When $400 million-asset WyHy Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, first partnered with MDT, the initial focus was straightforward: to outsource its Jack Henry Platform hosting and lighten the internal burden of managing server infrastructure. But over time, WyHy discovered that MDT delivered much more than hosting support—they provided strategic insight, process optimization, and hands-on expertise that transformed the credit union’s operations.
Recently, WyHy’s CIO, Eric Valla, offered an inside look at how MDT’s Business Consulting and Project Management as a Service helped the credit union uncover inefficiencies, strengthen consistency across all branches, and unlock meaningful time savings for staff.
A Week-Long, Onsite Deep Dive into WyHy’s Operations
WyHy has been on the Jack Henry Platform since 1996, resulting in three decades of processes shaped by shifting staff, inherited workflows, and outdated habits. Leadership was aware that inefficiencies existed, but they didn’t know the extent or the significance of these inefficiencies.
MDT’s recommendation: a week-long, onsite business consulting engagement.
Two MDT consultants spent a week embedded across WyHy’s branches and departments—shadowing tellers, observing lending and collections, interviewing accounting and IT teams, and studying how every unit interacted with the Jack Henry Platform. Their mission was to pinpoint how each area used the platform and identify opportunities to remove outdated, manual, or redundant steps.
The result was a blend of modern best practices and real-world expertise. And because Valla previously worked at MDT, he knew the team was bringing fresh insights from dozens of recent credit union conversions and optimization initiatives.
The result: a 100-page report outlining more than 40 recommendations, ranging from quick wins to high-value, structural improvements.
Turning Findings Into Action: Why WyHy Needed MDT’s Project Management
The consulting report surfaced critical opportunities—but with WyHy’s intentionally lean staffing model, implementing the recommendations posed a challenge.
“If we didn’t use MDT’s project management services, we would have implemented perhaps a third of the recommendations — and the rest would have sat on a shelf,” notes Valla. “Their team kept us focused, organized, and moving forward.”
The solution was clear: WyHy engaged MDT’s Project Management Solution, gaining access to certified project managers who developed structured plans, facilitated weekly meetings, tracked progress through Smartsheet, and kept all teams aligned and accountable. These weekly check-ins maintained momentum and ensured every department continued moving in the same direction.
For a smaller credit union, this approach was essential to ensuring the consulting engagement delivered real, lasting outcomes.
Major Wins for WyHy
1. An ACH Overhaul Saving 2–3 Hours Per Day
ACH processing was one of WyHy’s biggest pain points. Their programs were outdated, exception queues were overloaded, and turnover meant no one was fully fluent in the workflow.
Working with MDT and Jack Henry, WyHy completed an ACH refresh, modernizing edits, jobs, and routing rules.
The benefits:
- Exceptions dropped from nearly 100 per day to just a handful
- Balancing became easier and more consistent
- The process saved two to three hours of staff time daily
- Members benefited from faster posting and fewer delays
2. Rebuilding Dormant-Account Processes
Another area of inefficiency was WyHy’s dormant-account processes, which required multiple manual steps and frequent staff intervention. MDT rebuilt the entire workflow—rewriting numerous programs to improve:
- Fee accuracy
- Notification timing
- Required file maintenance
- Compliance with dormancy rules
The new system ensured accuracy and eliminated the multi-step manual work that had burdened staff.
3. Creating Consistency Across Five Branches
MDT uncovered inconsistent service-fee practices across WyHy’s five locations. Some staff members were charging fees, while others weren’t.
To resolve the issue, MDT implemented system validations that ensured required actions occurred consistently across every branch.
This resulted in:
- A consistent member experience
- Recovered non-interest income
- Less ambiguity for frontline staff
As Valla summarizes, “We see MDT as far more than a core-hosting provider. For a smaller credit union like ours, the ROI on their consulting and project management services is absolutely worth it.”
Expertise Backed by Modern Best Practices
A major factor in the engagement’s success was MDT’s ability to integrate current Jack Henry Platform best practices—shaped by their ongoing conversion and implementation experience. Valla notes that MDT helped WyHy transition from 1990s-era workflows to the way credit unions operate today, and even connected the team with peer institutions for additional perspective.
For departments that “didn’t know what they didn’t know,” the experience was eye-opening, and the outcomes surpassed expectations, reinforcing the value of structured, hands-on expertise.
Looking Ahead: A Strategic Partnership That Continues to Grow
WyHy now collaborates with MDT not only for hosting, consulting, and project management, but also as part of MDT’s Product and Partner Insights Board—helping influence future tools and technologies.
The partnership continues to deepen, grounded in the cooperative spirit that defines credit unions.