Financial institutions worldwide have felt immense pressure from the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic in terms of supporting their clients amid financial uncertainty. COVID-19 and the subsequent shutdowns of many businesses have had an economic impact across the globe. As a result of the pandemic, 7.5 million small businesses in the U.S. are now in danger of closing permanently. Unemployment rates in 2020 hovered nearly three times the average of the year prior, and as of June 30th, 2020, 4.5 million homeowners faced forbearance.As the prospect of a quick V-shaped recovery receded in many countries, Accenture analysts anticipated higher job losses, limited economic growth and an environment in which many consumers and businesses will be unable to pay their debts, significantly affecting financial institutions even further.

The decision to evaluate and implement a commercial loan origination system (CLOS) is a big one for a financial institution, giving it the opportunity to leapfrog the competition and truly transform its commercial lending processes for its borrowers and employees. Careful planning and execution are key components of every successful CLOS evaluation, selection and implementation.

Deploying an end-to-end commercial loan origination system (CLOS) is complex and provides many opportunities for missteps. Understanding the most common pitfalls that can happen during the implementation is the best way to steer clear of costly mistakes.

Cloud adoption is now a necessity for financial institutions seeking enhanced services, requiring changes in work culture, system integration and regulatory compliance. As the financial landscape evolves into distinct segments, executing effective digital strategies is crucial for long-term success, positioning institutions to prosper in the new age of banking.

As consumers increasingly desire faster banking, more convenient access to their accounts and quicker decisions on their loan requests, financial institutions are hamstrung by a rising wave of financial regulations. Between new and existing regulatory requirements including Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL), customer disclosures and fair lending laws, to the mounting risks of default, fraud and cybersecurity, to the new challenges presented by the global health crisis brought on by COVID-19, financial institutions are stuck between two seemingly mutually exclusive and competing priorities: fast banking and better compliance. At nCino, however, we believe it’s possible for financial institutions to have it all. The key to striking this balance is that banks must be willing to approach their business differently.

Over the past decade, the financial services industry has faced significant workforce challenges including changing employee demographics, increased competition for top-level talent and an evolution in the nature of the work itself, as technologies such as artificial intelligence become more mainstream. These rapid changes have illuminated the need for the continual training and reskilling of workers, particularly when it comes to technology.

The imperative for digital account opening is high due to competitive pressures, but mistakes in implementation can hinder success. Financial institutions should avoid missteps such as underestimating integration complexity, neglecting marketing needs, failing to cross-sell across business lines, separating application processing from onboarding, and not continuously monitoring and improving the process. 

Great Southern Bank chose nCino's Bank Operating System to automate and streamline its loan process and has been live on the platform for three years. The single system has made the commercial loan process more seamless and efficient for both employees and customers.

Amy Brady is the Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President at KeyBank, one of the largest retail banking companies in the United States. She is responsible for leading Technology and Operations, a division that comprises more than 5,000 individuals.When Amy started her role with KeyBank in 2012, she brought a unique approach to problem-solving that impressed the rest of the C-suite. She recognized the need for a paradigm shift in the bank’s digital strategy that would transition the focus toward supporting business strategies that drive results through effective partnerships and an empowered, future-enabled workforce. This shift started KeyBank’s nCino journey, as they selected the nCino Cloud Banking Platform to fuel its digital transformation strategy in 2013.