All Transactions File(TM) (ATF), designed as an open, central repository of all check and electronic transaction data, is being leveraged by banks to include other payment types, including the growing phenomenon of checks converted to ACH. Likewise Adjustments/Express(TM) (AE), an image-based, workflow automation system that improves the entire back-office research and adjustments process, can be extended to resolve disputes involving multiple payment types and a number of processing models such as Back-Office Conversion recently announced by NACHA.

Don Marks, senior vice president, SunTrust Bank, said, "Our payments vision calls for a vast 'payments store' where we can quickly access all information needed for researching and resolving exceptions and adjustments on multiple types of payments across the enterprise. If, as we like to say, a payment is a payment is a payment, then it should follow that an exception is an exception is an exception. With ATF, throughout the lifecycle of any payment transaction, we will be able to access a detailed audit trail. Regardless of whether the item was converted, what decisions might have been made along the way and why -- all this information will be available to our operators. They in turn can make more informed decisions more quickly and respond more promptly to clients."

Regarding AE, Marks said, "Clearly, image enabling our check adjustments workflow is important in the post-Check 21 environment. In addition, our vision is to provide our customers with just one adjustments contact point and process, regardless of the payment type involved. We expect Carreker's AE to significantly improve our check adjustments productivity and allow us to extend those benefits to other payment types."

ATF allows operators to access stored data from the bank's capture and collection processes, provides retrieval and display of item information for an entire transaction life cycle, including pay/no pay decisions, incoming and outgoing views of how an item was received, how it was sent, and how it was rendered for final payment. AE allows operators to scan information into the system, retrieve both image and microfilm items, and make entries from all of the main sources of adjustments cases, delivering a virtually paperless, seamless environment.

The two solutions together form a compelling information management tool: ATF has visibility into all payments activity, while AE can automatically access all needed adjustments information, including data from ATF. As a result, the bank can improve productivity, optimize workloads, reduce errors, reduce float and other costs, speed case resolution, and reduce customer response time.

John Carreker, president, Global Payments Technologies, Carreker Corporation, said, "As our clients are challenged to manage more transaction data in paper and electronic forms and sometimes both in conversion situations, storing and investigating exceptions has become more complicated, even while customers expect faster and better service. By deploying ATF as their powerful 'payments store' and AE as an all-payments dispute resolution tool, SunTrust is demonstrating its commitment to leadership in the business of payments."

J.D. (Denny) Carreker, chairman and CEO, Carreker Corporation, said, "SunTrust's dual licensing of ATF and AE validates our vision of integrated image-enabled solutions that not only address our clients' Check 21-driven needs involving image-enablement of paper processes. They also prepare them for the next wave of back office improvements -- a single platform and process for handling multiple types of payment transactions."