By Kerry Ronquillo, Senior Director of Business Development at Suntell
When I started my banking career more than three decades ago, the world looked a lot different.
- We had Lotus 1-2-3 instead of Excel.
- We used WordPerfect, not Word.
- A fax machine was considered cutting-edge communication.
- And if you wanted a borrower’s financials, you pulled a thick file out of a FireKing file cabinet—and prayed you had the right one.
We worked hard. We made it happen. But let me be honest: it wasn’t efficient. And it wasn’t easy.
Fast forward to today, and in many ways, we’ve come a long way. But I still see lenders stuck in the same grind—managing spreadsheets, chasing down paperwork, and trying to train new staff without a clear system. So while this story starts in the past, it’s really about what’s still happening now.
If you asked me what I wish I’d had back then? It wouldn’t be just one tool. It would be a full suite of solutions—and the kind of support that could’ve made the work smoother, faster, and frankly, a whole lot more enjoyable.
Here’s what I would’ve wanted at the top of that list.
A Centralized System That Actually Made Sense
Tracking a loan meant chasing down pieces from five different places — spreadsheets, files, handwritten notes, etc. Sound familiar? If your team still scrambles for answers when a customer calls, it’s time for something better.
What I wish we had: One platform where all the data lived.
Accessible. Searchable. Consistent. That’s what Square 1 Credit Suite provides today—and honestly, it would’ve been a game-changer back then.
Automation That Took the Pressure Off
Every quarter, it felt like there was some major manual report due:
- Loan-to-value exception lists
- Concentration reports
- Risk rating distributions
You’d spend hours — sometimes days — pulling numbers, building pivot tables, and double-checking everything. Still wrangling reports like this today? There’s a better way.
What I wish we had: Automated reporting that ran in minutes, not days.
Today, two clicks in Square 1 Credit Suite can generate reports that used to take a team an entire afternoon. I can’t tell you how many weekends that would’ve saved.
Smarter Onboarding for New Lenders
When you hired a new loan officer or analyst back then, it was trial by fire. You handed them a file, pointed them toward a spread template, and said, “Good luck.” And if we’re honest — some shops still do that today. But they don’t have to.
Some made it. Some didn’t. But either way, it was an expensive, time-consuming gamble.
What I wish we had: Systems that walked new hires through consistent, logical workflows.
Today’s technology—if used right—can guide a new team member step-by-step, helping them learn faster and make fewer mistakes. It’s not about replacing experience—it’s about accelerating competence.
True Flexibility for Unique Credit Cultures
Every institution has its own style:
- Different underwriting philosophies
- Unique credit memo formats
- Customized loan presentations
Back then, fitting a “standard” mold meant giving up the things that made your institution’s approach special. If you’re still compromising today because your system isn’t flexible enough — you don’t need to.
What I wish we had: Customizable tools that adapted to our processes—not the other way around.
Square 1 Credit Suite’s Custom Grids, flexible templates, and modular structure are exactly the kinds of tools we needed then—and are even more critical today.
A Real Partner, Not Just a Vendor
When you bought a system years ago, you were lucky if you got a 300-page manual and a hotline that answered… eventually.
What I wish we had: A real partner.
Someone who knew our world, understood our challenges, and worked alongside us to get better—not just during installation, but every step after.
That’s what we believe in at Suntell. That’s why our support team is filled with former bankers. Because good service doesn’t end when the sale closes—it starts there.
Looking back, I’m proud of how we made it work. We found ways to serve our customers, manage risk, and grow—even with the tools we had.
But today’s lenders don’t have to work twice as hard just to keep up. They can work smarter. They can work faster. They can work better.
That’s why I believe so strongly in what we do at Suntell. Square 1 Credit Suite isn’t just software—it’s the system I wish we’d had all those years ago.
And it’s the system that can help today’s banks and credit unions build the kind of lending operations that aren’t just good enough—but truly great.
Want to learn more? Schedule a Demo.
