business development banks
We offer reliable support to development institutions as a competent advisor, provider of ideas and sparring partner.
We offer reliable support to development institutions as a competent advisor, provider of ideas and sparring partner.
Promoting, financing, supporting in times of need. The role of development banks as an anchor of stability in assisting the economy at the regional and national level has become particularly apparent during the corona crisis.
However, with the rising flood of applications, many institutions felt stretched to their limits in terms of procedure, organisation and technology when processing requests for funding. Moreover, the pandemic acted as a catalyst in highlighting potential weaknesses of the IT landscapes of development banks.
In addition, recipients expect simple and transparent access to funding as well as short response times on the part of the institutions. Development banks are therefore under enormous pressure to change in order to make the entire funding management more efficient, effective and transparent. At the interplay of the state and the market, development banks are increasingly confronted with the need to advance their own transformation process in the course of digitalisation more vigorously than ever before.
We have been an active player in the development banking market for many years, and have long-standing experience with a variety of institutions. Our current core consulting areas include the following:
The BAIT amendment, which in particular also takes into account the requirements of the EBA guidelines for the management of ICT and security risks (EBA/GL/2019/04) as well as clarifications based on audit findings, will place new and more extensive requirements on IT in banks following its publication in 2021.
With our in-depth practical expertise, we support funding institutions in the professional and technical implementation of BAIT regulatory requirements and help our clients to optimally prepare for audits by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
Implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) represents a multi-faceted issue for development banks as well. Drawing on our extensive practical expertise, we support you in introducing compliant data protection management systems and ensure the necessary integration with existing processes and procedures in compliance, IT and business.
The world of banking has opened its doors to third-party providers. Access to customer and transaction data is changing market conditions - also for development banks. The pandemic most recently showed that the use of modern and flexible IT systems is necessary in order to be able to react promptly and flexibly to current challenges in compliance with supervisory requirements. Issues such as Know Your Customer, the timely presentation and processing of new funding programmes up to hassle-free payouts (for instance via robots) are just some of the challenges that institutions are facing. Open banking offers development banks the opportunity to implement attractive and innovative solutions in cooperation with third-party providers.
Our consulting services in this area include the selection of new, forward-looking core banking systems, process optimisation through the use of robotics and options to connect to external open banking platforms. The step towards a customer-centric ecosystem with innovative services and your institution as the central player - this is where our expertise lies!
In addition to GDPR, BAIT and similar regulations, the Online Access Act, which is to be implemented by the end of 2022, is hovering over institutions like the sword of Damocles.
In the context of the Online Access Act, we are currently in discussion with a number of development banks, including the Cooperation Officer of the Development Bank Cooperation, to shed light on the role to be played by development banks in the above process. Our impression is that development banks are currently playing a rather passive role as observers. We believe that they should assume a more active role.
From our point of view, this is not just an IT issue; we believe that the processes that are ultimately decided "centrally" can have a significant influence on the process landscape of development banks.
From the perspective of development banks, the efficient use of resources as part of a sustainability strategy is becoming increasingly important. Goals in this respect include support programmes for economic development in the areas of housing provision, population and economic growth as well as the implementation of resource-saving investments. Besides economic criteria, social and ecological criteria will also be taken into account when awarding subsidies in the future.
Furthermore, institutions will be required to live up to their social responsibilities and rethink their fundamental sustainability principles. We are familiar with the requirements of the EBA GL and ECB guidelines, the Guidance Notice on Dealing with Sustainability Risks of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and the European Green Deal, and have experience in the field of development banks.
“In plenum AG, we have found a competent and reliable partner on an equal footing. Our collaboration is defined by a spirit of partnership, and is shaped by great respect and mutual appreciation on both sides. The high level of expertise of the consultants, a strong commitment - particularly on the part of the management of both companies - form the basis of our joint success. Projects with plenum AG were regularly completed with very good results. ILB has received valuable strategic inputs from plenum AG within the scope of its consulting services in the field of information technology. These help us to perform our tasks as Brandenburg's development bank even more efficiently. We do not hesitate to rely greatly on our partner plenum AG.”
Jochen Pfeiffer
Head of Information Technology at the Business Promotion Bank of the Federal State of Brandenburg
“plenum AG is a reliable partner for NBank in various projects. In the areas of IT management and IT governance, the cooperation we have enjoyed in the area of IT management and IT governance has always been trusting, constructive and technically impeccable.
plenum AG supports us in the technical development of erasure concepts and with data protection regulations. We have always been impressed by the high level of expertise of the consultants and the trust-based collaboration.”
Michael Kiesewetter
Chairman of the Management Board of the Development Bank of Lower Saxony (NBank)