News
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Strategic Planning Sessions – January 2012
“Why?” That was the featured question of the recent Strategic Planning Sessions held at beautiful Folly Beach, SC. After a kick-off dinner, separate groups of employees spent most of a day in the retreat setting, focusing on strategic planning for the near and long-term future. Each group (sales, software development, and support/administration) discussed the “Why” of what we do and how the answers to that question affect “What” we do. The sessions resulted in long lists of to-do tasks, much clearer ideas of why – how – from where – to where –what, and a renewed sense of purpose for 2012 and beyond. See pictures on our Facebook page!
FISCAL Credit Suite on the Road – January 2012
Western US Risk Manager Otis Pickett took FISCAL on the road to TechMecca 2012 – the annual conference of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas. The meeting, held in Dallas in late January, focused on technology, marketing, compliance, and risk management, helping attendees move their financial institutions forward during these tough economic times.
Vision Software Solutions Christmas – December 2012
VSS employees enjoyed an evening of good food and great fun at the annual Christmas Dinner. As one of our employees said, “It’s so nice to work with people I like – and it’s so nice to like to spend time with them away from the job, too!”
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – December 2011
Two institutions in Oklahoma and one each in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Georgia hosted training sessions for FISCAL and/or ExceptionComplete during the fourth quarter of 2011. One institution says:
Thank you for coming down to introduce FISCAL to our lenders as well as to work with our loan operations and IT folks on ExceptionComplete – I think it was a very productive two days. Our lenders are excited about having the programs!
FISCAL Credit Suite Website Relaunch – November 2011
Several months of work culminated in the launch of a redesigned FISCAL Credit Suite website in late November. The new site both combines and separates the products in the FISCAL Credit Suite line. Separate FISCAL and ExceptionComplete sections provide insight into each of the component programs, while the combined site emphasizes the umbrella of Vision Software Solutions’ commitment to its customers .
Vision Software Solutions Again in Independent Banker – November 2011
VSS President Barry Brinson is again featured in an article on Commercial Lending, this time in the November 2011 issue of Independent Banker. Commercial lenders who use FISCAL report that consistency and efficiency are two major benefits of FISCAL Credit Suite. Click here to see the magazine, see page 65.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – September 2011
Institutions in California, Louisiana, Texas, and South Carolina hosted training sessions for ExceptionComplete during the third quarter of 2011. The California institution also hosted a FISCAL training session, completing the implementation of the entire FISCAL Credit Suite platform. Several more training events are on the calendar for the fourth quarter of 2011
Users Conference Set for April 23-26, 2012
Planning is in high gear for the fourth Vision Software Solutions Users Conference, to be held April 23-26,2012 here in Charleston, SC. Check our conference website for all the details. Our conferences feature information ranging from basic product usage to in-depth reporting, and also provide a vital forum for the exchange of ideas between users, product specialists, and developers. Many attendees have returned year after year. Join them this spring!
Vision Software Solutions in Independent Banker – September 2011
VSS President Barry Brinson is one of three executives quoted and used as sources in an article on business lending in the September 2011 issue of Independent Banker. The importance of documenting risk management practices and of using consistent guidelines can not be downplayed. Look for more articles with Barry’s input in future issues. Click here for an html version of the magazine, or here to download a pdf. See page 58.
FISCAL Credit Suite on the Road – September/October 2011
Eastern US Risk Manager Jason Davey will take FISCAL on the road to the Community Bankers Association of Georgia’s 43rd Annual Meeting in Savannah. Company President Barry Brinson will be at the RMA’s Annual Risk Management Conference in Washington DC in October. These events are opportunities to showcase FISCAL Credit Suite’s commitment to Helping Lenders.
Employee Milestones – August/September 2011
Kent McKerihan celebrated ten years of employment at Vision Software Solutions in August, and John Januchowski reached the 10-year milestone in September. John’s history with our products reaches further back, as he was also employed with Halcyon, where FISCAL was first developed in the 1980s. Vision Software is thankful to have both John and Kent – and their expertise and dedication – on board with the company.
Scholarship Winner – August 2011
Katie Hilleke, daughter of Vision Software Solutions employee Beth Hilleke, was named a winner of the James E. Stoner & Allan W. Balch Memorial Scholarship awarded by the Association for Financial Technology. Katie is a junior chemistry major at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – June 2011
The second quarter of 2011 saw VSS personnel returning to Texas and traveling to Florida for training sessions. Staff at an SBDC in Texas learned the basics of FISCAL. After an earlier training at another SBDC, the director wrote the following:
We are excited about the capabilities of FISCAL, and found the training/orientation to be very helpful. On the drive back we talked about Barry’s style, how it didn’t feel like most software training, but rather more like a personal tour of a home rather than a construction demonstration. He clearly is competent in both the software/material and in the training process. . . While it was good to have the software installed before the training, we weren’t able to fully appreciate what the program does, or can do, with real data until we saw it in action. . .It is a very strong tool that will help us build credibility and confidence in the business (and lending) community.A large bank in Florida is now benefiting from ExceptionComplete version 4 training. Product and installation-specific training is available for both FISCAL and ExceptionComplete.
Vision Software Solutions Celebrates Eleven Years – May 2011
May 2011 marks the eleventh anniversary of the founding of Vision Software Solutions. VSS products have a much longer history, dating back to the 1980s and 1990s when fisCAL and Purchasing at a Glance were initially developed. Much has changed since that time, but our commitment to “Helping Lenders” and our commitment to providing the “Power of Total Control” have not!
VSS Staff at Carolinas-Virginias RMA 2011 Spring Conference – April 2011
Risk Manager Jason Davey attended the conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. Speakers and presenters included David Coxon, President & CEO of State Bank of GA; Matt Thornhill, co-author of Boomer Consumer; and Mark Vitner, Managing Director & Senior Economist, Wells Fargo.
ExceptionComplete Version 4 Released! – April 2011
Vision Software is excited to announce the release of ExceptionComplete 4. This version is completely new, rewritten using .NET tools. It features the same user-friendly and intuitive user interface seen in FISCAL. Transfer of information between FISCAL and ExceptionComplete happens at the click of a mouse, making it easy to track ratios for covenant compliance, reducing data entry needs, and much more. Call today to learn more!
FISCAL Updates Shipped – April 2011
FISCAL version 9.4.x, including the 2011 Industry Benchmarks, has been shipped to all current customers. Each year, each current customer receives a program update and new Industry Benchmarks, enabling quick, accurate comparisons and decisions.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – March 2011
FISCAL Credit Suite training sessions continued in the first quarter of 2011. Institutions in Texas and New York hosted VSS personnel, and an institution from Illinois sent staff to VSS’s hometown of Charleston, SC for training. Product and installation-specific training is available for both FISCAL and ExceptionComplete
VSS Staff at ICBA Techworld - March 2011
VSS co-founder C. Jeff Beall and Risk Manager Otis Pickett represented FISCAL Credit Suite at the ICBA Techworld in San Diego. This event was the first major showing of our new themes – Helping Lenders Make Better Loans – Helping Lenders Monitor Loan Performance – Helping Lenders Manage Loan Portfolios. The staff also utilized our newest advertising pieces, including a display booth with the iconic image of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge in Charleston.
Vision Software’s first ten-year employee, Chris Cordes, reached this milestone in January. Chris has been instrumental in the development and maintenance of all of Vision Software Solutions’ products.
Twenty-five Years of FISCAL! 2011 is a Banner Year!
FISCAL celebrates 25 years of providing superior financial statement analysis. FISCAL (fisCAL as it was known in the early years) was developed in the early 1980s by members of the Halcyon Group; some of these men are still members of the Board of Vision Software Solutions. Twenty-five years and hundreds of man-hours later, FISCAL continues to provide superior financial statement analysis, and continues to grow and be refined in response to user requests.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – December 2010
FISCAL Credit Suite training sessions continued in the last quarter of the year. VSS employees visited financial institutions in Indiana, New York, and West Virginia, and also conducted training for the South Carolina SBDC system. Product and installation-specific training is available for both FISCAL and ExceptionComplete.
New Risk Managers at Vision Software Solutions – November 2010
Jason Davey and Otis M. Pickett III have joined Vision SoftwareSolutions as Risk Managers. Previously, Jason was a financial adviser with RBC Insurance. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from The Citadel. Otis previously was general manager and general sales manager for Media General in Columbus, Ga. He has a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of South Carolina.
Vision Software Solutions Users Conference – October 2010
Program users, Vision Software Staff, and special guests gathered in Charleston, SC October 25-28 for the third Vision Software Solutions Users Conference. Two full days of sessions, plus an opening reception and a closing breakfast/roundtable discussion session, featured information ranging from basic product usage to in-depth reporting, and also provided a vital forum for the exchange of ideas between users, product specialists, and developers. Downloadable PDFs of some key sessions are available here. The annual program updates incorporate many of the suggestions and ideas from forums such as the Users Conferences. A short guided tour of historic Charleston, hosted by Storyteller Tim Lowry, preceded the Gala Dinner where Mr. Lowry was the featured entertainer.
FISCAL Credit Suite at RMA Annual Risk Management Conference – October 2010
Jeff Beall, Vice-president and co-founder of Vision Software Solutions, took FISCAL Credit Suite on the road in October to the 2011 RMA Annual Risk Management Conference in Baltimore, MD. Each year FISCAL is updated with the current version of RMA’s Annual Statement Studies® data.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – September 2010
A less intensive travel schedule in the third quarter of 2010 made it easier for VSS employees to prepare for the Users Conference in October. However, five institutions hosted training sessions, and VSS employees were also on the road at industry trade shows. Institutions hosting training for their employees were located in Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia, and Minnesota.
FISCAL at ASBDC Annual Conference – September 2010
The 30th Annual Conference of the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC), held in September in San Antonio TX, was attended by more than 1300 Small Business Development Center (SBDC) professionals, trainers, consultants, management and administrative personnel. Barry Brinson, Jr., President and co-founder of Vision Software Solutions, attended as an exhibitor of FISCAL's financial analysis system.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – June 2010
The second quarter of 2010 saw FISCAL Credit Suite training sessions from literally from coast to coast. Financial institutions in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Washington hosted FISCAL and/or ExceptionComplete training sessions. Some of these institutions are just beginning to use FISCAL Credit Suite components, while others are long-term customers training newer employees in the use of the products. In addition, the Connecticut SBDC program hosted a training session for its counselors, and a major industrial installation in Oregon hosted a session for its credit management program.
Tenth Anniversary Celebration – May 2010
Vision Software Solutions (VSS), the parent company of FISCAL Credit Suite, celebrated its tenth anniversary with a company luncheon in historic downtown Charleston. Loyal employees presented the company cofounders, Barry Brinson, Jr. and Jeff Beall, with traditional tenth anniversary gifts of coal, aluminum (foil), and diamonds (rhinestones), along with a gift certificate for a special occasion. In addition, a plaque commemorating the milestone will be featured at the company’s offices. VSS is among a small group of small businesses to survive ten or more years. FISCAL was originally developed in the 1980s by The Halcyon Group, a Charleston, SC company founded by Bob Brinson, Barry Brinson, Sr., and Tom Bullock. FISCAL had several other owners in the intervening years. VSS is honored to have Bob Brinson and Barry Brinson, Sr. on its Board of Directors.
FISCAL and ExceptionComplete Updates Shipped – April 2010
FISCAL version 9.3.x, including the 2010 Industry Benchmarks, has been shipped to all current customers. Each year, each current customer receives a program update and new Industry Benchmarks, enabling quick, accurate comparisons and decisions. ExceptionComplete 3.2.x has been shipped to all current ExceptionComplete customers.
Recent FISCAL Credit Suite Training Events – March 2010
In the last quarter of 2009, institutions across the country received on-site, institution-specific product training from FISCAL CS personnel. Four institutions, located in California, Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee, hosted ExceptionComplete sessions, and five institutions in Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Louisiana, and Ohio hosted FISCAL sessions. One institution received training on both products. In the first quarter of 2010, institutions in North Carolina, Texas, and Minnesota hosted FISCAL sessions. Upcoming training session hosts include institutions in Florida and New Jersey.
FISCAL Credit Suite at Industry Tradeshows – March 2010
The two co-founders of Vision Software Solutions (parent company of FISCAL Credit Suite) exhibited FISCAL and ExceptionComplete at The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) National Convention and Techworld tradeshow in Orlando, FL. The ICBA National Convention is the largest gathering of community bankers in America.
2010 Users Conference Information Announced – December 2009
Our hometown of Charleston, South Carolina will host the 2010 FISCAL Credit Suite Users Conference, to be held October 25-28. In keeping with the ambience of the city, the conference site is The Historic Mills House Hotel. Check the conference website www.fiscalsoftware.net/2010conference for more information.
Older News
2012 Newsletter #1
2011 Newsletter #2
FISCAL Credit Suite Marketing Sample
2012 Users Conference Announcement
2011 Newsletter #1
ExceptionComplete v.4 Announcement
RMA Submission Information
Welcome Otis
Welcome Jason
Users Conference Fun Fact #6
Users Conference Fun Fact #5
2010 Newsletter #1
Users Conference Fun Fact #4
Users Conference Fun Fact #3
Users Conference Fun Fact #2
Users Conference Fun Fact #1
2009 Newsletter #2
2009 Newsletter #1
