Accounting Firm Launches Risk Management Solution for Financial Institutions

To help financial institutions more effectively manage model risk and respond to examiner expectations, Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting, consulting and technology firms in the U.S., has introduced the Crowe Model Risk Manager solution.

Crowe Model Risk Manager is a software solution that facilitates an organization’s model risk management process and provides meaningful insight into the complex inter-relationship of models across the enterprise. Unlike simple spreadsheets or databases, Crowe Model Risk Manager is an enterprise tool that provides a single view to more easily manage and control models.

“Financial institutions can have hundreds, if not thousands, of models, making model risk management incredibly complex and challenging. We combined our technology background with our extensive experience working with financial institutions to develop a solution that supports sound practices and provides the automation required for effective model governance. This gives financial institutions a consistent way to identity, manage and mitigate model risk while meeting regulatory and business requirements,” said Brian Kloostra, a principal in the Crowe Risk Consulting group.

Crowe Model Risk Manager was built to satisfy the requirements outlined in the latest supervisory guidance and provides a comprehensive approach to allowing an organization to identify and inventory models and understand model risk; develop, monitor and validate models; and deploy effective model governance and control.

Crowe Model Risk Manager includes the following components:

Model inventory: Supports complex hierarchies and linkages of models and model elements. Shows model relationships and overall model risk within functional areas as well as across the organization. Serves as the repository of all model-related documentation and audit trails.
Model development: Maintains and logs changes made to model design, inputs, outputs, thresholds, parameters and documentation. Supports the institution’s processes and procedures for model development and testing.
Model implementation: Tracks the history of model deployment at each stage and shows the lineage of implemented models, versions and parameters. Model use and monitoring: Tracks inputs and outputs to trigger alerts regarding anomalies, issues and required actions. Displays timelines and provides notification when a threshold is crossed.
Model validation: Collects results, issues and action items to confirm necessary changes in development and implementation processes. Supports internal audit and examiner validation and model analysis activities.
Model calibration: Collects results, recommendations, issues and action items to track changes made to models.
Model governance and reporting: Includes predefined reports, dashboards and charts and the ability to easily create custom reports. Allows executive management, auditors and model managers to view model information that is more detailed and that applies across the organization.