Digital to the core

Technology played a role in empowering relationship managers to help their clients access PPP funding more efficiently.

“We had made a few very fortunate investments that preceded PPP,” Smith says. “We had already rolled out the BaNCS commercial lending platform and had invested in SalesForce, an API platform, and robotics process automation. These were instrumental technologies to help us quickly stand-up our PPP application and processing capabilities.”

Initially, in the first round of PPP, robotics process automation (RPA) was a game-changing tool. It allowed the bank to use bots to input data at extraordinary speeds without introducing errors.

“It saved us almost 300,000 hours of FTE time,” Smith says. “The investment with BaNCs allowed us to quickly add new products on our system.”

Finally, the pre-pandemic roll out of Microsoft Teams was another boon. “It was so instrumental in how people were able to collaborate during the Paycheck Protection Program,” Smith explains. “We’ve consistently been told how critical that was for the teamwork.”

Empowering bankers to put the client first

Smith pointed to several additional areas where technology is helping to empower local bankers as they serve their clients:

Zions culture is a differentiator

Smith says there are several reasons why highly skilled employees should consider a career with Zions Bancorporation over another tech company.

“Our culture is hard to compete with in terms of the integrity of our leadership and the staying power of an organization that’s been around for over 100 years,” Smith says.

For anyone who questions whether a bank founded in 1873 is still relevant, Smith says the answer is an emphatic yes. “We’re making the biggest investments in our industry in technology upgrades and transformations,” she says.

The bank also invests substantially in its people.

“People who want to grow a career with an organization are looking for stability coupled with innovation,” Smith says. “Most other tech companies don’t make investments in 401(k)s. Everyone will talk about their benefits, but they’re loaded around staying for a short period of time, not for supporting people and families into their retirement. It’s a different value proposition.” 

The final piece, according to Smith, is Zions’ commitment to diversity. “This is an environment that welcomes so many different opinions. Diversity is a key to innovation,” she says.

Looking for an employer committed to helping you grow and develop in your career? Learn more about opportunities with Zions Bank and Zions Bancorporation on our Careers website.