NCFCU Launches Collections Operation Built to Scale
2x+ ROI
Annual platform investment returned
100%
actions standardized across all borrowers
Automated
Member outreach via text, email & voicemail
4+ Integrations
Repay, VoApps, PAR North America & XDI connected
Overview
When Ron Ferrance became CEO of NCFCU, one of his main goals was to turn a fragmented, manual collections function into something modern, scalable, and defensible. With AKUVO, NCFCU replaced ad hoc processes with structured playbooks, automated the outreach their team used to handle manually, and built a collections operation that runs with precision—and a fraction of the overhead. The platform investment has returned more than double its cost.
Key Takeaways
- Standardized all collections actions to ensure consistent, defensible treatment for every borrower.
- Integrated notices, outbound communication, and repossession workflows with connectors such as Repay, VoApps, PAR North America, and XDI.
- Delivered operational savings that return more than double the annual platform investment.
- Improved audit readiness and reduced manual reporting, with AKUVO support.
“AKUVO isn’t a vendor: they’re a partner. The platform enforces our policies and workflows, and delivers exactly what we need without the complexity or cost of the big providers.”
Ron Ferrance
CEO, NCFCU
Customer Goals
Ron Ferrance inherited a collections function that was outdated and resource intensive. The prior process relied on manual outreach, printed notices, and ad hoc decision making among collectors without standardized workflows.
NCFCU Aimed to
- Standardize all collections activity to ensure consistent borrower experiences.
- Reduce manual work and eliminate unnecessary tasks such as printing and folding notices.
- Integrate communications, payments, repossessions, and notices into a cohesive process.
- Reduce staffing inefficiencies and allow a small team to manage a growing loan portfolio.
- Improve audit readiness and visibility without relying on costly core system customizations.
“The AKUVO team understands credit unions, speaks our language, and makes every interaction easy.”
Ron Ferrance
CEO, NCFCU
Outcomes
NCFCU transformed its collections operation into one that is structured, predictable, and built to grow. AKUVO’s automation was able to streamline NCFCU’s collections team operations and reduce manual work. A lean collections team can now manage daily responsibilities with confidence because the system did what good systems do: built the process in, not around the people.
- Automated texting and email outreach replaced manual collector-created messages and personal phone use.
- XDI notice automation eliminated in-house printing and reduced postage costs.
- VoApps and REPAY integrations streamlined member outreach and payments.
- NCFCU adopted modern approaches and avoided legacy pitfalls with staff coaching and best practice configuration help from AKUVO’s team.
With AKUVO, NCFCU experienced a profound shift in the quality and reliability of its collections activity. Manual texting, ad‑hoc emails, and disparate treatment were eliminated. NCFCU also integrated tools such as REPAY and VoApps in their new, structured environment, offering streamlined payment channels and voicemail delivery that better aligned with member expectations.
Operational Impact
- Consistent treatment for every borrower, reducing legal exposure and improving quality.
- Faster setup and easier configuration than major vendors, with minimal technical lift.
Strategic Impact
- Audit and regulatory benefits: standardized workflows support examiners and due diligence.
- Support expansion into indirect lending, including potential participation processes that were impossible to manage manually.
- Future-ready repossession workflow.
Leadership also saw meaningful improvements in oversight and accountability. AKUVO’s configuration and support team created new queries for NCFCU, saving the team significant time. This gave NCFCU a more accurate picture of account holder activity, portfolio status, and operational performance. The overall experience—from implementation to ongoing support—reinforced the sense that AKUVO was more than a software vendor.
Conclusion
NCFCU made a deliberate choice to stop managing collections “the old way” and built something better. With AKUVO, a partner who understood the stakes, the credit union replaced an outdated, manual operation with one that is consistent, compliant, and built to scale. What started as an inherited problem became a competitive strength—and a foundation for everything NCFCU plans to grow into next.
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