First Community Bank Success Story

The Solution

The bank’s introduction to Ncontracts came through its associated mortgage company, Community Mortgage, which was already using the platform successfully. Over the past two years, the bank has strategically rolled out Ncontracts solutions, allowing the team to build expertise gradually while demonstrating value at each step.

Nrisk has become a “critical part” of the bank’s risk strategy:

• Discovering comprehensive risks. Exploring Nrisk's library has become invaluable for Nicole. "I am a risk assessment junkie… I can pull up risk assessments and look at the templates and see all of the different risks there and [say], 'Oh yeah, I probably have this one too, and I want to add this.'"
• Accessing expertly crafted, continuously updated content. Writing quality risk statements would otherwise consume significant team resources. "The detail in writing a risk statement — that can be a huge challenge to get it right and to convey the risk that you're looking for," Nicole said. "And they [Ncontracts experts] do a fabulous job in succinctly putting in those risk statements and making you mindful of controls that maybe you were like I forgot we do that, but it's on the list…The content is great.”
• Staying ahead of evolving risks. As regulatory priorities shift and new risks emerge, Nrisk keeps the team current without requiring dedicated research time. "There's a new risk, there's an emerging risk, there's a new product that we're not using... And the regulators' focus has changed. So we may not have had that in there, and now we're like, 'Well, if they're looking at it, we should be looking at it.'"
• Eliminates scattered documentation. The centralized system replaced manual tracking and made all complaint documentation instantly accessible.
• Enables strategic compliance insights. Beyond efficiency, the system helps Nicole understand the bigger picture: "Do I need to do some digging into root causes? Are we having some systemic issues? Or where are the problems?" This visibility helps determine whether issues require cultural shifts or training interventions.
• Demonstrates bank-wide value. The ability to identify trends and take corrective action shows how compliance can be a strategic partner across the entire organization, not just a regulatory function.

Ncomply delivers immediate impact:

The bank's CRA officer uses Nlending for loan testing and fair lending analysis, while Nicole and her team are actively deploying Nvendor for third-party risk management, creating a more connected view of the bank's overall risk landscape.

The Results

Since first deploying Ncontracts solutions, First Community Bank has achieved measurable results across its compliance operations.

Leadership buy-in through strategic reporting. Ncontracts helps Nicole prove compliance's strategic value beyond regulatory necessity. "I'm going to define that return on investment as what collateral I can take out of this — what reporting I can take out of this to streamline processes," she explained. The ability to demonstrate bank-wide deployment potential secured executive and board support.

Complaint management transformed manual processes. Real-time dashboards streamline access to documentation. "I don't have to go searching through shared drives for letters to customers and all of those different elements, so it saves me time there," Nicole noted. The system now enables complaint root cause analysis and helps determine whether issues require cultural shifts or training.

Risk content maintained without additional staff resources. Nrisk's continuously updated library eliminated the need to dedicate staff resources to content maintenance. "I love that they keep updating it. I don't have the staff to do that to the level that I'm able to using Nrisk." The comprehensive templates help the team discover overlooked risks as regulatory priorities shift.

Implementation support that becomes ongoing reference. Recorded training sessions provide lasting value beyond initial deployment. "I can go back and refresh myself, because I'm going to probably ask the same questions of myself the second time around that I already asked," Nicole explained. Support extends beyond scheduled calls: "There's always someone who will be happy to take more time, and I appreciate that."

Partnership approach with continuous innovation. The Ncontracts team's genuine enthusiasm resonates with Nicole. "The fact that it seems like even the people at Ncontracts are excited about the products they work on, and they don't say, 'We got this product done.' It's always, 'How can we make it better?'" Monthly emails, community forums, and product updates keep the team informed of new capabilities.

Looking Ahead: Consulting Services

As Nicole's team continues to optimize its use of Ncontracts, they're discovering new ways to accelerate implementation and maximize value. Recent discoveries — like consultant services that can help populate risk assessments and audit findings — offer opportunities to fast-track deployment.

"There’s a consultant process where I can be like, 'Here's all my risk assessments, here's all of my audit findings — populate it for me,'" Nicole shared. "That might be what I'm looking to spend all my dollars on [next]."

The annual user conference, Ngage, also provides ongoing value to Nicole and her team. "We're able to see things, get ideas, hear from other people — other users — on what they're doing with it."