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Some clients get a better value from their technology vendors. That's not because contractors try harder, stay up later, take less money, or prioritize one client over another. It's because some clients make it easier for the vendor to succeed within their organizations. Others can make it hard to get anything done at all.

I've been involved in many planning meetings. In today's environment of technological expansion, institutions of all sizes must face the planning process with technology in mind – almost regardless of the initiative. But too many times, I've seen the process stumble, often from easily avoidable mistakes. To kick off planning for 2013, here are the top 5 easily avoidable planning mistakes I've witnessed the most often.

Everyone is strategizing for 2013. Whatever you're looking at, whether it's the housing market, new regulations, branch dynamics, shifts in customer behavior or any of the myriad strategic concerns affecting the nation's credit unions, most of you will be doing so without the benefit of a senior technologist in the room. I'd like to suggest that you resolve to change that dynamic for the future, starting in 2013.

Resolve to make technology strategic.

A quick Google search of the term "customer-centric banking" will yield a wealth of whitepapers, dedicated websites, case-studies, research and plenty of marketing material all designed to leverage an industry in flux. Much of the rhetoric sounds the same, with similar conclusions. But all of it is predicated on a need for the banking industry to start focusing on customer service again – but unlike ever before.

IBM announced this week that it is retiring its Lotus brand. OK, your organization may not be affected by the demise of this famous marque. Your leadership may not be suddenly considering the complicated, costly options for its replacement. In fact, everyone has seen this coming for years. But the discontinuation of a brand, once so dominant, should serve to remind us that in the world of software, nothing is forever.

You may not be losing any sleep. But, if IBM's flagship products are vulnerable to the vagaries of a constantly changing, constantly challenging environment, what about the software products you're running on now? How confident are you that they'll be around tomorrow?

As financial services consumers continue to migrate to the online environment – for an ever-expanding array of services – it is crucial to be good at making their experience as seamless as possible.

Unlike the days of brick-and-mortar, customers are not captive. Whereas they once sat with you in person to complete a transaction, now, if you're online experience is anything less than easy, intuitive and pleasant, they can click elsewhere, running into the waiting arms of your easier-to-work-with competitors.

An increasingly common challenge for credit unions is facing the need to upgrade or expand their software packages. Perhaps your core banking system, or one of the many other software packages available, such as teller systems, internet banking, mobile banking, lending and mortgage packages may be in need of replacement, addition or update. Of course, every vendor will tell you that their product is the best for your needs. But how will you judge for yourself which is really the best investment?

The problem is not that credit unions don't get it. We've seen an endless parade of articles and opinions outlining the importance of online and mobile finance. No one's arguing (in public, at least) that their credit union will be just fine with that fax machine and doesn't really need to appeal to Gen Y and their trendy smart phones. Or that baby boomers won't like online banking. On the contrary, one look at the CUInsight home page on any day of the year will reveal that the industry fully believes that online and mobile banking is essential to the future success of credit unions.

Large institutions invest millions in cutting-edge online and mobile services. Their smaller competitors, meanwhile, have been slower to adapt. This is largely to do with a lack of resources. But while customers still favor the personal service, trusted relationships and community benefits of working with smaller credit unions, as the technology gap becomes broader, they must increasingly weigh the cost of living without the convenience of some of the world's finest software. And many of the efficiencies and revenues realized by large banks end up left on the table.

There are now over 300 million mobile phones in America - and 311 million Americans. This phenomenal growth in mobile usage has powerful implications for credit unions, affecting the way they present themselves, and elevating the importance of user experience design from nicety to business essential.

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