Implementation
Pawtucket Credit Union signed the contract with Abrigo in November 2015 and began implementation the following month. Pimenta ran parallel calculations in March 2016 and went completely live with Sageworks in April. The swift implementation process boiled down to two key concepts: Having an implementation champion at the institution and a solid support team at Abrigo.
Pimenta was heavily involved in allowance calculations prior to implementing Sageworks and had previously been a controller for many years, so her knowledge of setting up calculations, understanding the codes and knowing how loans worked made the mapping process significantly easier. She recommends having someone on staff fully invested in learning the product and, if the person spearheading the project doesn’t have knowledge in lending, to have someone from the lending area prepared to help. “You’ve got to give it the attention,” Pimenta advised. “The more you put in, the better results you’re going to get out.”
Abrigo’s support team was also instrumental in Pawtucket’s success. “I think the whole process was set up and implemented very well by the Abrigo team,” Pimenta said. “A couple of times I’ve had to submit something online and, practically before I finish it, I get a phone call. It makes the investment so much better when the support is that good. You don’t have many vendors where you’re on their radar like that.”
