10 Questions Every Community Bank Should Ask Before Implementing New Applications on Jack Henry Core Platforms
For community banks to remain competitive today, they must continually add or upgrade applications and solutions to their networks that integrate seamlessly with their core banking system, such as Jack Henry. If you are considering making a change, it is important to first understand the impact it will have on your existing IT environment (including costs associated with physical equipment, security and regulatory compliance).
To help you avoid unnecessary mistakes, we have prepared some pertinent questions to discuss before you start the project.
10 Questions to ask before Jack Henry Application Implementations:
- What proprietary software do we have in place that will be affected by the change?
- Is the proposed implementation of this application modular (i.e. one size fits all) or is it being implemented in a way that fits into my specific network design?
- Are we getting the best or even competitive pricing on licensing, hardware and installation or should we seek comparison quotes?
- Can I implement this application on a virtual platform to enhance fault tolerance, replication and recovery capabilities?
- Is our current network sufficient and can it handle any increase in demand on existing resources?
- How will this change affect our Business Continuity Plan and procedures?
- How will this change impact our cybersecurity posture?
- Can our current data replication and back up process handle this change or will we need to modify these capabilities at additional expense?
- What amount of time, expense and other resources will it take to train our IT staff and maintain their skills to support the new application?
- Do we need help evaluating our current IT environment to help us identify and minimize unforeseen impacts resulting from this change?
Today’s community bank IT administrators have a very challenging and time consuming role! They must stay abreast of ever changing banking applications, regulatory compliance requirements, maintain complex multibranch networks, while also meeting customer and board of director demands and expectations. Before implementing a new JHA core application, you should consider working with an outsourced IT provider who understands the Jack Henry software suite.
Safe Systems supports over 100 Jack Henry banks
Safe Systems has been providing IT, security and compliance services exclusively to community banks and credit unions for more than 20 years. We know from experience that the specific needs of financial institutions differ significantly from other network installations. Leverage our expertise to better understand:
- Best practices for implementing and supporting Jack Henry Banking core applications
- How to efficiently add banking applications in a secure environment
- Security factors and FFIEC regulations
- How to configure and install servers, backup solutions and fault tolerant host connectivity
Through our years of working with Jack Henry’s core solutions, we have built an extensive base of knowledge to effectively support banks who rely on a wide variety of Jack Henry core banking applications. We have a proven track record of implementing a diverse set of ProfitStars’ banking solutions, including Synergy Enterprise Content Management, Yellow Hammer’s BSATM compliance solution and ArgoKeys® LendingKeys™ branch sales automation platform successfully throughout our diverse Jack Henry customer base.
Working with an outsourced IT provider who truly understands Jack Henry solutions can be a huge benefit when it comes to managing your network and adding the banking applications that ensure your organization is competitive in today’s challenging financial marketplace.