Commercial lending: Fifth Third Launches New Accounting System

Fifth Third Bank in cincin- nati has found a way to channel much more of its loan information data from the back office to the loan officers who do the bank's lending by replacing its loan accounting system with an AFS&LSC Level III mainframe loan processing system that incorporates new client/server technology. The new AFS&LSC technology, called AFSXpress, handles both front-end applications like loan originations as well as back- end collateral processing.

AFSXpress, which allows lenders to input data directly by PC, is designed to increase efficiency and reduce errors and error replications, consequently reducing costs, says Peter Mack, avp of commercial division technology at Fifth Third. Mack says the system will allow the bank to merge three separate portfolios-commercial loans, floor plan lending, and commercial mortgages-into one commercial lending operation. "Right now, we must access five systems to gain exposure to our corporate and commercial customers. AFSXpress will reduce them to three systems: international, leasing and commercial loans," he says.

The bank will also use the Level III mainframe system, which currently handles more than 50 percent of its total U.S. commercial banking assets, to increase fee income through automatic billing. The bank expects to convert to the new system by October 1998.

-peterson tfn.com

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