The idea of a software conversion tends to strike fear in the hearts of managers and executives.
But they don’t have to if you choose the right vendor.
If you go through a conversion to Cheetah, you’ll work directly with a project manager who is certified through the Project Management Institute. That’s because all project managers in Cheetah’s Implementation Services division now carry a Project Management Professional certification.
“I doubt anyone else in the trust and wealth management industry can make this boast,” said Cheetah’s Executive Director of Operations Linc Mitchell. “Conversions set the tone for the rest of our working relationship with clients. We want the experience to be as smooth as possible, and it shows in the success we’ve had.”
Dedicated to client success, satisfaction
A conversion is a form of software implementation wherein a client is transitioning from one platform to another. Not all implementations are conversions, because startup companies are not transitioning from an old provider. But all conversions are implementations.
The PMP certificate is especially difficult to acquire. Candidates must have at least 36 months of experience leading projects and submit an application that highlights and demonstrates competency. Furthermore, they must pass an exam, and 40 percent fail the first time.
Project Manager Abe Hunt earned his certification in February of this year after passing the exam on his first try. Hunt, who holds a Mechanical Engineering Technology degree from Purdue University, joined Cheetah in February of 2023.
His achievement means that all Project Managers in Cheetah’s Implementation Services are now certified.
“My motivation for earning that certification was all about client satisfaction,” Hunt said. “I’m grateful to work for a company that understands the connection between our own professional development and client success.”
Project Managers supervise every implementation and help direct a team of Cheetah business analysts and technical analysts. They make certain that a client’s switch from their old provider to Cheetah goes smoothly.
Cheetah learns your business
Most providers focus exclusively on moving data between systems, often called “rip-and-replace.” Cheetah, on the other hand, takes a more comprehensive approach focused on client readiness, satisfaction, and success.
In addition to converting data, Cheetah also converts people and processes, optimizing a client’s team and business operations around the software itself.
“You have to take time to learn someone’s business,” Mitchell said. “If you just move the data over and press the go button, you are setting them up for failure.”
Western Adventist Foundation (WAF) converted from Accutech Gold to Cheetah in 2020. Richard Harrison, general counsel, coordinated the conversion on the WAF side. WAF provides trust management, accounting, and tax services to entities of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, including hospitals, churches, educational institutions, and humanitarian organizations.
“We had a successful go-live,” Harrison said. “We never had to push the big red button and say ‘stop.’ Our go-live process was smooth. And I can definitely say that we are better off now than we were before Cheetah. It was a good process.”
A great track record
The evidence for Cheetah isn’t just anecdotal. The company boasts an impressive track record when it comes to conversion success.
Because the company is growing so fast and acquiring so many new clients, it outpaces legacy providers on conversions by a ratio of 6-to-1. The company does them so well because it does them so often.
Cheetah has converted clients from all major trust platforms.
The average number of service tickets at the end of a Cheetah “go-live” week is just three, a surprisingly small number given the scope of a conversion.
And Cheetah has never failed a conversion.
“Simply put, we take pride in conversions,” Mitchell said.
