COVID-19 Pandemic Reinforces the Importance of Digital Transformation by Utilizing Linedata’s Lending & Leasing Solutions.
Seattle, London, New York, Paris, Toronto, July 28th, 2020 – Linedata helps to ensure resilience for Canada’s second largest credit union, Meridian, despite industry challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2017, Meridian has been utilizing Linedata’s technology in its business model to support the needs of its Members. Specifically, Meridian leverages Linedata Capitalstream, a credit origination and risk management platform putting financial institutions at the forefront of digital transformation and growth. By implementing this tool pre-COVID-19, it enabled Meridian to offer seamless and efficient service to Members during the most uncertain times and swiftly transition its employees to the “new normal” of remote-working.
To elaborate on the mutually beneficial relationship, Paul Stanczak, VP of Account Management for Canada at Linedata asks John Trivieri, VP of Credit Management at Meridian, a few questions about their partnership, and the ever-growing need for an always-on digital solution – especially during a pandemic.
Q: How does Meridian utilize Linedata Capitalstream to help credit union Members while strengthening its own capabilities?
A: Capitalstream digitizes and streamlines Meridian’s commercial and small business lending processes. Many financial institutions still originate business loans by using paper-based, manual systems, which are significantly slower and less secure than software and digital systems. The platform allows us to move loan applications forward swiftly in digital form, ensuring that Members get funding faster. Capitalstream also provides us with on-going risk monitoring tools that are configured to our parameters and needs and significantly lower our total cost of ownership.
At Meridian, we’ve integrated Capitalstream to help us operate our business by way of a dual-lens, focused on business banking Members. Before we integrated the product into our business model, we were using traditional methods that were not digitized (i.e. paper-based and email-based). To properly keep up with the industry and fast-paced needs of our Members, it was pivotal to go digital.
Additionally, Capitalstream helps us from a risk management standpoint as it relates to loans. The software gathers and analyzes key data inputs that allow credit analysts to make prudent lending decisions so we can provide quick responses to loan applicants while maintaining an acceptable level of credit risk.
Q: How has your partnership with Linedata benefited business before and throughout the pandemic?
A: Before the pandemic, Meridian appreciated the flexibility of Capitalstream. The system is robust and highly configurable, allowing us to enhance our Member’s lives by providing them with first-in-class products and services.
Additionally, Linedata’s staff that supports our partnership are very knowledgeable, helpful and always willing to listen to our needs and provide us with tailored solutions.
Throughout the pandemic, and especially at the beginning of remote work, our partnership with Linedata has allowed us to run business as usual. Despite the challenges that were presented with the stay-at-home orders, we were able to remain self-sufficient and provide our Members with uninterrupted service. The infrastructure and tools already in place were built to sustain a digital-forward business, making it an overall seamless transition.
Q: As our industry collectively works to recover from the pandemic-driven fallout, what is the most important lesson Meridian has learned?
A: It might seem cliché, but one of the biggest lessons learned is to expect the unexpected – in other words, we were able to successfully serve our Members during this time because we had preemptively covered our risks by (1) investing in technology early, and often and (2) establishing a relationship with Linedata as more than a provider, but a partner. The pandemic showed us that everything can change on a dime, but if you’ve planned ahead and implemented protocols that might seem ahead of their time to the rest of the industry, you’ve done right by your company and those it serves.
Additionally, the partnership helped us, as a company, to enhance our internal knowledge and capabilities to best manage and configure the platforms necessary for success. By doing so, we were able to quickly respond to the unexpected and support growth during the most challenging of times.
Throughout the pandemic, Meridian was able to take care of its Members by utilizing Capitalstream and other digital-forward tools to their fullest extent. Many of our commercial and small business Members are counting on us as they adjust their plans post-pandemic and we’re proud to be solid ground for them, thanks to our investments in technology.
ABOUT MERIDIAN
With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union and the second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of 370,000 Members and customers. Meridian has $26 billion in assets under management (as at June 30, 2020) and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 92 branches across Ontario, and business banking services in 15 locations. Meridian Members also have access to THE EXCHANGE® Network, with 3,700 no-fee ABMs across Canada and 500,000 ABMs in the United States. For more information, please visit: www.meridiancu.ca