Andrew Pace: 

Welcome to ACS Portfolio Perspective. I’m Andrew Pace, ACS’s Chief Client Experience Officer and your host. Today, for our inaugural podcast, I’m delighted to be joined by my colleague, friend and boss, Brian Noble, co-founder and CEO of Asset Compliant Solutions. Brian is a pioneer who spent more than 25 years revolutionizing how lenders handle collections and recovery.

Under Brian’s leadership, ACS has achieved a host of industry firsts, the first to introduce client account access technology, and the first to earn SOC2 certification. Setting new standards for security and compliance are just a couple of examples.

Today, Brian continues to be the visionary driving the innovation needed to keep pace with a rapidly changing marketplace. Remarkably, ACS’s first client from 1998, a major equipment manufacturer still partners with us today, which is a testament to Brian’s approach to client relationships and business results. Brian, welcome to the show. 

Brian Noble: 

Good morning and thank you for the warm welcome. 

Andrew Pace: 

You’re welcome. Let’s start with our first topic, culture as a competitive advantage. ACS is known for its strong culture of compliance, but I’d like to dig into how that culture creates real market differentiation.

Can you talk about how that foundation of compliance sets ACS apart in the industry?

Brian Noble: 

Great question and you know, I’d love to share on that point. You know, I think for us at ACS and me personally, being able to assemble really some of the top talent and utilizing their strengths, not just from a perspective of, you know, being the best, but it’s really about alignment within the organization, collaboration, and really just longstanding leaning on each other.

And I think when you create that environment, you know, the outcomes and the positive things that are attributed to it are amazing.

Andrew Pace: 

And from there, I’d love to hear some specific examples. How has the culture translated into better outcomes for clients or given ACS and edge in situations where culture really mattered?

Brian Noble: 

You know, the one thing that comes to mind, Andrew, is, you know, we were giving it an opportunity to solve a really difficult scenario, something that may have been a little bit out of our wheelhouse per se, but nonetheless, you know, we took on the challenge to satisfy a great partner’s longstanding partner. And I just watched our team come together as a group and approach this scenario or account that was given to us and really just dig in, think outside the box and really just create a win-win for everybody in this scenario that I don’t even think the partner or client had. 

So, those are the kind of things when you have culture and collaboration and people working together, again the outcomes are just amazing. 

Andrew Pace: 

That’s great, that’s great. Let’s shift gears, let’s talk about a topic that’s been top of mind for a lot of people in the industry, the impacts of economic uncertainty in the asset-based lending space. To start, how are interest rate fluctuations and inflation currently affecting both lenders and borrowers? 

Brian Noble: 

You know, I think from where we sit and what we see, it’s kind of a moving target. And when I say that, you know, interest rate fluctuations certainly impact lending and credit decisions and all those sorts of things. But by the same token, you know, the current customers that are impacted and their ability to, you know, pay impacts on their payment, you know, going up and things like that, just constantly, It’s a never-ending cycle, if you will. So we see shifts, ebbs and flows and delinquencies, and in speaking with customers, some of their challenges related to these interest rates are kind of a common statement. 

Andrew Pace: 

Right. And what would you say are some of the strategies you’re seeing lenders adopt to navigate this kind of economic volatility?

Brian Noble: 

You know, it’s interesting. So if you roll back the calendar to kind of the COVID days, there were a lot of customers or clients that were utilizing modifications and extensions and working with people during challenge times, I believe that, you know, in this environment, let’s call it 2023 and to present, those types of tools or modifications aren’t as prevalent. But I still believe that if somebody is willing to make a commitment to pay and trying to do the right thing, there is the ability to work and get those types of implementations. 

Andrew Pace: 

Seeing lenders, you know, try to engage service providers sooner in the process to try to mitigate some losses in portfolios? 

Brian Noble: 

So we have definitely seen an uptick or an openness to take on or address that type of approach. I think from where we sit and what we’ve experienced, that strategy, if you will, really makes a lot of sense. And again, the sooner that you can make a decision that something is not going the proper way, the better the outcome that could be on the back end.

Andrew Pace: 

That’s great. And finally, on this topic, when markets are unpredictable, how does that change the way you think about risk management, both from a portfolio and individual borrower perspective?

Brian Noble:

So I would say that the volatility and the uncertainty, those are, you know, two kinds of key words. I think they really play through the whole lending portfolio management, customer acquisition, buyer experience. It’s really because it’s so unpredictable and the clarity isn’t there, I think the more that the lines of communication can be manifested all the way through from customer, lender, servicer, if everybody is on the same page through these challenging and uncertainty times, I think the outcomes are much more productive and positive. 

Andrew Pace: 

Right. I would agree. Communication is key. I think, you know, a lot of times, I think, most customers would find themselves in a better scenario if they were just communicating with the lender. Oftentimes, their lenders will send accounts over to their service providers because the borrower just stopped communicating, and obviously, that presents a big challenge. 

Let’s talk about something we’ve all seen firsthand, the evolution in client expectations. As clients’ needs continue to shift, how has ACS been able to adapt its staffing and professional development to stay ahead?

Brian Noble: 

Great question. So those two things that you mentioned, that have always been on the forefront of our ability and our ability to get further and deeper and knowledgeable. The industry is always changing. And I think our leadership team has always been about professional development, taking advantage of new insights, industry trends, and just keeping abreast of that. So again, it’s always been a forefront of ours to maintain those, those things and be in the know, so to speak.

Andrew Pace: 

Right. And we’ve touched on compliance earlier, but I’d love to hear more about the rising compliance standards, especially things like SOC2 certification, which are shaping how clients evaluate their service providers. 

On the tech side, what kind of technology or innovation initiatives have ACS prioritized to meet these challenging expectations?

Brian Noble: 

So another great question. And I think as everyone knows the biggest thing when we talk about risk management as it relates to compliance and things like that, information sharing, we have always embraced the technology platform as it ties into compliance. And we’ve spent a great deal of time researching the right resources to help us be at the highest level when it comes to compliance and risk. And I think that any company that that’s going to be in this space as a service provider has to say to themselves the technology component where information is being exchanged back and forth, sensitive data sets really has to take that as an understanding, not only just as a service provider, but anybody operating in the lending space. 

Andrew Pace: 

Right. And can you share any concrete results that may have come out of these efforts, ideally with a few specific examples?

Brian Noble:

No, you know, I think from ACS’s perspective, SOC2 was a term that we had been introduced to and learned about, oh, I don’t know, 10 years ago and because we’ve had a somebody dedicated as a CIO position really said, we’ve got to incorporate this into our platform. And in doing so, there are some moving parts that people have to engage and embrace within the organization. So that takes a little time to get everybody on board. But once you get everybody rolling in the right direction, to answer your question, I think the outcomes of this SOC2 report and where it gets you to the next level are apparent.

And we’ve had some great results, the reports that come back on an annual basis where we might have gaps or things that need to be addressed or flushed out. So we feel very confident and, I guess, as kind of a thought leader in that space to utilize that platform and that compliance standard.

Andrew Pace: 

Do you think, have you heard that clients are embracing that more and more these days and really leaning on service providers to be SOC2 compliant, to ensure that their information and their customers’ information is secure within their vendors network and systems?

Brian Noble: 

So I would say it’s a 50 – 50 split. There are several clients that really mandate and almost you know require that you were in this environment in order to be a partner. And then there are others that, and I question at times, I don’t want to use the word overlook, but are a little less lenient or a little less stringent on those types of certifications.

So I think it’s a moving target. And as time goes on and people get more familiar, I believe that SOC2 certification will become a kind of a standard.

Andrew Pace: 

It certainly, I think, raises the bar from a service provider perspective. Obviously, it demonstrates because it’s a big investment, right, Brian?

Brian Noble: 

Absolutely. You know, these are the things that when you talk about an investment, ROI, and really wanting to be that professional delivery service, so to speak, you know, just taking those things in account into your budget and making sure that you are that company, I think speaks volumes. 

Andrew Pace: 

And that’s just not a, that’s just not a one, one time investment, right?

Brian Noble: 

Absolutely, Absolutely not. It’s an ongoing, annual type of report. So, I think once you start, you have to maintain and give the understanding that this can be part of your world going forward.

Andrew Pace: 

You know, to wrap up, let’s take a look ahead and talk about the future outlook, both for ACS and the asset-based lending industry as a whole. What are some of the key trends you think listeners should be preparing for right now?

Brian Noble:

Well, I think everybody is in the mindset or trying to get an understanding of how AI is going to apply to their models and what they’re doing. And I think, you know, we as a company have also been on that path to gain an understanding. But the concept or the tool itself can really just bring a lot of enhancement to what we’re doing.

But I just think technology in general is just speeding up and bringing efficiencies and just gaining data insights that are just really going to be amazing. And we are constantly pushing the data portion of our business and trying to make decisions based on data. Because in the end, the data is really the historical backbone of what we do.

Andrew Pace:

What about, what about APIs? And how have APIs helped companies that utilize that technology gain an advantage in our space?

Brian Noble: 

So another great question. You know, when you talk about APIs and systems, we at ACS have created a homegrown system and there’s a myriad of systems that different lenders work on. There’s probably four or five that come to the forefront. But trying to gain access or have everybody’s different system communicate with yours without the API abilities would just be really really challenging or cumbersome. So, developing and implementing these APIs, although each one is a little different and the scope of work is a little different, the ability or  commitment to do that only just enhances the whole outcome customer experience.

Andrew Pace: 

And it also, I would say, allows you to become a more of a strategic partner with the lender as well. And again, another big thing is that it is an investment. And it’s something that you have to continue too. The APIs evolve. Clients have, each client has different data points. So you obviously have the standard template and then you have to customize it for each client. So there’s always, you’re always investing in IT resources and development to have that great experience for both the lender and the service provider, right? 

Brian Noble:

Correct. I mean, in a perfect world, if there were one system that everybody operated from and you could just plug and play from a service provider to a vendor to a customer, wouldn’t that be something, but it doesn’t exist. But there are work arounds and again it’s all about building efficiencies. 

Andrew Pace: 

Yeah, that would be nice. Certainly make it easy for everybody, but we’re definitely, it’s something that does make life a little bit easier, instead of having to have staff, you have to have staff on both sides, data entry from the client side and from the service provider side as well. So creating those efficiencies, building those APIs can save a lot of time and avoid some mistakes too, right? I mean, we’ve seen, you know, the human element of entering accounts and things like that can create some mistakes, right? 

Brian Noble: 

Great point. You know, the human touch, as we all know, can create potential errors. And honestly in the space we provide, service errors can be costly. Errors can be, unfortunately I don’t want to call it damaging, but reputation is always top of mind. So we want those mistakes to be minimized as much as possible.

Andrew Pace: 

Right. And looking ahead, what is your vision for where ACS and the broader industry is headed in the next few years? 

Brian Noble: 

You know, it’s an interesting question. I guess as a visionary, I’ll accept that title but I am always thinking about ways to take what we’re doing leveraging our people which is our biggest asset then our technology and how do we utilize that to service customers in a better way. I love the conversations around not being so transactional and trying to get us more in an end-to-end type of solution. In other words, being able to service an underperforming loan under several facets, from early stage to late stage and not having to be called in the middle when some of our abilities can drive results if we are engaged earlier.  

So again, I think as we grow as a company and get better understandings of some of the other services we can provide and flush those out and bring that to the table, I think the long-term vision is to really be an end-to-end solutions provider. 

Andrew Pace: 

And where do you see, what about from the industry perspective, where do you see that headed in the next few years?

Brian Noble: 

Another great question. I think as technology, again, becomes a bigger component of what people are doing that all always plays into it. But there will always be the human touchpoints of our service component, outside field agents, inside people that really need to talk to customers as opposed to something on a recorded type of message or bot. Something about those human touches are always gonna be a component of what we do combined with some technology enhancements. 

Andrew Pace: 

Great, great point. Just to maybe expand on that a little bit, about the human side of things. One of the things I think you take a lot of pride in at ACS is, maybe to touch on something you talked about earlier, maybe from a culture perspective, is the type of people that we look for? Or what are things that clients could look for when they’re looking to hire higher talent in the industry? What are some best practices that you might be able to share with some clients on that, because it seems like more and more clients struggle to attract, retain and even promote within their organizations.

Brian Noble: 

Yeah so I think one of the greatest attributes of folks in our team is the ability to A. listen and B. empathetic. Empathetic to the point where they transition that into problem solving. And I think once you can connect to a customer who’s facing some challenging times, but can speak to them on their level with an understanding of what they’re going through. And I’ll take it down even a little further as understanding the industry that they’re in to make that connectivity. I think once you establish that bond or communication line, things start going a lot smoother. And I think you’re able to work through and navigate some of the challenges to provide a better outcome.

Andrew Pace: 

Brian, what are some other traits that clients can look for when they’re looking to hire within their organization? 

Brian Noble: 

So I think what as to our point, people that basically can problem solve and have empathy, I think some really great takeaways are folks that really become and have an understanding as you’re working with outside service providers or third parties, that really what has to happen or the best scenario is each, let’s call it stakeholder, becomes an extension of each other. In other words, if ACS is working or representing a client, they almost want to be speaking that they are one in the same or working within the same organization and vice versa if you know a call or an opportunity were to come into the client side that we’re all working and have an alignment together. I think when you unify that, the outcomes are much more productive.

Andrew Pace: 

That’s great and I think, what are your thoughts on, I mean, how important is communication? Would you say that that’s another trait that lenders can look for, people that communicate well, articulate? What are your thoughts on that? 

Brian Noble: 

100%. You know, we talked about communication earlier in the discussion. But when you have somebody that’s maybe not in a great spot, and sometimes it’s just the choice of words or the tone or the vibe of the conversation, can really just change a scenario that’s not going so well to just a much higher conversation that leads to a better outcome. I think that it’s really key to have that communication and listening component, is really a skill set when looking for great talent.

Andrew Pace: 

That’s great. Thank you for elaborating on that point again. Can’t stress how important communicating is, especially in this industry. Any questions for me?

Brian Noble: 

You know, I think I would ask you one question and because you’ve worn so many hats and seen so many different aspects of what we do and your tenure is just as long as mine, almost, is what you see is a long term or in the next 10 years. 

Andrew Pace: 

Yeah. Thank you. Well I, you touched on a little bit earlier. We talked about AI, we’re talking right now, I think what’s a big buzzword right now is tariffs and how our tariffs are going to impact the industry. So you got those two big, I would say, headwinds. And at the end of the day, it’s really, just being adapt, just adapting to what’s happening, being able to pivot and being that provider that is going to solve the client’s problems first. That’s something that we always try to strive for is, let’s solve problems. I think that’s one thing I think we’re, we really strive at is coming up with solutions to not only our client’s problems, but even internally.

You know, there’s always issues. Things come up within the organizations and being able to be open, have very good, open discussions. And I think that’s what helps us get those, solve those problems for our clients and even any problems that we have within the organization. So I think those are some of the things that I’m seeing. Obviously interest rates are our concern, so depending on where where we stand with that and the compliance, the regulations in in the

industry, in collections, recovery. That’s a huge part of our world right now. SOC2 has definitely helped us save some time and become more efficient. It’s saved our clients a lot of time.

If we’re SOC2 compliant, we’re avoiding having to answer a lot more questions. And clients appreciate that.

So I think just staying on top of industry trends and where things are headed, I think, is really critical and key to, not only our success, but the success of our clients as well. 

Brian Noble: 

Perfect. 100%.

Andrew Pace: 

So any other questions for me? 

Brian Noble: 

I think that’s all I have for today. But I really enjoyed the discussion and you forced me to kind of share some things that are probably inside, but you’re not always talking about. So I appreciate that.

Andrew Pace: 

Anytime. So, just to wrap up, I think from the strength of ACS’s compliance-driven culture to navigating economic uncertainty, evolving with clients’ expectations, and looking ahead, what’s next for the industry, it’s clear that success in asset based lending requires more than just execution, right? It takes foresight, adaptability and true commitment to doing things the right way, which is one of our core values at ACS, right? I mean, that’s why we do things. 

Brian Noble: 

You hit it right on the head. Do the right thing is one of our number one core values and it’s not just a statement that you put up there. It’s something that we all live by, we all understand. And you just take a simple statement like that and you can apply it to so many things. So I’m a true and firm believer of the statement, do the right thing. 

Andrew Pace: 

Yeah, I mean, that’s something that we live and breathe here at ACS every minute.

A big thank you to Brian Noble for sharing your insights and experience and to our listeners, thank you for tuning in. If you found today’s episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, share it with your network, and stay connected for more conversations exploring the trends and strategies, shaping the future of lending and recovery. Until next time, take care and be well.

Brian Noble: 

Appreciate your time today, Andrew. Stay well. 

Andrew Pace: 

Thank you, Brian. You too.