Banco Bpm, supporting companies to grow the country

SMEs

Banco Bpm launches a new Smart Lending platform to support SMEs

According to sales manager Matteo Faissola, the advantages of this tool include faster decision-making, a simplified set of documentation and the use of the best technologies to produce a comprehensive and realistic analysis of the company's performance.

9 June 2025

4' min read

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor)- Banco Bpm has always been at the side of businesses and SMEs in particular, the latter being considered the backbone of Italy's entrepreneurial fabric. Among the tools launched by the institution in Piazza Meda is a new Smart Lending platform; this is a tool that makes the approach to granting loans or other forms of financing innovative, making the risk assessment algorithms faster and more effective, the decisions to disburse the amount requested much quicker, and the bureaucratic process of submitting the necessary documentation streamlined. All of this, of course, based on the use of cutting-edge, and above all secure, technology, which for the bank represents a central element as demonstrated by the 600 million euro investment arch plan allocated to the It sector. To understand how it works and what are the advantages of using the Smart lending platform, we took stock with Banco Bpm's head of sales, Matteo Faissola.

Where did the decision to launch a smart lending platform come from?

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One of the historical characteristics of our bank has always been to support companies, especially SMEs. A commitment that translates into using a method of action that, on the one hand, combines the historical characteristics that are inherent in the DNA of our bank, but at the same time guarantees that evolution that today's times demand, using increasingly advanced and, at the same time, secure technological tools. The objective is to free up time: on the one hand for our managers, increasing the opportunities for customer relations in the branch, which remain fundamental for us; on the other hand for the businesses that come to us, streamlining the time it takes to produce all the necessary documentation so that the entrepreneur can continue to focus on his or her business activities. I am referring to all the paperwork that is needed for a credit line, for example, and to the possibility for the company manager to operate remotely to apply for the credit line without necessarily physically going to the branch.

What are the other advantages of using such a platform?

In addition to speeding up operations, there is an issue of quality of data. There is no doubt that, for a bank like ours, having a platform based on advanced technologies allows us to capture a much larger amount of data that also comes from outside. I am referring to so-called 'alternative data', i.e. data from third parties that are added to those already in the bank's possession. This provides a very high level of reliability that minimises any errors or possibilities for corrections because the matching of this amount of data gives a precise picture of the company's state of health. The accuracy of the process is demonstrated by the fact that all the processes put in place so far have produced favourable results. And the advantage is twofold: both for the bank's consultant and for the company that turns to us. The platform, in fact, allows the entrepreneur to carry out a number of operations, especially those of an ordinary nature, directly from a remote location; thanks to the high level of security that our technology is able to guarantee.

But there is also an advantage for the bank...

Yes, especially from the point of view of credit quality. When the platform, after processing all the data entered, gives the green light, it means that the level of security is really high. We have started an initial test phase, which will become fully operational after the summer, thanks to which, once the platform has given the green light, the financing decision will be made in real time. However, this does not mean relying solely and exclusively on a machine or on technology, because where criticalities are encountered, the final word lies with man, i.e. our consultants.

What is the identikit of companies using this platform?

The business segment the platform addresses, and will also address in its future developments, concerns companies with a turnover of up to five million euro. To date we start with loans for a maximum amount of EUR 200,000 and a duration of 60 months. In April we started with credit file reviews and with the new platform, in two months, we have reached 3 thousand reviews. The big christening will be in June when we will start a specific campaign involving 20 thousand names on which we will apply the new platform, the aim being to be fully operational by the end of 2025.

How important is technology and what role does it play in business support?

There is no doubt that technology plays an important role in the world we live in today, especially when you consider that only 13% of the transactions that any customer carries out in a bank take place at the branch. I also believe that when it comes to requesting money and managing savings, having a platform like ours makes life a lot easier, and that is certainly an advantage. But all of this in no way detracts from the relationship that is established between the advisor and the client; on the contrary, I believe that tools such as these strengthen it because, apart from ordinary operations, the entrepreneur who turns to us will always find a competent and helpful person who will accompany him in what we define as strategic operations. Having a capable figure who listens and can advise on the best solutions based on a client's needs is something that technology can never replace. So I would say that the picture is twofold: on the one hand there is the technological evolution that has to be ridden to keep up with the times; on the other hand there is the figure of the manager that will never be replaced.

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