- Before
- “I spend my week asking for documents one email at a time.”
- Now
- Starts from a file drawn from the policy, sends one request, and certifies when the file says it is ready.
One deal, from the banker's note to credit
Monday 12 October, 07:52. Owen Pryor forwards an email from Hartwell Precision Machining's CFO with 23 attachments: a building purchase, two new machines and a bigger line. Here is what happens next, screen by screen, in the working solution.
- 01Mon 07:52
A banker's note, and the agents read it
Owen Pryor · VP, relationship managerHartwell wants to buy the building it leases at 2150 Foundry Road, finance two new 5-axis machines from Torvane and push the line to $1.3M — $6,850,000 in three facilities, with Dale and Corinne guaranteeing and the building going into a new LLC. Renée starts intake and six agents work through the note and every attachment in 1 min 1 s, each step shown with what it found.
“Can we get this to Marcus this week?” — Owen
- 021 min 1 s later
The credit file, drawn from the deal
Requirements builderThe file appears as a plan of six rooms — financial statements, tax returns, entity, guarantors, collateral and equipment — with 34 items drawn from credit policy CP-4.2. A solid item is in and good, an amber hatched one has a problem, a dashed one is missing, and a dotted one is a report the bank orders. The financial statements room already shows what was read from it: revenue 2025 $18,640,000 and EBITDA $2,410,000 for the twelve months to June.
34 items in 6 rooms: 19 in and good, 4 with problems, 7 missing, 4 ordered by the bank.
- 03What-if
The file knows the deal
Renée Castillo · Commercial loan coordinatorAcross the top sit the six facts that drive the file: owner-occupied real estate, an equipment loan, a line of credit, a new LLC taking title, two personal guarantors and a machine shop. Switch one off and the file redraws itself — without the equipment loan the two quotes leave; without the guarantors the room is struck through. Owen's deal is never changed.
“Without the equipment loan: 32 items — 2 leave the file. A what-if only; Owen’s deal is unchanged.”
- 04Any item
Every item says why it is in the file
Renée Castillo · Commercial loan coordinatorOpen any item for its reason, its owner and the document behind it. The Phase I environmental is there because two things are true at once — the bank is taking owner-occupied real estate, and the borrower is a machine shop. It is ordered by the bank and due 6 November.
“Required because the deal has owner-occupied real estate and machine shop (credit policy CP-4.2 · By industry).”
- 05Pre-screen
Seven of eight tests fit, on preliminary numbers
Policy pre-screenerLoan to value is 80.0% against a maximum of 80%, so the appraisal governs. Debt service coverage is 1.39x against 1.25x, counting the $372,000 of rent that ends at purchase. The borrowing base of $2.13M covers the line. The exception is customer concentration: Varden Aerospace is 38% of revenue, above the 25% flag, for the analyst to address in the memo.
“7 of 8 fit · preliminary — underwriting confirms”
- 06Mon 09:40
One request, not eleven emails
Renée Castillo · Commercial loan coordinatorThe borrower request writer drafted one message to Lena, Dale and Corinne with all 11 open items in plain words and a secure upload link — and nothing the bank already has. Renée reviews it and sends it at 09:40, with Owen copied. Reminders go through the link on day 2 and day 4; Owen is told on day 6 if anything is still open.
The first request always goes out by a person. Later reminders go on their own.
- 07Same morning
The borrower sees the whole list, once
Lena Marsh · CFO, Hartwell Precision MachiningLena opens the bank's secure upload page: every item she owes, why it is needed and who it is for — the 2025 business return, interims to 30 September, a receivables aging at the same date, a debt schedule, a new statement from Dale and a signed one from Corinne.
“Hi Lena, here is everything we still need — all in one place.”
- 08Wed 14 Oct
Each upload checked as it lands
Borrower request writerLena uploads 11 files and each one lands in its room as it is checked. Ten are good. Corinne's personal financial statement comes back unsigned on page 4, and she is asked again at once — no email from Renée needed. With the September interims, debt service coverage updates to 1.44x.
- 09Thu 09:12 · day 3
The file declares itself ready
Requirements builderCorinne signs page 4 and the last empty room turns solid. Thirty of 34 items are in and good, the four bank orders are on their dates, and the file stamps itself ready for underwriting on day 3 of the 5-day target.
“Ready for underwriting · day 3 · Thu 15 Oct 09:12 · awaiting your certification”
- 10Certified
Certified and sent to credit
Renée Castillo · Commercial loan coordinatorRenée certifies that the file is complete under CP-4.2: 30 of 34 in and good, the appraisal, Phase I and title ordered with their dates and the flood determination done, beneficial ownership certified and sanctions screening clear, with the concentration exception flagged for the memo. She sends it to Marcus Feld, senior credit analyst, and Owen gets a one-line note: the officers' loan committee meets Thursday 22 October.