Credit unions produce a significant volume of documents every month: member statements, notices, and other correspondence that needs to reach members accurately and on time. Managing that output involves multiple parties, multiple handoffs, and costs that recur with every cycle.
One of those costs is easy to overlook until it’s examined closely: many vendors charge credit unions to reformat their documents for electronic hosting. It applies every time documents are prepared for digital delivery, and it compounds across every statement run and notice batch the credit union produces throughout the year.
Make-a-Statement addresses that specific problem and the broader document management challenge around it.
The Reformatting Fee Problem
When a credit union sends documents to a vendor for electronic hosting, the vendor often needs to convert those files into a format compatible with digital delivery before they can go out. That conversion step adds cost. Unlike a one-time setup fee, it recurs with every document cycle, every month, across every document type.
Make-a-Statement removes that step. The solution generates documents that are already formatted correctly, so files arrive at the print vendor ready to print, stuff, and mail, no reformatting required. Credit unions can work with their existing print vendor using pre-formatted files, or work with IMSI’s select print partners. Either way, the production stage is simpler and the recurring reformatting cost is gone.
One Workflow for Print and Electronic
Document management for a credit union spans two channels: physical mail and electronic delivery. Running them through separate systems creates coordination overhead and introduces gaps, staff navigating one system while members are looking at another, notification delays, and access inconsistencies that slow down member service.
Make-a-Statement handles both channels from the same solution. After generating the print-ready files, it also hosts the electronic versions and integrates with the credit union’s online banking provider.
When a statement or notice is available, members receive an instant notification. They don’t need to remember to log in and check, the notification reaches them directly and signals that the document is ready. That reduces inbound contact volume around document availability, which tends to be one of the more routine call drivers for member service teams.
Staff have full access to those same hosted documents. When a member calls with a question about a specific statement or notice, the relevant document is immediately available, no retrieval request, no waiting on a separate system. The conversation moves faster, and the member gets a direct answer.
Using Statement Cycles for Targeted Marketing
Statements reach members on a consistent schedule, which makes them a reliable and already-used communication channel. Make-a-Statement supports targeted marketing, giving credit unions a way to use their existing statement workflow as a member communication channel, reaching members through a touchpoint they already engage with on a regular basis.
Compatible With All Core Systems
Make-a-Statement is compatible with all credit union core systems. Credit unions on Corelation KeyStone, Symitar Episys, or another platform can use it without a custom integration built for their specific core.
That cross-platform compatibility matters for credit unions considering a core change or currently operating across platforms. The document management workflow stays consistent regardless of the underlying system, which simplifies implementation and long-term maintenance.
Where the Cost Reduction Comes From
The savings from Make-a-Statement come from more than one direction.
The most direct is the elimination of the vendor reformatting fee. Pre-formatted documents go out production-ready, and the credit union stops paying for a conversion step it previously had no control over.
Staff efficiency contributes alongside the direct cost reduction. When documents are generated, hosted, and accessible in a single place, the time required to locate specific documents for member inquiries decreases. Members who receive instant notifications when their statements are ready are less likely to call asking where their statement is, which reduces inbound volume on a question that shouldn’t require a phone call.
For credit unions producing high document volumes, both savings streams matter. The combination adds up significantly over a full year.
Ready to Take Control of Your Document Costs?
If your credit union is currently paying vendors to reformat documents for electronic hosting, or managing print and electronic workflows through separate systems, Make-a-Statement is built for that situation. Contact IMSI to schedule a demo.
