By Nancy Feig

Today, in the second meeting of Bank Systems & Technology's Payments Strategies Executive Roundtable series, several payments executives came together in New York to discuss remote deposit capture. The morning session, which was sponsored by Unisys, gave bankers the opportunity to speak freely about the issues associated with remote deposit capture since the passage of Check 21 three years ago.
One topic that was discussed in detail in this morning's session was thick clients vs. thin clients. Most banks with already established remote deposit capture programs are using thick clients with plans for thin client migration in the near future. However, that can be problematic, with some banks noting that the migration has taken longer than expected. Forced migration is one way to solve the problem, but banks really have to examine the functionality of the thin client for remote deposit capture. Banks coming in later in the game tend to have an advantage with this issue, namely that new customer on boarding for remote deposit capture is accelerated with a thin vs. thick client.
Another major issue discussed was the quality of images scanned using remote deposit capture. Unisys said that adequate training is imperative for high image quality and that training for the operators, who have high turnover rates, is necessary.
Fulfillment, service and support also seem to be areas in which banks face some challenges. Should the bank turn to a third-party for its remote deposit capture needs, such as scanner sales, repair and maintenance? Some banks that have not outsourced the fulfillment function are finding the logistics cumbersome and are looking to ways to wash their hands of the task.
The group was very vocal about several other issues, including paper storage, back office conversion (BOC) vs. accounts receivable entry (ARC), changes to float rules, footprint expansion, and finding the bottom-line benefits in RDC.
Because BS&T's roundtables are small, targeted and off-the record, participants are willing to share both their successes and failures with their peers in the industry. They present a rare opportunity for collaboration, commiseration, and even camaraderie, as opposed to traditional feelings of competition these executives often feel for each other. Several executives left the meeting saying that they could have talked for several more hours. But the discussion will have to be saved until the next Payments Roundtable early this summer.

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