Heron Data, an AI solution that enables lenders and brokers to automate document-heavy workflows and accelerate credit decisions, has partnered with TFS, a world-class provider of equipment finance and leasing solutions, to transform its broker desk operations.

Using Heron's intelligent document-processing platform, TFS has automated over 4,000 decisions each month, eliminating manual data entry and enabling real-time decision processing — the equivalent of two full-time employees' workload saved every month.

TFS's broker desk processes thousands of finance applications each month, sending them out to a network of potential lenders and managing the approved, declined, and pending decisions that come back. By automating this process, TFS's team is now free to focus on serving customers, strengthening lender relationships, and driving revenue growth.

TFS Confronts a Manual Bottleneck

Before adopting Heron, TFS’s broker desk was bogged down by repetitive, manual work — copying and pasting decision details from emails into its CRM, uploading files, and tracking inboxes to keep deals moving. Each decision could take up to five minutes to process, adding up to roughly 200 per day and more than 4,000 per month. In total, the workload equaled the efforts of two full-time employees devoted to administrative tasks.

The manual process left little time for higher-value work such as customer engagement and lender relationship management, slowing overall turnaround times and operational efficiency.

Automation Brings Efficiency and Speed

To solve the issue, TFS turned to Heron Data with a goal of eliminating manual input and accelerating response times for customers. The Heron platform now automates the process end to end: incoming lender decisions are automatically classified and matched to the correct application, then uploaded directly into TFS’s internal systems. Results are distributed instantly to the appropriate representatives, while exceptions are flagged for review.

The result is a fully streamlined workflow where decisions are processed immediately rather than waiting in an inbox. Employees can focus on strategic priorities such as matching applications with the right lenders, while customers benefit from faster, more consistent communication.

“Rather than uploading decisions all day, my team can now focus on making sure the right applications get to the right lenders — and that we’re getting approvals back faster for our customers,” said Sydney Stewart, Manager of Broker Desk at TFS.