“If you don't change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
This quote by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu reminds us that staying the course isn’t always the best option. Evaluating where we’re going and making thoughtful adjustments to our path is the key to long-term success. This also applies to the fast-moving financial landscape for credit unions, where standing still isn’t an option, especially when innovation and member expectations are evolving rapidly. Change can be overwhelming but it’s often the catalyst for growth and improvement. Core banking conversions are known for being complex, high-stakes undertakings — the kind of change that can keep credit union leaders up at night. But at League Data, we believe it has to.
With 50 years of experience and a deep understanding of credit union operations, we’ve built a trusted approach to core conversions that manages change, where people are prioritized, disruptions are minimized, and the change itself delivers long-term value. Across Atlantic Canada, we’re leading the charge to modernize core systems — helping credit unions transition with confidence.
Where we started
The initial impetus for the core banking transformation was the legacy system, reaching its end of life. With support ending, continuing with the system was no longer an option. However, the move to Mambu was more than just a necessity—it was a strategic leap forward. League Data chose Mambu not only to meet current expectations but to future-proof the Atlantic credit union ecosystem. With rising demands around member experience, open banking, AI integration, and scalable performance, a modern, flexible core was essential to meet both current and future needs.
The challenge of scale and efficiency
What sets this transformation apart was the scale and timeline. While most financial institutions undergo a single core conversion at their own pace, League Data had to coordinate 37 conversions within a compressed timeframe. This meant balancing speed with service quality. The challenges were vast such as rolling out multiple conversions using a lean team. Still, quality and continuity of service remained top priorities throughout the process.
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Readiness of credit unions
Readiness is measured using a mix of quantitative and qualitative indicators. Key metrics include the cleanliness of migrated data and the credit union’s ability to validate its own production data. Functional readiness is also evaluated: Can staff perform day-to-day activities with confidence? A thorough readiness assessment tool is used to ensure all aspects—training, data, and staff preparedness are met before greenlighting a ‘go-live’.
The process
The pilot credit union played a foundational role, participating in data validation, testing, and product development. Their input helped align the system with real-world operations. With every conversion since, lessons were learned and used to refine the approach for each subsequent rollout.
Today, a typical conversion follows a 20-week timeline, although some have been completed in as few as 10 weeks to meet specific scheduling needs. This timeline includes data migration, testing, training, and readiness assessments to ensure a smooth transition.
From a technical standpoint, data preparation is crucial. Atlantic credit unions worked closely with their ‘Central’ to clean and deduplicate their data. This ensured member profiles were accurate and complete. Multiple dry run migrations were conducted to guarantee data integrity and reconciliation.
Operationally and culturally, the focus has always been on enabling credit unions to own their transformation. A comprehensive training program was developed, supported by a network of business change leads and regular communications. Credit unions were equipped not just to adopt the new system but to thrive in it.
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What we learned
Scope management proved to be the greatest challenge for League Data. Deciding what was critical for day one versus what could be deferred. Not every feature could be delivered immediately due to time, budget, and resource constraints. League Data worked closely with credit unions to prioritize and agree on a minimum viable product, with the promise of post-launch enhancements. Mambu’s agile architecture enabled ongoing improvements, which was a marked improvement over legacy systems.
The ‘home stretch’
With only a few conversions left, League Data plans to stick with what’s proven to work — consistent technical and business readiness processes, close collaboration with credit unions, and a focus on quality. A recent success was Provincial Credit Union, the first merged entity to convert. The same approach will be used for the final two mergers.
Want to know more about League Data? Contact connect@leaguedata.ca for further information.