FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2008

SMOOTH SAILING FOR NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
“CONVERSION OF CORE SOFTWARE”

North Bend member and NWCU employee win cruise vacations

SPRINGFIELD, ORE - Northwest Community Credit Union (NWCU) has been working for a year to complete a challenging task, replacing their core operating system. The switch was made to a new central processing system on December 1, 2007, increasing speed and efficiency and providing the foundation for new products and services such as automated decisions and funding for online loan applications.

The former software system had been updated many times and served NWCU members well for many years. The new system – Open Solutions, Inc’s TCCUS – will allow the credit union to create dynamic new products and services that will better meet members’ future needs. Critical security features will also be further enhanced. The conversion caused some inconveniences, but Northwest Community Credit Union members are already seeing benefits from the new system.

Members became aware of the credit union’s year-long initiative in April of “07.” We needed to make as many credit union members as possible active partners in our conversion, “said Marne Dunder, NWCU’s manager of member communication. “We knew that slick postcards and posters wouldn’t have the impact we needed.” The credit union accomplished this objective by encouraging all members to learn ten critical conversion issues though an actual quiz called Voyage Forward. Members who correctly answered all ten questions were entered into a drawing to win a $2,000 cruise.

Behind the scenes, NWCU employees were also competing to win a cruise of their own. Throughout 2007, all staff spent time in the classroom. In order to enter their contest, each employee had to pass thirty-four separate exams. According to CEO Helen Byrnes, “converting to a new core processor is a monumental challenge, but with the extraordinary efforts by the staff we’re confident that this investment will provide real returns for Northwest Community Credit Union members.”