DHD business manager interviewed for Get Connected series

CU*Answers recently kicked of a new “Get Connected” webinar series aimed at educating clients about the key roles and individuals working for the 100% credit union-owned cooperative CUSO. Most recently, Scott Page, business manager of the new Developer’s Help Desk (DHD), was interviewed. During the session, Page described how the DHD is organized and is targeted to facilitate the processes by which clients order, design, build and manage custom projects in a new, innovative way.

Page said a primary objective of the DHD is to blend the way in which CU*Answers offers custom software project development services to the credit union industry by combining many of the proven development techniques CU*Answers has employed to great success for nearly 50 years. A key component is the packaging of many of these offerings within the evolving CU*Answers Online Store, from which clients can order services and products electronically.

To facilitate requests, CU*Answers has split projects into three categories: off-the-shelf, Design Studio, and API development projects. Off-The-Shelf projects represent common projects that CU*Answers has previously completed and are normally very familiar with the project parameters and specifications. Examples of these types of projects include converting to a currently supported ATM/debit card, credit card or check processing vendor.

Design Studio projects are a more customized project development strategy for which the participating client is often the architect for designing the project blueprint and building the solution. The DHD is fully available to collaborate in helping make a client’s project vision become a reality. For example, in considering a project, stated clients may optionally wish to contract CU*Answers to engage its expert resources in a variety of ways, including project design/management, programming, quality control, marketing, compliance, back office, and more. Examples of these projects include new 3rd party vendor integrations, SSO projects, data exchange (DEX)/data warehouse file downloads, and more.

CU*Answers API development processes are moving rapidly ahead, with many APIs currently available to credit unions and vendors for free. On-going API development represents an important conduit for allowing third-party servicers to seamlessly integrate their solutions to the CU*BASE^® product.

Be sure to check out the next Get Connected session to learn more about CU*Answers and the people who drive the organization forward.

DHD unveils categories for handling custom software projects

CU*Answers, the core data processing CUSO, has always had a Do-It-Together mentality for developing products and solutions, working with credit union partners to build cooperative solutions. With the recent creation of the Developer’s Help Desk (DHD), CU*Answers is ramping up its support for credit unions looking for DIY support.

The Developer’s Help Desk provides a new and exciting vision for how client software development projects are handled by CU*Answers. It’s uniquely targeted to facilitate the process by which clients design, build, and manage custom projects in a new, innovative way.

DHD has most recently announced two primary categories for how it will handle custom software project development. Off-the-shelf projects represent common projects that CU*Answers has previously completed and are normally very familiar with the project parameters and specifications. For many of these projects, CU*Answers provides standardized pricing, published in its annual pricing guides. For these types of custom project requests, clients may visit the DHD website to review and order online. Examples of these types of projects include converting to a currently supported EFT, credit card or check processing vendor.

Design Studio projects are a more customized project development strategy for which the participating client is the architect for designing the project blueprint and building the solution. DHD is fully available to collaborate in helping make a client’s project vision become reality. For example, in considering a project, clients may optionally wish to contract with CU*Answers to engage its expert resources in a variety of ways, including project design/management, programming, quality control, marketing, compliance, back office, and more. Examples of these types of project include new 3rd party vendor integrations, SSO projects, data exchange (DEX)/data warehouse file downloads and more.

Developer’s Help Desk Online Store Takes Focus

CU*Answers announced that its new Developer’s Help Desk (DHD) online store is open for business and has already started to secure client and vendor interest and early orders. The DHD currently features over 160 products and services, and is located within the CU*Answers Online Store.

Scott Page, business development manager, said: “This represents the first opportunity to see our DHD initiative for serving credit unions. Although it’s still under development, we wanted to provide an early opportunity to see the approach and type of content we will be including to promote our streamlined presence. Word is already resonating with clients, and we have fulfilled our very first online orders. We are also engaged in reviewing software development project ideas brought for further research. In the coming months, our DHD shopping experience will continue being developed with considerably more product offerings. It’s pretty neat to be able to offer clients an Amazon-style online shopping experience for technical and programming related services.”

The CUSO, which has thrived through a Do-It-Together model for software development, creating the DHD initiative to target individuals and businesses with a builder’s soul, who want to design and build something for themselves. To learn more, visit the DHD website.

Developer’s Help Desk (DHD) at Leadership event

CU*Answers announced that its new Developer’s Help Desk (DHD) business initiative was prominently featured at its Leadership Conference, recently held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Scott Page, Business Development Manager said: “For many folks, this represented their first exposure to learning about our Developer’s Help Desk (DHD) initiative. We had multiple clients (and vendors!) approach us to review our newest collateral, including our very first API Design catalog. Several were interested in discussing upcoming project initiatives they are already considering, and ways in which partnering with the DHD may assist and help expedite their development criteria. We are very excited at the positive level of interaction we have already received.”

During the conference, CU*Answers described how its DHD initiative is uniquely targeted to clients with a builder’s (or DIY) soul, that want to design and build something for themselves.

CU*Answers DHD Initiative Taking Shape

CU*Answers announced that its new Developer’s Help Desk (DHD) business initiative is moving quickly ahead with its new online retail presence in full development and the CUSO’s first API catalog ready to be distributed by the June Leadership Conference.

For nearly 50 years, CU*Answers has provided a collaborative, do-it-together model for credit unions to collectively partner to design and build new software solutions. CU*Answers said its DHD approach is very different. It becomes the center of client project management, and is uniquely targeted to clients with a builder’s soul (or DIY approach) that want to design and build something for themselves.

Scott Page, business development manager said: “Under DHD, the client is the boss, totally empowered to tell us what they envision and want. The benefit is this provides clients a new way to develop custom software, in which they tell us what they need and we act as a general contractor for their project, helping determine the amount of resources they’ll need from CU*Answers to complete it. The cooperative development model is still the lifeblood of our organization, where software development takes the entire cooperative’s needs into consideration, but through DHD, we can also be here to help a credit union create their individual vision. For many clients, this will offer a refreshing new way for partnering with CU*Answers.”

The DHD team has laid out several aggressive goals to accomplish in 2017, including adding consulting and development staff, and officially launching the DHD Virtual Online Store, where clients will find a convenient location to begin designing their custom solutions.