I'd like to begin this blog with story about a nice experience dating back to the sixties when I worked for a large consulting firm. Our client was an airline called TWA. The board of directors hired our firm to answer a question that management and the board couldn't resolve - Should TWA move its reservations center to Rockleigh, New Jersey or leave it in Kansas City?

We had 30 days to answer the question, and indeed we did. The firm pulled together eight experts with the appropriate sets of skills. The team built tons of evidence to support our recommendation, which was, move to Rockleigh. TWA stayed in Kansas City.

Recently I posted two blogs that provided conflicting trends--even though I hadn't noticed it at the time. You wouldn't have noticed either because they were posted five weeks apart, as my work evolved. One was a survey of what my trusted clients were going to be implementing in 2006 and 2007. The other was what trusted vendors said were their hot technologies for 2006. The two lists didn't match well enough, at least, in my opinion.

1. Popular Applications Implemented in 2006 and 2007 According to Banks (the list contained a total of 24 apps)

Anything having to do with imaging
(checks, docs, exchange)------------------------a match
CRM---------------------------------------------not mentioned by vendors
Platform Automation-----------------------------not mentioned by vendors
Internet Banking--------------------------------not mentioned by vendors
New Core System---------------------------------a match

2. Popular Applications Sold in 2006 According to Vendors

Remote Merchant Capture-------------------------not mentioned by bankers
Compliance & Security Related-------------------very little attention by bankers
Bill Payment------------------------------------not mentioned by bankers
Loan & Deposit Pricing--------------------------not mentioned by bankers
Image Exchange (Check 21)-----------------------limited activity
eStatements-------------------------------------limited activity
Distributed Capture Applications----------------not mentioned by bankers
Core Applications (in-house & outsource)--------a match
Commercial Credit Management System-------------not mentioned by bankers
Check Image Processing--------------------------a match
Cash Management---------------------------------very little activity
Card Solutions----------------------------------not mentioned by bankers
Business Intelligence---------------------------not mentioned by bankers

I tried to come up with a nice logical explanation for the variances, but I failed. It wasn't a timing problem. In 2005, bankers said what they would be doing in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, vendors said what they sold the most of in 2006. It wasn't a compatibility problem. My survey included an even mix of small, medium and large banks, as long as you exclude the top 100 banks. Vendors cover the same size banks that were in the survey. It wasn't a lack of understanding. Not a single person asked me to clarify anything. They even wrote in the margins to make sure they were understood. If you're thinking the bankers and vendors lied, think again. Wouldn't you expect it would be politically correct for every banker to give the impression they support more security technology even if they weren't doing anything about it? Only two mentioned security. Congress can relax. There's no need for "Truth in Telling" legislation in the banking industry.

So why is it these two independent pieces of work did not support the idea that what vendors sell is what bankers implement? I do not know. If you know, please tell us. At a quick glance, you can see the lists showed only two activities where there was agreement - core and imaging. Is that what the current state of technology is all about?

By the way, TWA stayed in KC because of political issues. The Hallmark people (a powerful KC-based influence) wouldn't let TWA leave "their town." So where's the politics here? Talk to me folks, even if you're with one of the Boston-based brain factories. I learn new things every week, and I'm not done yet.

Art Gillis
www.artgillis.com

This is a public forum. CMP Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. CMP Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in the message center do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this forum becomes the property of CMP Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in CMP Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: The Message Center is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.