I was sitting in a prospective client meeting not long ago discussing their current monthly cost modeling process. The client described the roles and responsibilities of each financial analyst. The analysts were heavily involved with their business partner to update the model drivers, volumes, and expenses, using excel spreadsheets as their collection tool. The conversation…
Analysis conducted on the Top 100 US Credit Unions revealed an $820 Million cost improvement opportunity for more than 40 institutions. The study was based on 2014 annual credit union call reporting data across the Top 100 Credit Unions based on asset size. Total Non-Interest Expenses for these institutions were over $11 billion dollars and represent…
Armada releases their newest version of Acumen Cost Analytics for 2015. The latest version includes the following enhancements: New features for consolidated reporting across multiple periods and scenarios Enhanced documentation management features to handle Regulatory Cost Transfer audits Improved handling of period specific attributes and dimensions Better user interface for model creation and maintenance Micah…
There are still a few bankers who can recall a time before immediate access to data, real time transactions and 24/7 service. This was a time when banks would often ignore the impact of shared services and IT on their profitability and performance measurement. In the early days of my banking career, I managed a…
Companies interested in improving overall margins are now focusing on below-the-line cost efficiency as a means for cost improvement. Also referred to as shared services or overhead costs, these “allocated” costs represent a growing share of the overall expense base. For years, the process of simply allocating these costs to the revenue generating functions of…
Armada Consulting Announces Cost Management Benchmark Survey Findings Armada Consulting is pleased to announce the completion of the inaugural Cost Management Benchmark survey for Financial Services companies. The survey achieved the objective of providing current information on the state of cost management in Financial Services companies representing a cross section of participants including commercial banks,…
Achieving Strategic Cost Management for Profitable Growth Market challenges driving increased need for cost analytics As economic uncertainty continues to drive demand for advanced cost analytics, Finance is now faced with the challenge of providing front line management with detailed business analytics that will enable increased expense control, improved operational efficiency and more effective pricing…
Convenience Is Key to Increasing Bank Profits in 2013 Adapted from the American Banker 1/3/13 by Brad Anderson Have you ever caught yourself paying a $3 ATM fee to avoid driving across town to your own bank’s ATM? Add up the value of your time, gasoline costs, the need to complete a necessary task and…
Acumen 2.0 News BROKEN ARROW – Over the past two decades, banks have taken measures to ensure they remain profitable while responding to increasingly changing market conditions, said Scott Wise, CEO of Armada Consulting. Rising costs and falling margins are driving the demand for more detailed cost information, said Wise, partner at Broken Arrow-based Armada.…
With the recent announcement from the Federal Reserve of a continued environment of low interest rates into 2015, the question of branch economics will continue to be a major focus for many financial service companies. We believe the announcement confirms our view on the sluggishness of the recovery and also the challenges in the business…
