WHAT'S Nf.wS Issue 3 March 1996 working relations 9 Credit Secretariat continues, 'that a Ibranch in Asia has an Application for a ten- year bullet loan to finance the production of guns, which the producer planned to sell to Libya. Now, this might raise a few questions. For one thing, financing deals with dictators would clearly violate our credit philosophy. What's more, such military production is not in line with our credit policy. On top of that, we'd be reluctant to approve any bullet loan extending more than five years. That's against our credit risk policy. As a result, we would probably suggest that the branch to focus its efforts on other priority sectors. This is a very exaggerated ^xample, but it is very instructive.' NOVEL APPROACH In addition to creating a common framework of reference, the presentation of credit applications is also being standardized. 'Every application is a narrative of preferably no more than eight pages,' De Weerdt says. 'Each branch has biases and inclinations of its own, and tends to highlight them. This is understandable. But for the credit committees, that nightly pile of applications starts to look like an impossibly long and disjointed novel. We want the branches to write consistent and interesting novels. If they are original, that's great. But they have to be concise and highlight the most relevant aspects of the story involved: they have to be a smooth read.' CREDIT INTERACTION Standardization has to be balanced with flexibility, needless to say. After all, every branch faces its own local realities. A dynamic enterprise that wants to leverage its expertise on a global basis will depend crucially on clear and open lines of communication. Since the formation of the Credit Secretariat, for example, there has been a welcome tendency for the branches to contact Utrecht before they even start writing a credit application. This interaction saves work on all sides: the branches can make sure their applications dovetail with existing policy, and the Credit Secretariat saves the committees from seeing all but what they need to see. KREDIETVERLENING - HET PROBLEEM VAN SUCCES Als gevolg van de grote groei van ons buitenlandse netwerk en onze expertise in bepaalde sectoren, nam ook het aantal kredietaanvragen fors toe. Dit steeg de laatste vijfjaar van 1200 tot 2800 per jaar. Een hoeveelheid die door onze kredietcommissies bijna niet meer te behandelen is. Een bijkomend probleem is om de juiste balans te vinden tussen de kwaliteit van de verleende kredieten en de groei van de portefeuille. Het Kredietsecretariaat speelt een belangrijke rol bij het stroomlijnen van alle aanvragen. Het toetst elke aanvraag aan ons kredietbeleid en de geformuleerde risico profielen, zoals deze beschreven zijn in de continu ge-update Credit Manual. Een kredietaanvraag dient in principe volgens vaste standaards te worden ingedeeld. Bij twijfel over de haalbaarheid van een aanvraag kan door deze van te voren af te stemmen met het Kredietsecretariaat veel werk bespaard worden. clients and win market share. But teamwork is essential: the overall goal is to win the game. 'Think of it like football,' he says. 'If you want to play in the premier league, you need the best team. But you also need the best coach, the best support staff, the best stadium, ^nd the best training facilities. And they KREDIETINSPECTIE - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN AKTIE De kredietinspectie is onmisbaar bij het in de gaten houden van de kwaliteit van de totale kredietporte feuille. Een groot verlies leidt immers tot het stellen van hogere eisen aan en kortere looptijden voor nieuwe kredieten. De kredietinspectie-teams werken niet alleen in heel Nederland, maar ook bij de buitenlandse kantoren. Gedurende ca. 2 weken bezoeken zij een kantoor en overtuigen zich van het feit dat de verleende kredieten passen binnen het geformuleerde beleid en dat alle zekerheden aanwezig zijn. Ook checken zij de interne organisatie op duidelijke ^rolverdeling tussen de account managers en kredietanalisten. Daarnaast wordt het krediet- en leningregistratiesysteem aan een kritische blik onderworpen. Dick Duit all have to work together.' MONITORING POLICY Louwers' credit audit teams work throughout Holland and around the globe, fielding this supporting role wherever the banking teams are in play. An audit team, occasionally joined by colleagues from other sections of the Internal Audit department, will usually stay on location for about two weeks. It will check to make sure that lending policy is advancing the strategies that have been developed with head office. It will also focus on the branch organization; for example, it will make sure there are well-defined roles and a clear separation between the managers who sell loan products and the analysts who assess the risks. Finally, the team will study the lending and credit control process. Is all the necessary information available? Has it been correctly analyzed? Does the collateral actually exist? BEST PRACTICE At the end of the day, Louwers' Credit Audit department has to satisfy three clients: the board, the International Division, plus the branches in their own attempts to meet overall goals. This is why he regards the Inspectorate's role as wider than mere oversight. 'We are advisers. We have the overview. This means we can make benchmarks and recommendations about best practice. You have to recognize that each market is different. The aim is to help make this work to the advantage of the organization to make it a tooi of management.' ART AND SCIENCE An interesting picture starts to emerge. We see that sound credit management lies at the heart of any banking enterprise. It involves coordinating the distribution of one's resources, and it means knowing exactly when to say 'yes' or 'no'. The challenge is to strike a wise balance: this is part art, and part science. At the end of the day, that elusive element of communication counts for a great deal.

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blad 'What's news' (EN) | 1996 | | pagina 9