Paragon is a premier electronic payments and financial services consulting firm. Our mission is to help our clients become more Successful by understanding your challenges, applying the experience we have gained from hundreds of engagements and implementing high return on investment solutions. THINK SUCCESS!
VENDOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION
PDS Consultants are experts in evaluating and selecting vendors. Every Client has different challenges and business requirements that make selecting the “best” vendor one of the keys to Client Success. PDS collaborates with Clients to define current and future business, functional, and economic requirements and objectives. Client requirements and objectives become the benchmark against which vendors are evaluated, resulting in an objective, unbiased comparison of vendors. When you simply must have the best vendor for your organizations unique requirements, you can rely on PDS.
OUTSOURCED SERVICE PROVIDER Selection and Conversion
The economy has forced many organizations to refocus on their core business and some organizations simply do not have the desire or IT skills to operate costly in-house systems. As a result many non-core systems and activities are being outsourced. Using time tested and proven RFP and RFI methodologies, PDS has helped many Clients select third party processors and managed service providers that best meet their business requirements. PDS Project Management Consultants have also managed numerous in-house to the third party processor conversions, helping Clients achieve remarkable Success.
Request for proposal Development and Management
PDS consultants are experts in developing Requests for Proposals “RFPs” and managing the vendor selection process. PDS’ RFP methodologies have been used to select software systems, ATM and POS Processors, Merchant Acquirers, Managed Service Providers, POS Terminal Deployment Services, EFT Networks, and a wide variety of ATMS and other payment systems equipment. Client business requirements drive the process and our methodology clearly identifies the solution that will help the Client achieve Success.
Business Process Improvement
Frequently, business processes evolve over time and often out of necessity. Processes get carried forward, sometimes needlessly, from one person to the next until the process has become one of” because that’s the way we have always done it”. The crush of day- to-day business and ever-evolving business requirements makes it almost impossible to go back and rationalize the process and determine if there is a more efficient process or if the process is still required at all. PDS organizational consultants work with Clients to analyze processes and work flows to define current processes. Once current processes and work-flows are defined, PDS identifies the processes that can be improved, or in some cases, eliminated, resulting in improved operational efficiency and increasing Client Success.
Back Office Operations Analysis
The back office sounds like the place where people get sent on their way to the back door. In reality, the back office is where our Client’s most important work takes place. Balancing and reconciliation of all payments programs and netwroks occur in the back office, ATMs get replenished with cash, and it is where customers call when they have a problem. An efficient, well run back office operation can improve customer satisfaction and retention, reduce errors through continuous improvement processes, keep you ATM network functioning at peak performance, and save money. A PDS workflow analysis can determine which back office processes could be more efficient, and how the organization could use continuous improvement concepts to make gains in productivity and become more Successful.
EFT Network Selection
Many Clients have had long-term relationships with their EFT Networks. Netwroks were often selected by default, because there was only one network serving a geographic area. Over the last few years, networks have consolidated and today there are four major networks that cover the entire U.S. Financial institutions can, and should, select the “best” EFT Network for their organization. Competition is keen between the major networks and financial institutions have a real choice of networks. Should an FI look to maximize revenue or reduce operating costs, and which network has more “real” value to the Financial Institution? Which network has the best coverage for cardholders? These are the questions that need to be answered before selecting a new network or signing a new agreement with the current EFT Network. PDS has been working with EFT networks since 1981 and we are experts at making our Clients more Successful.
Mergers and Acquisitions
PDS has served as a trusted advisor in Merger and Acquisition transactions in financial services, information technology, EFT networks, merchant acquiring, and merchant portfolios . Activities on behalf of buyers include due diligence, valuations, competitive assessment, and post merger integration planning and facilitation. Activities on behalf of sellers include due diligence, strategic analysis, bid comparison and analysis, and process facilitation.
Strategy Development and Implementation
PDS consultants have worked with Clients to develop competitive strategies and plans that produce sustainable competitive advantage and Success PDS has developed strategies and plans for information technology companies, EFT Networks, merchant acquirers, ISO’s, software developers, and off shore outsourcing companies and even an HMO for dogs and cats. PDS strategies work and are helping Clients achieve greater Success.
Supplemental Staffing and consulting
Doing more with less, the mantra for the financial services industry over the last decade, means that many times organizations do not have the right skills at the right time or they may need additional staff to complete a critical project. PDS consultants frequently step in on a temporary basis and help Clients complete the critical projects. Additionally, PDS recruiters are experts at recruiting temporary and permanent staff for our customers. Whether it is for a systems programmer to maintain legacy IBM Assembler programs, enhance EFT systems, configure ERP systems, develop iPhone applications for mobile banking, or develop Oracle Financials, PDS is the key to Success.
