Managing Bank Conversions: The Guide to Organizing, Controlling, and Implementing Systems Conversions

This guide is designed to enhance systems conversions to help bankers and customers alike.

Managing Bank Conversions is the first guide that covers the gamut of management issues for systems conversions due to technology changes, mergers and acquisitions, and changes that encompass project organization, management control, and implementation. With this comprehensive guide, financial institution employees have the resource to plan and implement a systems conversion based on their needs and their systems. The book allows operations managers not only to construct a plan, but to maintain the proper documentation, exercise the needed controls, keep the chain of communications open, and ultimately complete the process as quickly, flawlessly, and inexpensively as possible.

Managing Bank Conversions is the first guide that encompasses the complete range of management issues for the systems conversions due to technology changes, mergers and acquisitions, and changes that encompass project organization, management control, and complete implementation. Drawing on his many years of bank systems and operations experience, Kent Belasco has made a significant contribution to the banking industry.

Systems integration and compatibility issues have hampered most mergers and consolidations. Without a well-designed and smoothly running system, banks could potentialy see a complete systems shutdown that impacts bankers and customers alike.

Now with this comprehensive guide, financial institution employees have the resource to plan and implement a systems conversion based on their needs and their systems. Beginning with a review of conversion types and needs, Managing Bank Conversions help operations managers and officers construct a plan, maintain the proper documentation, exercise the controls needed, keep the chain of communication open, and ultimately complete the process as quickly, flawlessly, and inexpensively as possible.

Provides insightful explanations on how to perform several types of systems conversions, organize, plan, and conduct a system conversion within a financial institution, maintain control during a system conversion, limiting a system conversion from interfering with day-to-day business, apply the steps in this book to other areas of business. DLC: Bank investments.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY		v
PREFACE		vii
LIST OF FIGURES		xii
Introduction		1
Chapter 1	Overview of System Conversion	5
	Overview	5
	Background	6
	System Conversion Defined	8
	Rationale and Purpose of System Conversions	11
	Types of Conversions	13
	Other Uses of the Conversion Methodology	18
	Culture	18
	Summary	22
Chapter 2	Organization of the System Conversion	25
	Overview	25
	Identify the Scope of the System Conversion	26
	Authorization to Proceed, Funding, and Resources	29
	Determine the System Conversion Coordinator	31
	Choosing the Conversion Committee	37
	Establishing Subcommittees and Charters	44
	Development of the Conversion Plan and Target Date	45
	Summary	50
Chapter 3	System Conversion Preparation	55
	Overview	55
	Preparation of the Conversion Timeline and Planning Template	56
	Preparation of Other Project Planning Mechanisms	75
	Preparing for and Conducting the Kickoff Meeting	83
	Development of Meeting Schedule, Minutes, Agenda Format, and Meeting Flow	89
	Executive Summaries, Communication, and Decisions	99
	Work Papers and Documentation	104
	Assignment of Responsibility to Committee Members	108
	Summary	109
Chapter 4	System Conversion Data Gathering	113
	Overview	113
	Site Visits and Development of Floor Plans	114
	Data Gathering of Basic Application System Parameters	128
	Financial Information Comparison and Changes	134
	Duplicate Account Number Listing and Analysis	141
	Delivery and Flow of Work	142
	Forms Gathering and Analysis (Internal and External)	151
	System Security (Access) Needs and Planning	153
	Courier Schedules, Workflow Delivery and Receipt, and Timing	160
	Gathering and Review of Existing Policies and Procedures	164
	Gathering Existing Systems and Third-Party Contracts and Relationships	166
	Location Cutoffs and Operation Hours	169
	Summary	171
Chapter 5	Nonsystem Considerations	177
	Overview	177
	Human Resources Issues and Concerns	178
	Physical Facilities and Building Maintenance	182
	Communications (Internal and External)	185
	Training	199
	Summary	207
Chapter 6	Implementation	211
	Overview	211
	Mainframe Conversion Process	229
	Remote Item Processing Activation	236
	System Security and User Access	240
	Conversion Weekend Walkthrough Planning	246
	Conversion Weekend Activities	249
	Conversion Week Activities	252
	Summary	256
EPILOGUE		261
BIBLIOGRAPHY		265
INDEX		267