What is your credit strategy?
BURGUIERE Laurent: Casden, the BPCE Group’s affinity bank for the civil service, relies on the network of regional popular banks in mainland France and overseas and on its own sales outlets to offer civil servants a full range of property and consumer loans, with the exception of revolving credit. We offer loans for the purchase of primary, secondary or rental homes, home improvement loans and consumer loans such as car loans and personal loans. We use in-house tools for the appraisal and management of home loans, and we are backed by the BPCE group’s IT platform for the appraisal and management of consumer loans, via its specialised subsidiary BPCE Financement.
Why did you choose Harvest for mortgage lending and how is Harvest helping you to achieve your strategic objectives?
BURGUIERE Laurent: We chose Harvest because our previous loan appraisal tool was no longer maintained by its publisher. Harvest was recommended to us by colleagues and former employees of other banks. We were quickly convinced that it was the most modern and modular solution on the market. VIC allows us to take on board the entire digital web dimension and is based on a principle of symmetry of intent between the employee and customer paths, which was particularly attractive to us.
What do you think of the VIC solution?
BURGUIERE Laurent: It was an extremely important and strategic project for the bank. In our full savings and full loan model, the mortgage application is central to our organisation, since 67% of our staff use it. We’re very satisfied with the VIC solution and it’s particularly pleasing to work with the Harvest team, with whom we have a great deal of trust and transparency. The solution, which is ergonomic and intuitive, enabled us to make a rapid transition from our old tool to the new one. The staff adopted it in just a few months; they particularly appreciate the additional file tracking module that was recently introduced at our request. VIC is a modern tool that can be adapted to a wide range of products and meet users’ needs.
How did the implementation of VIC go?
BURGUIERE Laurent: VIC was implemented gradually, with pilot agencies, which minimised the risks. We provided extensive change management support, which made it easier to adopt the tool. The ability of the Harvest teams to react to technical difficulties, to adapt and improve the system with great responsiveness and commitment, was a key factor in the success.
If you had to describe VIC, what would you say in one sentence?
BURGUIERE Laurent: VIC is a modern, ergonomic and modular tool, capable of adapting to a wide range of products and meeting users’ needs. It includes ergonomic features and intuitive navigation, making it easy to use despite the complexity of mortgage arrangements. The quality of the relationship with the Harvest team and the mutual trust between customer and supplier contributed to the success of the project.