Automation in Credit Decisions
Chapters
Key Takeaways
- Automation is the future of credit decisions – Deana shares how moving from manual, paper-based credit applications to a fully digital, automated process transformed speed, accuracy, and customer experience.
- Change management is the hardest part of transformation – Technology adoption is easy; getting people to embrace it isn’t. Deana highlights the importance of communication, empathy, and buy-in across teams.
- AI can make credit smarter – From automatically approving low-risk COD customers to flagging top applications, AI can help credit teams focus their time on the right decisions and improve overall efficiency.
- Partnership between Credit and Sales drives growth – Breaking the traditional “order blocker” perception, Deana emphasizes that collaboration between credit and sales teams fuels both revenue growth and risk control.
- Never stop learning – Continuous learning and openness to change are what set modern finance leaders apart. Deana’s mantra: keep exploring new ideas and technologies to stay ahead.
Speakers
Guest Speaker
Deana Reynolds
Director of Credit at Edges Electrical Group
Hosted By
Amartya Singh
CEO & Cofounder, FinFloh
Episode Transcript
Amartya (Intro): From flying jets in the U.S. Air Force to leading credit at one of California’s largest distributors — Deana’s story is truly inspiring.
Deana: My journey has been unusual — I went from being a pilot to discovering my passion in credit almost by accident.
Amartya: That transition from the Air Force to finance speaks volumes about adaptability and leadership under pressure.
Deana: When two companies merged to form Edges, we managed the entire transition without a single layoff — we found a place for everyone.
Deana: That experience taught me that empathy and people-first thinking can coexist with growth and performance.
Amartya: That’s powerful — empathy in leadership drives trust, and trust drives productivity.
Deana: The biggest challenge wasn’t technology — it was resistance to change. People in finance love stability, and transformation makes them nervous.
Deana: But I’ve learned to love change — every new system, every process improvement is an opportunity to get better.
Amartya: And automation is reshaping how credit teams operate — what used to take days can now happen in minutes.
Deana: Exactly. We went from PDF and paper-based credit applications to fully digital and mostly automated workflows.
Deana: Today, credit trade references, bank checks, and reports are integrated — automation has removed the backlog.
Amartya: It’s the perfect example of how technology removes friction but still needs human judgment to make the right calls.
Deana: Yes — data gives you signals, but experience gives you context. That balance matters.
Deana: AI can help too — imagine agents that instantly approve COD customers or flag the top five low-risk applications each morning.
Amartya: Prioritization like that changes everything — it links customer onboarding, credit scoring, and cashflow predictability in one loop.
Deana: And when credit and sales start working together, it’s not about saying no — it’s about saying how can we make this work.
Amartya: Exactly — when finance enables sales instead of blocking it, growth and risk control move hand in hand.
Deana: My mantra is simple — never stop learning. The more open you are to change, the better leader you become.
Deana: I still attend trade conferences and online courses — because technology evolves every day, and so should we.
Amartya (Closing): That’s what defines modern finance leadership — curiosity, collaboration, and courage to embrace change.
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