Strengthening SME Credit Decisions Through In‑Company Training
Granting loans to SMEs is constantly evolving. Legal frameworks, guidelines and best practices change quickly, and you need to stay up to date. That’s why CPH Bank decided to strengthen the expertise of its teams through an in‑company training programme, developed together with Febelfin Academy: “Granting Credit to an SME”, an intensive one‑day course fully grounded in daily practice.
For Cindy Ockerman, legal advisor at CPH, the goal was clear: refresh the fundamentals, deepen analysis, and improve the consistency of credit files.
Why Invest in Training Focused on SME Credit?
“Laws and guidelines change fast. And in practice, habits sometimes creep in,” Cindy explains. The training aimed to refresh essential knowledge, especially around legal obligations and the entire pre‑contractual process.
Which documents do you need to provide to the client?
What responsibilities do advisors have?
How do you build a file that is both complete and compliant?
These crucial elements required structured, practical clarification.
Challenges Identified on the Work Floor
Before the training, several concrete needs were identified:
- deeper understanding of SME balance‑sheet analysis
- more rigour in the pre‑contractual phase
- clearer and more complete credit file structuring
All essential levers for improving the quality of credit decisions.
A Programme Fully Adapted to CPH’s Reality
Choosing an in‑company approach made perfect sense.
“The training was aimed at experienced colleagues who already knew the basics,” Cindy notes.
Discussions with the trainer — both before and during the course — added significant value. Practical cases drawn directly from CPH’s day‑to‑day operations created strong, relevant connections with real situations.
Immediate Impact on File Quality
Although it’s still early to measure the effect on final credit decisions, one result is already very clear: the quality of the files has improved.
Employees now:
- structure files more consistently
- select the relevant documents more efficiently
- pay greater attention to the pre‑contractual phase
This leads to more complete, well‑organised files for credit analysts.
What Participants Found Most Valuable
Several elements stood out positively for participants:
- the strategic importance of the pre‑contractual phase
- the increased responsibility of frontline staff
- the effectiveness of simple tools and clear best practices
“We already used some financial analysis techniques, but the training gave us more precise interpretation methods,” one participant explains.
The result? Stronger, better‑structured files and more confident decision‑making.
The Added Value of In‑Company Training
For CPH, Febelfin Academy provided targeted, directly applicable expertise.
The programme strengthened the team’s ability to determine the right credit for the right need, including ratio calculations and deeper analysis during client conversations.
“In‑company training makes the session more engaging, more effective and far more relevant to our reality,” one colleague concludes.
This collaboration once again shows the strength of training programmes built with and for financial institutions: concrete, impactful and focused on real‑world challenges.
Want to strengthen your team with skills that match your daily reality? Choose an in-company training
« Un top formateur et une matière très intéressante ! Je la recommande »
