A True Story: USC Credit Union's Micro-Branch Race

Creating a successful "branch of the future" can be a daunting challenge under the best of circumstances. Now imagine creating a new and modern retail-friendly branch in under 800 sqft and in less than 5 months.

Sounds impossible, right? Wrong. Let us tell you more about our micro branch project with USC Credit Union.

Typically, when DBSI begins speaking with a prospective client about a branch transformation project, it’s usually at the beginning stages of the institution’s need, i.e. they know they are looking for their next “bank of the future,” but breaking ground on the intended project is still many months away.

Not with USC Credit Union. They were eager to expand their reach and open their first off-campus location: an 800 square foot micro-branch concept. When the perfect spot found them sooner than expected, they jumped on it and quickly signed a lease.

The problem: while they had an architect for their new branch, several pieces were still missing to get the project off the ground – an actual design, design strategy, banking technology options, and design-build firm. They were facing a time-sensitive challenge and needed someone who could help bring it all together quickly.

Thankfully the good folks at USC Credit Union received an email from DBSI about branch transformation services and reached out with a request to design a new branch – and quick. The responsive team at DBSI was able to act fast, so fast other vendors couldn’t keep up. DBSI was the only company to deliver a comprehensive and detailed design mock-up in just 3 business days.

Next up?  USC Credit Union made a visit to the Ideation Center, AKA The Banker’s Playground, where they were able to put themselves in the shoes of their customers by experiencing all of the latest banking technology, equipment and design concepts in person. Not only were they able to touch and feel the hardware, but the day was spent discussing their overall retail branch strategy, which in turn allowed for a much more focused branch design – in the shortest time possible.

By visiting the Ideation Center and enlisting the help of DBSI’s comprehensive team, USC Credit Union expanded their vision to deliver a better member experience…in record time AND size!

The time-consuming hassle of finding several companies to complete each piece of a new branch project were eliminated. Instead, they were able to rely on DBSI for every part of the branch transformation project.  All delivered in an orchestrated fashion. Now that’s how you open a new micro-branch, outfitted with the right mix of technology, equipment, and design flow - in under 5 months from the first point of contact. 

Want to see the entire USC CU case study?