Philadelphia (January 28, 2002) - RMA—The Risk Management Association introduces a Web-based comprehensive knowledge management tool for bankers this month. eMentor is the first integrated source of information on credit and lending processes, concepts and practices, and it also provides information about specific industries.
"eMentor is an on-the-job partner for bankers," said Mark Zmiewski," RMA's director of Information Products. "It increases efficiency and productivity throughout the organization by providing access to very focused and relevant information. It's a perfect complement to other credit risk tools."
Using a searchable database on their PCs or laptops, bankers can instantly pinpoint the information they need to prospect, analyze a deal, structure a transaction, and monitor a relationship. eMentor offers immediate access to a rich and deep resource of credit risk and industry information.
"At KeyBank we are really looking forward to the rollout of the eMentor online system," said Terry Lehmann, vice president and credit training manager. "We were fortunate to pilot the product in it's development stages, and received nothing but positive feedback from all of the Key employees that were involved. It' s a great resource tool that can be integrated into our learning development plans because it's also an excellent educational tool."
Jacob Kojalo, senior vice president, Lawrence Savings Bank, a community bank pilot institution for eMentor, said the five seasoned loan officers at the North Andover, Massachusetts, bank were impressed with the product. "They all learned something new and a lot of what they already knew was reinforced by it," he said. "It's not just a product for entry level people, it's a product that aids bankers at every stage of their careers.
"The industry information section provided in-depth quality information that I was able to use in a deal I was working on," said Kojalo. "The flow of how the product is laid out, along the lines of how lending decisions are made is very logical and easy to use. And the glossary is fantastic. It's very detailed, an especially nice feature."
"eMentor acts like a road map, guiding business bankers through the entire process of structuring transactions, pricing loans and maximizing revenues," said Ken Shipley, RMA's director of professional development. "It prepares lending and credit professionals for prospect calling, loan proposals and loan closings."
Banks also can distribute their credit policy and procedures manual as well as their in-house white papers on industry and risk management through eMentor. It enables wide distribution of knowledge and enhances corporate memory of best practices. eMentor enables bankers to identify the classic indicators of deteriorating conditions and challenges users with skills assessment questions. This advanced knowledge management tool also fosters information sharing and credit consistency.
eMentor contains industry, credit & lending, and risk insights via Credit Considerations, Lending to Different Industries Series, Credit and Lending Series, and Annual Statement Studies. Annual Statement Studies contains data derived directly from more than 175,000 statements of commercial bank borrowers. It contains more than 600 industries arrayed by assets and sales, 16 classic ratios, and common size balance sheet and income statement data.
DRI/WEFA's Annual Industry Review, which outlines industry performances and provides insight into how key segments are likely to perform in the year ahead, is also included.
eMentor also provides access to commercial, educational and association-affiliated Web sites that are dedicated to providing industry-specific insights. These sources are the perfect real-time complement to the industry information provided by RMA.
"It's all in one place, its all of RMA at your fingertips, and its infinitely expandable," said Zmiewski. "eMentor significantly changes the way that RMA will distribute its information."
RMA is the only financial services association that specializes in promoting effective credit risk management practices across the entire financial services industry. Its membership consists of more than 3,000 financial service providers. These institutions are represented in the association by more than 16,000 commercial loan, credit, and risk management professionals in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and numerous foreign cities, including Hong Kong, Singapore and London.
For more information about eMentor or RMA, contact Kathie Beans, RMA public relations manager, 215-446-4095.