American National Bank based in Mount Pleasant, Texas faced a critical challenge when converting from their core system – how to efficiently preserve and access years of historical data without the excessive costs and complexity typical of traditional conversions. Through their partnership with DCI, the bank was introduced to FIntegrate Technology and their FusionLRS solution. Despite initial concerns of not working with one of the big CORE providers with seemingly endless resources and support staff, the bank quickly discovered that FIntegrate’s specialized expertise, personalized approach and more than 20 years of experience, delivered superior results, including enhanced searchability that would streamline future audit preparations.
When American National Bank embarked on their core system conversion, they understood the critical importance of maintaining access to their historical data, both for regulatory compliance and customer service. “Our old core was kind of a unique animal when it comes to how it stores documents and archives content,” explained Austin B. Niblett, IT & Security Officer for American National Bank. The bank needed a solution that could handle these unique complexities while ensuring seamless access to legacy data, images and indexing.
The institution initially considered multiple options, including one of the large core provider’s products, which represented the traditional, established approach to legacy data conversion and archiving. However, they needed more. They required a system that would genuinely enhance their operational efficiency from a company that understood the importance of verifying all the data, indexes and mapping were complete and correct.
American National Bank’s introduction to FIntegrate came through their relationship with DCI, where FIntegrate was positioned as the recommended partner for data conversion services. This partnership provided the bank with an integrated solution as part of their broader conversion strategy.
What initially caught the bank’s attention was not just FIntegrate’s technology, but the depth of experience within their team, particularly with their existing core system.
“Knowing the detailed history of all the companies their team had worked with and their previous experience with other banks using our same core – that was a big piece of comfort in our decision,” Niblett noted. “Their past experiences and success rate gave us confidence that FIntegrate understood our unique needs.”
American National Bank implemented a hybrid configuration of FusionLRS, combining the benefits of on-premises control with networked accessibility. The bank installed a server in their data center, with access provided through a secure URL connection, allowing employees to research and retrieve archived information from any location.
“We wanted to be able to store all of this archived information on a server at our data center and access it from our bank network from any location,” Niblett explained. FIntegrate successfully delivered on this specific configuration requirement, demonstrating their flexibility in adapting to client needs.
The implementation timeline reflected FIntegrate’s thorough approach. The hands-on technical work was completed efficiently in about 90 days; however, the bank had the foresight to engage with FIntegrate approximately nine months before their conversion. This timeframe included initial discovery, exploratory analysis of the existing system, and close collaboration with the bank’s IT department.
The implementation of FusionLRS delivered immediate value that exceeded American National Bank’s initial expectations. While they originally viewed the project as simply meeting their legacy data storage requirements, the results revealed significant operational advantages.
The most striking improvement came in the system’s search capabilities. “I’ve got a pretty robust query system for being able to look up and dive deeper into the data – far superior to what I found with one of the big core provider’s products,” Niblett reported. This enhanced searchability represents a fundamental shift from passive archiving to active data utilization.
The superior functionality has also positioned the bank for improved regulatory compliance and efficiency. “The ease of being able to query the data should definitely save us time.”
The bank’s positive experience has also prompted discussions about expanding the platform’s use. “We were impressed enough with the software and the ease of searchability that we’re considering it for more than what we signed on for initially,” Niblett shared. “I even took the time to ask if we wanted to further add documents and keep this updated every year so that this becomes our go-to long-term retention platform.”
American National Bank’s experience highlights the advantages that specialized technology providers with many years of experience, can offer institutions. While FIntegrate’s size initially raised some considerations, their focused expertise and personalized service ultimately proved to be significant advantages.
“When you have a specialized team like FIntegrate, you get that custom-tailored experience, which they definitely delivered on,” Niblett said. The personal attention from specialists who deeply understood their system made a meaningful difference in the project’s success.
American National Bank’s successful implementation of FusionLRS has created a foundation that extends beyond immediate data archiving needs. The platform’s capabilities position the bank to evolve their approach to data management and regulatory compliance as their needs grow.
When other financial institutions in similar situations have reached out for guidance, Niblett has been unequivocal in his recommendations. “There’s one bank that called me a couple weeks ago – they’re entertaining the idea of going with the same core we went with, and they saw FIntegrate’s name in the contract. I gave them a glowing review,” he shared. “I definitely recommend it to other banks and would use them again if given the choice.”
