McClain Bank taps Zelus to automate new account opening

McClain Bank will deploy Zelus Automation Platform’s SNAP software across its branch network under a five-year agreement aimed at speeding up new account opening and reducing errors. The rollout is expected to start in Q3 2026 and finish by year-end.

Why it matters: - New account opening is one of retail banking’s most time-consuming customer touchpoints. - McClain Bank expects the change to cut wait times, reduce rework and make branch visits smoother. - Zelus says the platform is designed to help bankers focus more on customer relationships and less on manual paperwork.

What happened: - Zelus Automation Platform announced a five-year agreement with McClain Bank on July 2, 2026. - McClain Bank will deploy SNAP, the Simple New Account Platform, across its branch network. - The software is built to modernize new account opening through automated workflows. - Deployment is expected to begin in Q3 2026. - Full branch rollout is expected by year-end.

The details: - SNAP is designed specifically for Jack Henry’s CIF 20/20 and Silverlake core banking platforms. - SNAP integrates directly through jXchange. - The platform replaces manual account-opening steps with a guided workflow bankers can learn quickly. - The system surfaces questions at the right time, pre-fills information where possible and validates data in real time. - The platform is intended to help ensure compliance requirements are met within a single interface. - Zelus says the workflow should reduce friction, shorten training cycles and improve first-time-right rates on applications. - McClain Bank said the old process created unnecessary friction for customers and took too much time. - Donald Sherman, CEO of McClain Bank, said automating the process frees staff to focus on relationships and personal service. - The agreement includes ongoing platform enhancements, dedicated implementation support and change management resources.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives Zelus a long-term foothold at a community bank with a branch-based sales process. - The five-year term signals that McClain Bank is treating account-opening automation as a strategic infrastructure move, not a short-term software test. - For Zelus, the deal is a live example of workflow automation as a competitive tool for smaller banks trying to compete on service speed. - Russell Bond, CEO of Zelus Automation Platform, said the bank sees the account-opening experience as more than an operational fix and as a differentiator.

What's next: - Zelus will support the rollout with implementation help and change management. - McClain Bank is expected to move from manual processes to SNAP across its branches over the next several months. - Zelus says it will continue enhancing the platform during the agreement. - More information is available on Zelus Automation Platform and McClain Bank.