The credit unions making the most progress with data have one thing in common. It is not the biggest budget or the largest team.
After working with more than 50 credit unions, we see the same pattern. The institutions making real progress are the ones who know where to focus.
Most credit union leaders we speak with are not asking whether data matters. They already know it does. The question they wrestle with is more specific: given our size, our team, and our goals, where do we actually invest?
The vendor landscape is crowded, and budgets are limited, and data strategy does not come with a standard answer. What works for a $2 billion credit union with a dedicated analytics team looks nothing like what drives results for a $300 million institution where the CFO also leads the data function.
The gap we see most often is not a technology gap. It is not even a skills gap. It is a clarity gap. Closing that gap is what the Data Strategy Assessment does.
Having an outside perspective helped validate the conclusions we had come to independently. It provided additional insight above and beyond what we had already considered.” Jeff Meile, Manager of Core Systems and Data Analytics, Scott Credit Union
Arkatechture built the Data Strategy Assessment, and Cooperative Credit Union Association brings direct knowledge of what member credit unions need and what moves organizations forward. Our proven methodology powers every assessment, and CCUA helps to connect it to credit unions across the country.
The program gives credit union leadership teams a clear, unbiased view of where they stand across five dimensions:
We then deliver a fully custom data strategy playbook that puts their best moves in order of priority.
We partnered with CCUA on this initiative because they know their members. They understand the pressures credit union leaders face, the questions boards ask, and what kind of guidance actually moves organizations forward. This program is built from the ground up for credit unions.
1. Align. We meet with credit union leadership to set shared goals and define what strong data use looks like for the institution and its priorities.
2. Analyze. We survey key stakeholders and hold guided conversations across major areas including culture, people, governance, processes, and technology.
3. Architect. We build and deliver a fully custom data strategy playbook with clear priorities, defined ownership, and a realistic action timeline.
4. Act. Credit union leaders leave with a clear plan and the confidence to move forward on their own terms. Execute internally, issue an RFP, or deepen an existing partnership. No next steps are assumed. The path is theirs.
Most credit unions complete the program in four to six weeks during normal operations. The playbook is built to support board conversations and budget planning.
When we finished the DSA, our senior team could take those results straight to the board and say, this is why we need it. It created a lot of alignment.” Abigail Fowler, Director of Data Analytics, Abound Credit Union
This program is for credit union leaders who have already decided that data needs to play a bigger role in how they run their institution, and want the clarity and the strategic plan for a successful data journey.