Banking on a first name basis

Northwestern Financial Review, Oct 15-Oct 31, 2003

The small-town ambiance and family-oriented, caring staff of First State Bank offers the Nebraska communities of Lincoln and Hickman the high level of services usually only experienced in metropolitan areas. Based on this premise, the bank's management decided to invest in the development of a web presence, which would provide another vehicle to market financial services accurately and timely.

"Banking on a first-name basis", the motto of our organization, does not mean one compromises on providing the highest level of service to our clients. Quite the contrary, First State Bank prides itself in investing in technology to ensure the highest possible standards of performance and product offerings to businesses in our market share," said President and CEO Jeff Krejci. Having an Internet presence became a priority as acceptance of online banking gained strength in neighboring communities.

Chief Operating Officer Seri Neal began to search for the appropriate provider. She knew the Internet strategy was critical and perceived the site development as a sizable and time-consuming task. First State Bank's core systems software provider Precision Computer Systems recommended their strategic partner Goldleaf Technologies. Neal approached Goldleaf, and quite to her surprise, Goldleaf's experienced staff provided a step-by-step approach to site development. She was impressed by Goldleaf's expertise and partnership commitment. The design team continually monitored all the activities as they related to one another on the implementation schedule.

From an operations standpoint, Neal's biggest concerns were the Internet-based audit and compliance issues stipulated by state and federal regulators. An integral part of the project planning was the incorporation of the audit requirements into every phase of the project. "Goldleaf truly has proven experience with a financial institution's Internet compliance requirements. All the behind-the-scenes issues were accomplished without missing a beat, and data security was paramount in the process. I can sincerely state, First State Bank's Internet audit will be a non-event. Goldleaf covered every possible concern and exceeded regulatory requirements. They know this industry inside out," said Neal.

Ease of use was not compromised by security measures. Customer reactions to the site have been very positive. Clients have commented that the site has a user-friendly design, which intuitively allows them to locate the information they want to access. In particular demand is the online banking section with all the capabilities to facilitate balance inquiries, intra-bank transfers, intra-bank payments, etc., considerably lowering the one-on-one calls to the bank. The staff continually cross-sells web services to customers, and customers, in turn, have incorporated banking 24/7 into their busy lifestyles.

"Goldleaf's customer service level exceeded my expectations. I never became overwhelmed with the project, and the Goldleaf staff kept me on track, even providing best practice suggestions throughout the project. First State Bank's web site is unique and truly enhanced our ability to service our customers," said Neal.

As an independent, full-service commercial bank, First State Bank continues to fulfill its mission to be providers of the latest financial services to the surrounding areas by providing the highest quality products and services in a secure web environment.