Banks Choose Mitek Check Solution

Check imaging, already well-established at large banks, is now making inroads at community banks.

Two community banks, First National Bank, Crystal Falls, Mich., and Sutton Bank, Attica, Ohio, plan to implement CheckQuest, a check imaging solution from Mitek Systems.

For resource-starved community banks, check imaging solutions such as CheckQuest free up staff from check processing tasks and allow them to focus on customer service.

"With CheckQuest much of our work will be automated instead of having to hand-key everything," said Beverly Broad, data processing supervisor at First National. "We're hoping that within the department we can focus more on customers than just on daily operations. It's not going to eliminate the operator, but hopefully it will make things a lot quicker."

"We believe that the system will be able to handle increased volume without increasing staff," said J. Anthony Gorrell, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Sutton Bank. "CheckQuest will enhance our customer service capability."

Efficiency is one of the key business benefits provided by CheckQuest, the bankers said.

"CheckQuest . . . can totally automate the back office," said Gorrell. "CheckQuest reduces the number of times that you handle paper, so it makes our system more efficient."

Mitek touts the product as a total solution for banks. It can betailored to a bank's needs, with capabilities including proof of deposit, research, statement rendering and preparation, and "credence-assisted balancing," which highlights low-confidence items for review. CheckQuest makes use of Mitek's intelligent character recognition technology.

Community banks are ripe for check imaging solutions, said Bill Boersing, vice president of North American sales at San Diego-based Mitek. "We target community banks because they have the same needs as larger banks for image processing. We think this product fits their needs."