06/24/2009

COCC Wins Connecticut Quality Council's Process Excellence Award

 AVON, Conn., June 23, 2009 - The Connecticut Quality Council has awarded COCC, a leading provider of next generation technology services for financial institutions, a process excellence award for its successful adaptation of manufacturing quality assurance techniques. Use of the new techniques enabled COCC to improve its statement production quality while increasing its business volume by nearly 50 percent.

 "The quality improvements we made to our check and statement processes helped COCC attract new customers," said Joseph D. Lockwood, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at COCC. "The industry has been undergoing a major change from paper check to image processing, and we have been growing rapidly as a result of our next generation technology. The improvements to our quality assurance processes enabled us to retain customers and attract new with a superior product."

 Three years ago, COCC faced a substantial increase in check and statement production volume as a result of a surge in new check processing clients. The company's statement volume increased by 26 percent in one quarter alone and check volume increased by 85 percent over a two year period. In order to absorb the increase in check and statement processing volume while continuing to grow, COCC set a goal of zero statement defects.

 Betsy Didan, Assistant Vice President - Document Processing at COCC, explained that the company adapted tools from the manufacturing sector to maintain production goals while focusing on the root cause of production errors.

 "Manufacturers have established check points throughout their processes," Ms. Didan explained. "When they detect a process deviation, they work back to the point where the deviation occurred, then determine if changes are necessary. By applying this methodology to our quality process, we reduced errors by 46 percent."

 Ms. Didan added that developing and refining the quality process gave COCC a common language to enhance its overall production quality. "The teamwork involved in COCC's quality improvement efforts is readily apparent to customers and prospects alike, and has helped us win additional business," she said.

 Since COCC embarked on its quality quest, its image check processing business has increased by an additional 57 percent.

 "We are very pleased to recognize COCC's quality achievement in the service sector," said Ed Marinko of the Connecticut Quality Council. "For many years, service companies have worked to adapt the quality techniques developed in manufacturing. COCC's success in employing root cause analysis and the analytical tools underlying it speaks volumes for the quality and determination of their team. We congratulate COCC on winning this award."

ABOUT THe Connecticut Quality Council

Since 1990, the non-profit Connecticut Quality Council has been providing high value, economically-priced workshops aimed at instilling the philosophies and practices of Continuous Improvement and Total Quality Management. This organization was founded through the efforts of 27 diversified organizations including Pratt & Whitney, The Travelers, The Hartford, Hartford Hospital and United Technologies Corporation. Members of these and other Connecticut-based organizations share experiences, expertise, and resources with the common goal of improving quality state-wide. For more information, please visit www.ccat.us/cqc/ or contact Ed Marinko at emarinko@ccat.us.