack Henry or other banking software reports that can knock a bank off schedule or even off-line to banking customers. Unmonitored malfunctions can also cause delayed delivery of important customer communications like e-statements and a slow down in processing important documents like loan applications. The stakes for banks are incredibly high now to stay functional 24/7 every day of the week. Customers expect instant access to information and funds and being offline or delaying important communications can result in lost revenue and customer dissatisfaction.
Notification software, like MessageFlex is like having an additional round the clock operator to monitor key software and hardware functions. Key personnel will get a text message and/or email about error messages that signify malfunctions that, if left unnoticed, could seriously interrupt workflow and operations. Depending on the issue, the text or email can include a link to a PDF that has step-by-step directions on how to fix the malfunction. The software can even alert to potential issues such as password irregularity, tape running low, and more.
Here are five key areas that MessageFlex can monitor for banks:
Back-up.
Banks tend to have limited in-house IT expertise. Notification software will alert to problems with back-up scheduling, power outages, tape running low, and more. Losing back-up for even a portion of a day can cause serious issues with credit card processing and access to critical data such as loan applications for the period of the outage.
Storage
Notification software provides a heads-up that storage is at near-capacity. IBM i Power Systems tend to freeze up when capacity is reached and it can take awhile to unfreeze so that processing can continue.
Report Processing
There are a number of sentries that can be set to ensure smooth workflow. Here are a few:
- Scheduled job is running too long. Jack Henry and other banking software tends to run in late evening to process all the financial transactions of the day. Notification software will let you know if there is a departure from normal processing time.
- This feature also helps to manage large print or emailed reports.
If a paper jam occurs or an improper scheduling code is input then an error message is generated that allows for quick response. Some of our clients generate literally thousands of report jobs a week and a freeze or slowdown can set back workflow within the company and delay important customer communications.
Password Attempts
Notification software will send an alert when too many attempts are made to access an account, an especially sensitive area for banking customer security. Customers generate the majority of flagged password attempts when they forget the password for their account. However, password theft is a huge cyber security threat to many companies. Notification software provides an early warning to potential cyber theft.
Resist Over-buying Features You Won’t Use from Vendors that Can’t Support You
There are two other important points to consider when purchasing notification software, or really any software, and the first is to resist overbuying on features you will not use. It often prices out the purchase when a targeted level of functions that you will use immediately can be purchased for a reasonable cost.
The second point to consider is to choose a vendor that offers quick and knowledgeable customer support; and that answers phones live. When you are short on IT staff you need to be able to count on software vendors as a valuable resource for installation and ongoing maintenance.
If you are attending the Jack Henry conference next month in Orlando stop by the DRV tech booth and say hello. We’d love to meet you.
SEP