Challenge: Inspired by faith, the Order of Malta works to serve the poor and sick in more than 120 countries through medical and social care, and humanitarian aid. The Federal Association is one of three U.S.-based membership groups affiliated with and supporting the Order’s mission. Its activities are funded in part by members’ dues and donations, typically paid by check or money order. Manual processing was time-consuming. The Association needed help to automate the processing of these payments.

Solution: In 2007, the Federal Association turned to TDEC to handle all aspects of its member payment processing. Several times weekly, TDEC retrieves, opens, sorts, and codes mailed remittances. For every payment received, TDEC staff search the Association’s proprietary database for member identification and enter (and verify) the requisite information. Payments received are deposited remotely (Remote Deposit Capture) into the Order’s bank accounts. Remote Deposit Capture allows checks and money orders to be immediately posted and deposited, making revenue more rapidly available to fulfill the Order’s mission. Images of the remittance and payment are created and distributed to the client via email, along with daily deposit details. As a final step, physical checks are securely shredded.

Results: Across the engagement, TDEC has processed more than 10,000 remittances on behalf of the Order of Malta Federal Association. Outsourcing this process has allowed the Association to focus its efforts on helping people in need, rather than these administrative tasks.