We offer multi-client Benchmark programs in the following areas: Auto Finance,
Consumer Lending, Small Business Lending,
and Middle Market Lending. We also offer internal benchmark services
comparing multiple affiliates or locations within a single client organization.
How Our Benchmark Programs Work
Our benchmarking process begins with a study of your processes. An on-site, in-depth review of how you currently
conduct your business. This unique perspective allows us to compare the productivity of your operations to those
of your peers. This is the cornerstone of the BenchMark philosophy and will enable you to assess your effectiveness
and efficiency.
By definition, process benchmarking is a basis of establishing rational performance goals through the study of
industry best practices. It has been proven over and over to be the best way to improve performance. BenchMark's
scientifically sound methodology allows clients to:
- See actual performance levels of other financial institutions
- Easily understand the differences between those organizations
- Break down the drivers and footings of key performance indicators
- Establish reasonable goals for your own performance
- Justify the changes and strategies needed to make those goals reality
Process benchmarking allows you to learn from the experience, mistakes, information and revelations of others
in the industry.
Our team of consultants conducts data-collection at client sites, ensuring comparable measures across institutions
before preparing their analysis and reports. In addition to concrete results, clients benefit from an oral and
written presentation including:
- Ranking of key performance areas for each core process
- Highlight of the critical success factors within each core process
- Comparison of your organization with other participants
- Opportunity Gap showing the value of performance improvements
- Specific changes recommended for each client organization and an action plan for achieving them
There is a distinct difference between data and knowledge. Gathering the data, converting it into information
and digging into the analysis is a critical first step, but applying the knowledge is where the rewards are
achieved. BenchMark's full-service consultants help clients take their organization to the next performance
level by completing the circle, which begins with process benchmarking.
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Auto Finance Benchmark Program
BenchMark Consulting understands the Auto Industry. We've conducted the Auto Finance Benchmark Program for
over 10 years. Through this experience we've built a database of knowledge complete with factual information
that proves what works and what doesn't. We begin by looking at Dealer Relations and conduct a thorough analysis
of your operations all the way through Recovery and Bankruptcy.
Areas We Benchmark
As we analyze the following areas (core processes), you'll see how you're alike and different from your peers
with respect to: workflows, technology utilization, department structuring, and operating policies.
Dealer Relations includes sales strategies, calling officer productivity,
preferred dealer programs, floorplanning activities, dealer approved channels and understanding what is
important to a dealership from their perspective.
Application Processing reviews processing systems, data input, turnaround time,
dealer entered channels and outsourcing.
Buying refers to central -vs- regional, automated decision making, loan -vs- lease,
turnaround time, credit quality and buyer productivity.
Review, Booking, and Funding encompasses system interfaces, review checkpoints,
error rates, "pass-through" programs, funding methods and exception handling.
Collateral Management involves lien perfection, exception processing, insurance
tracking, collateral substitutions and transfers of obligation.
Customer Service covers Voice Response Unit impact, CSR productivity, multi-product
service -vs- specialized product service, response time quality, targeted service levels, internet activities
and speed of answer.
End of Term Processing includes off-lease processing, automation technologies,
vehicle disposal methods and paid-out processing.
Collections involves collection management systems, collector productivity,
delinquencies, charge-offs, incentives and impact of credit quality.
Recovery refers to repossession management, internal resources -vs- external
resources, automation and incentives.
Sample Deliverables
Here are a few examples of the kinds of details you can expect to see from our analysis of your operation compared
to several of your peers.
Sample Deliverables
Clients
The following is a list of the Auto Finance BenchMark Consulting International believers. They've all used our
methods for success at one time or another.
American Honda Finance Corporation, AmSouth Bank, Bank of America, Bank of Hawaii, Bank of Montreal, Bank of
Oklahoma, Bank One, BMW Financial Services, CenterOne Financial Services, Charter One Auto Finance, Chevy Chase
Bank, Citizens Financial Group, Inc., CIBC, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services, Fifth Third Bank, First Hawaiian,
First Security Bank, Ford Motor Credit Company, GMAC, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Hibernia Bank, Household
Finance, Huntington Bank, Hyundai Motor Finance Co., JP Morgan Chase & Co., Key Bank, Mitsubishi Motors Credit
of America, M&T Bank, National City Bank, Nissan Motor Acceptance, PNC Bank, Porsche Financial Services, PRIMUS
Financial Services, Provident Bank(MD), Provident Bank(OH), Regions Financial Corp., Royal Bank of Canada,
Scotiabank, Toyota Financial Services, TD Canada Trust, VW Credit, Volvo Finance N.A., Wachovia, Wells Fargo Bank,
WFS Financial, World Omni Financial Corp.
For more information contact us at info@benchmarkinternational.com.
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Home Equity Lending Benchmark Program
BenchMark Consulting understands the Consumer Lending Business, and this includes Home Equity Lending. We've
conducted the Home Equity Benchmark Program for over 10 years. Through this experience we've built a database
of knowledge complete with factual information that proves what works and what doesn't. We begin by looking at
the profiles of our participants and conduct a thorough analysis of your operations all the way through the
recovery function.
Areas We Benchmark
As we analyze the following areas (core processes), you'll see how you're alike and different from your peers
with respect to: workflows, technology utilization, department structuring, and operating policies.
Participant Profile and Operational Risk Management (Product Offerings, Delivery
Configuration and Specific Risk Management Information) includes information on products, home equity loan to
value and marketing campaigns as well as strategies, channel acceptance and capture rates. It also outlines
each functional core process including delivery channels, credit scores, organizational structure and product
sources. For risk management, it reviews LTVs, portfolio loan position stratifications and ways lenders are
mitigating operational risk.
Applications Processing is the core process that includes all activities and
resources from the customer interview for application data, verifying data for accuracy and entering the
data into an application processing system. The core process includes activities associated with receiving
applications from the traditional branch channel, as well as all other non-traditional channels.
Vendor and Documents Management is the core process that includes management and
receipt of third-party data such as obtaining credit bureau information, and requesting and analyzing any
vendor-related documents such as flood, title reports and appraisals.
Underwriting involves all activities and resources to review borrower application
and credit information; evaluate the value of collateral; calculate income; debt and collateral ratios; and make
final credit and collateral decisions. This core process also includes the resources to identify and document
any lending conditions or stipulations, as well as resources to communicate the lending decision to the customer.
Documents Preparation, Closing and Funding refers to all tasks and actions taken
and resources required to schedule loan or line closing, prepare the required documentation, execute those
documents, fund the credit and record the mortgage.
Review and Booking includes all activities from the point a loan or line is closed
to the point it is booked on the loan accounting system. These activities generally include a package review
process, exception handling of corrections, monetary data entry or validation, and booking the contract to the
appropriate system.
Equity Turnaround Time measures the time it takes participants to complete one
normal and one expedited product for the origination of non purchase money real estate secured credits. This
time is segmented by calendar days from the receipt of an application through the initial credit decision,
the credit decision through the final collateral decision, the collateral decision through the preparation
of documents, the preparation of documents through closing, closing through funding and funding to booking
the account to the loan or line accounting system.
Collections include all activities associated with pursuing late payments, skip
tracing and other collection activities prior to charge-off or write-off. It also includes an evaluation of
the influence bankruptcy has on collections performance.
Recovery, Bankruptcy and Foreclosure includes all activities necessary to collect
deficiency balances after charge-off. Activities consist of calling debtors, skip tracing charged-off or written
off accounts and asset searching.
Sample Deliverables
Here are a few examples of the kinds of details you can expect to see from our analysis of your operation, compared
to several of your peers.
Sample Deliverables
Benchmark Program Participants
The following is a list of the Home Equity Lending BenchMark Consulting International believers. They've all
used our methods for success at one time or another.
ABN Amro/LaSalle Bank, AmSouth Bank, Bank of America, Bank of Hawaii, Bank One, Chevy Chase Bank, CIBC, CitiGroup,
Citizens Financial Group, Inc., Commerce Bank (MO), Compass Bank, Discover Financial Services, First Hawaiian, First
Tennessee Bank, Fleet Boston, Hibernia Bank, Huntington Bank, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Key Bank, M&I Bank,
M&T Bank, PNC Bank, Regions Financial Corp., Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, Sovereign Bank, SunTrust Bank,
TD Canada Trust, Union Bank of California, U.S. Bancorp, USAA, Wachovia, Wells Fargo Bank.
For more information contact us at info@benchmarkinternational.com.
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Small Business Lending Benchmark Program
BenchMark Consulting understands Small Business Lending. We've conducted the Small Business Benchmark Program for
over 10 years. Through this experience we've built a database of knowledge complete with factual information that
proves what works and what doesn't. We begin by looking at product profiles and conduct a thorough analysis of your
operations all the way through collections and recovery.
Areas We Benchmark
As we analyze the following areas (core processes), you'll see how you're alike and different from your peers with
respect to: workflows, technology utilization, department structuring, and operating policies.
Product Profile includes products offered, portfolio breakdowns, amounts,
maturities and thresholds. New loan activity by product and average new application and booked loan sizes
are examined.
Product Delivery Configuration includes a review of the delivery methodology utilized
to source small business applications as well as identifying the organizational and reporting structure of each
component of small business processing.
Prospecting and Relationship Management includes activities performed to source
and service small business relationships, as well as customer and prospect calls, loan negotiations and account
servicing.
Application Processing includes all activities associated with preparing an
application for underwriting. Central vs. decentral vs. hub environments are examined.
Underwriting encompasses all activities related to the credit decision process for
new credit applications, including: financial statement analysis, review of credit score system output,
collateral valuation activities, creation of approval packages and/or approval documents, obtaining additional
approval levels or signatures, decision communication actions, and decision override activities.
Document Preparation involves the activities associated with the creation of loan
documentation, and all loan closing steps, including: communication regarding documentation/settlement issues,
creation of loan documentation, delivery of loan documents to the settlement site, pre-settlement review of
documentation, lien searches, lien perfection activities, interaction with attorneys or outside vendors, loan
settlements and loan funding activities.
Review and Booking includes documents review policies and procedures, booking,
filing systems and procedures.
Turnaround Time is a representation of elapsed time using a sample of booked
accounts. The results are reflected in calendar days from the customer perspective for the following thresholds;
application to booking, application to initial credit decision, initial credit decision to final credit
decision, final credit decision to completion of documents, and from completion of documents to booking to
the accounting system. Three segments are assessed; objectively decisioned non-real estate secured, subjectively
decisioned non-real estate secured, and subjectively decisioned real estate secured.
Portfolio Management involves all periodic actions relating to managing existing
credit exposure, and all renewal processing, including: collecting periodic financial information, review of
periodic financial information, monitoring of loan agreement conditions, risk rating activities, review of
portfolio reports, and processing, evaluating, or underwriting loan renewals.
Collections and Recovery includes all activities relating to the management of
past due accounts, loan workout initiatives, collateral disposition activities and interaction, loan restructuring
and workout, collateral repossession and liquidation, and loss recovery.
Sample Deliverables
Here are a few examples of the kinds of details you can expect to see from our analysis of your operation, compared
to several of your peers.
Sample Deliverables
Benchmark Program Participants
The following is a list of the Small Business Lending BenchMark Consulting International believers. They've all
used our methods for success at one time or another.
ABN Amro/LaSalle Bank, AllFirst, AmSouth Bank, Bank of America, Bank of Hawaii, Bank of New York, Bank One, CIBC,
CitiGroup, Citizens Financial Group, Inc., Compass Bank, Fleet Boston, Hibernia Bank, Huntington Bank, JP Morgan
Chase & Co., Key Bank, M&T Bank, Mellon Bank, Michigan National Bank, National City Bank, National Penn
Bank, PNC Bank, RBC Centura Bank, Scotiabank, SunTrust Bank, TD Canada Trust, Union Bank of Calif., U.S. Bancorp,
Wachovia, Wells Fargo Bank
For more information contact us at info@benchmarkinternational.com.
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Middle Market Lending
BenchMark Consulting understands Middle Market Lending. Through the experience we've built a database of
knowledge complete with factual information that proves what works and what doesn't. We begin by looking at
product profiles and conduct a thorough analysis of your operations all the way through collections and recovery.
Areas We Benchmark
As we analyze the following areas (core processes), you'll see how you're alike and different from your peers
with respect to: workflows, technology utilization, department structuring, and operating policies.
Product Profile includes products offered, portfolio breakdowns, transaction
limits, exposure limits and maximum facility terms. New credit activity by product and average new credit
commitments are examined.
Product Delivery Configuration includes delivery methodology utilized to source
credits, as well as organizational and reporting structures for each component of Middle Market lending.
Prospecting and Relationship Management includes activities performed to source
and service Middle Market relationships. Includes customer and prospect calls, account strategizing, cross
selling and client relationship issues.
Credit Analysis includes time spent gathering customer data, spreading financials
and researching comparables (D&B, S&P, Moody's).
Credit Decision encompasses all activities related to the credit decision and
approval process, including reviewing, underwriting, documenting and communicating the decision.
Collateral Valuation and Document Preparation includes all collateral due diligence
performed prior to closing, as well as preparation and delivery of closing documents, whether internally or
externally prepared.
Review and Booking includes entry of customer, facility and collateral data to
the loan accounting system, as well as post-closing document review policies and procedures.
Portfolio Management involves all periodic actions related to managing existing
credit exposure and all renewal processing.
Loan Servicing includes processing of monetary and non-monetary transactions, lien
perfection and lien release activities, file/image management, as well as participation and syndication servicing.
Collections and Recovery includes information related to the treatment of delinquent
accounts, including delinquency and charge-off rates, policies, and strategies.
Sample Deliverables
Here are a few examples of the kinds of details you can expect to see from our analysis of your operation, compared
to several of your peers.
Sample Deliverables
For more information contact us at info@benchmarkinternational.com.
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