Coconut Software Launches AI-Powered Branch Workforce Management Solution for Banks and Credit Unions
Coconut Software, a leader in Intelligent Branch Solutions for banks and credit unions, has announced the launch of Branch Workforce Management (bWFM) — a new AI-powered solution designed to help financial institutions forecast demand, optimize staffing, and improve branch performance from the ground up.
Unveiled on June 10, 2026 from Saskatoon, SK, bWFM is built directly into Coconut's core platform and tailored specifically for financial institutions. The solution helps branch leaders move beyond spreadsheets and gut-feel capacity planning toward a more intelligent, banking-specific approach to workforce optimization.
"For years, branch workforce planning has relied on spreadsheets, intuition, and incomplete data. With Branch Workforce Management, we're giving financial institutions a smart way to tie staffing decisions directly to real-time customer demand."
— Katherine Regnier, CEO, Coconut SoftwareWhat Makes bWFM Different
Unlike generic workforce tools, Coconut's bWFM goes beyond simply planning for headcount. It helps financial institutions align staffing based on skills, experience, language, and other factors — so each client is matched with the employee best suited to serve them. This nuanced approach to planning is a core differentiator for a sector where customer relationships are paramount.
The solution's AI-driven forecasting engine converts historical appointments, lobby data, and walk-in traffic into complete, staff-ready schedules in just a few clicks. The impact is significant: branch managers can reclaim up to eight hours per week typically lost to manual scheduling — time that can be redirected toward coaching employees, serving customers, and improving overall branch outcomes.
On accuracy, Coconut's bWFM sets a new benchmark. By harnessing appointment, lobby, and walk-in data, the platform delivers demand forecasts with an error rate of under 7.5% — compared to an industry average typically falling between 15–20%. That precision translates directly into reduced overtime costs, lower walk-out rates, and staffing coverage that better aligns with real branch demand.
"We're partnering closely with forward-thinking banks and credit unions to harness AI that synthesizes thousands of data points across branches — giving leaders a more complete view of demand and strengthening how they connect workforce planning with customer experience."
— Dave Bullock, Chief Product & Engineering Officer, Coconut SoftwareCore Capabilities at a Glance
The bWFM platform launches with three foundational capability pillars. AI-Driven Demand Forecasting turns historical data into branch-level predictions that help anticipate high-traffic periods and plan coverage accordingly. Smart Schedules allow managers to build branch rosters in a few clicks, ensuring the right mix of roles and skills are in place for expected demand. Finally, Branch & Staff Performance Insights enable leadership to monitor service levels, utilization, and customer outcomes by branch, role, and time period — helping identify where to invest, coach, or rebalance resources.
Trusted by 200+ banks and credit unions across North America — including RBC, Mountain America Credit Union (MACU), and M&T Bank — Coconut Software continues to expand its unified platform that brings together appointment scheduling, in-branch queuing, video banking, and now workforce optimization under a single intelligent roof.
New Product Launch. Coconut Software has introduced Branch Workforce Management (bWFM), an AI-native scheduling and staffing tool built specifically for banks and credit unions and integrated directly into its existing platform.
Superior Forecast Accuracy. bWFM achieves a demand forecast error rate of under 7.5%, significantly outperforming the industry average of 15–20% and giving branch leaders a more reliable foundation for staffing decisions.
8 Hours Saved Per Week. AI-powered scheduling automation frees branch managers from manual planning, recovering up to eight hours weekly to refocus on coaching staff and serving customers.
Skills-Based Staffing. Beyond headcount, bWFM aligns coverage by employee skills, experience, and language — ensuring each customer interaction is handled by the best-suited team member.
Unified Branch Platform. bWFM joins Coconut's broader suite — appointment scheduling, lobby management, video banking, and analytics — expanding the platform's reach across the full branch operations lifecycle.