NCSEA Connections: Child Support Product and Services Guide

Company profiles | National Spotlight | Covid-19 | Work From Home | Corporate Culture
SMI was born humbly. Almost 50 years
ago in Carrollton, Ga., founder Bob Stone
purchased an IBM computer “as big as a living
room sectional” to help design systems and
methods that, simply put, could solve people’s
problems. As Bob’s reputation grew, as notable
for its compassionate service as for its
industry-leading successes in automation, he
“knew [he] wanted SMI to be more than just
another technology company.” With that in
mind, he set out to create a company culture
rooted in a shared passion for excellence,
commitment to service, and inclusive,
collaborative spirit.
“Our goal was to take care
of the SMI Team so we
could take care of the
clients we serve.”
-Joe Stone, CEO
Systems & Methods, Inc. (SMI)
That culture lives on today. “I consider my
career at SMI to be one of the biggest blessings
of my life,” said Audrey Cannon, Georgia State
Disbursement Unit (SDU) Project Director. “I
started working at SMI when I was 19 years old.
Thirty-nine years later, I have seen
extraordinary growth and change, but the one
thing that has remained the same is the feeling
that we are a family. We do the right thing. We
take care of our clients. And we take care of
each other.”
Forty-nine years after its inception, SMI is still a
small family business. Customers can reach a
live in-house customer service agent 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. The CEO is a phone call
away when an IV-D director wants to
brainstorm a new solution. Teamwork, Faith,
and Freedom remain the shared company
values. Now in its second and third generations
of leadership, SMI serves 17 states and 11 tribes
with comprehensive child support SDUs and the
smiONE Visa Prepaid Card, as well as document
imaging and financial management solutions.
During a year that has undeniably changed the
world, businesses have faced plenty of tough
decisions that sometimes meant cutting costs,
outsourcing work, or hastily launching poor
automation. Instead, SMI has reupped on its
half-century commitment to family-first service
and innovative solutions. “When times get
tough, we get innovative,” reflects Joe Stone. “I
applaud our team’s agility, innovation, and
passion to serve. It’s what makes us different,
and we’re prouder than ever to serve in this
space.” ■
SMI and Tribal Nations:
A Unique Partnership
SMI is the only child support payment card provider
to serve tribal nations in the United States. This
distinction comes with an enormous responsibility
to each of the 11 tribes where the smiONE Visa ®
Prepaid Card is distributed. And for SMI, it all starts
with relationships.
By offering program customization to suit a tribal
nation’s unique needs, SMI has been able to
establish trust and build longstanding partnerships
within the communities. “The smiONE card saves
time, money, and phone calls!” quipped Jerry Sweet,
of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North
Carolina. Sweet’s relationship with SMI dates back
to 2011 when he was leading the Modoc Tribe of
Oklahoma, which became the
very first tribe in the U.S. to adopt the smiONE
card. Though the implementations occurred in
different tribes at different times, Sweet’s
experiences were identical: “Happy clients and
happy staff, which makes me happy.”
Almost a decade in, SMI’s relationships with tribal
nations now extend across the country—from the St.
Regis Mohawk Tribe in New York to the Klamath
Tribe in Oregon, and nine sister tribes scattered
from North Carolina throughout the heartland. SMI
proudly serves each distinctive nation with deep
respect and a shared passion for family and
community.