Bridge Finance Group Selects BlueThread's SmartDesk, K2 and Microsoft Office SharePoint...

Bridge Finance Group Selects BlueThread's SmartDesk, K2 and Microsoft Office
SharePoint Server to Help Streamline Business Processes as More Companies Seek
Financial Assistance

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Finance Group, a Chicago,
IL-based firm specializing in accounts receivable, inventory, equipment and
cash flow loans, has selected and deployed BlueThread's SmartDesk, K2 workflow
and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to automate its loan processing
business and meet critical 24 hour Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
As economic uncertainty continues, an increasing number of companies have
sought additional capital to better manage their cash flow. Bridge Finance
Group helps these organizations by offering various types of loans and other
financial services to businesses throughout the country. With its dramatic
increase in business, the company needed a solution that would allow it to
substantially increase workloads and streamline existing business processes
without increasing staff.
Prior to deploying the BlueThread solution, Bridge's loan and approval
processes were labor intensive. Loan applications and supporting
documentation were compiled by hand including the client's list of accounts
receivable, capital equipment, owned real estate, payables and outstanding
debt. Bridge Analysts had to then manually consolidate this information and
package it for processing approval which resulted in loans taking longer than
expected, jeopardized SLAs, tightened deadlines and increased potential
revenue loss to the company.
Today, Bridge leverages K2's robust workflow engine to create and route
work to user in-boxes for processing. Once at the desktop, BlueThread's
SmartDesk automatically gathers and organizes the specific content required
(spreadsheets, line-of-business data, supporting documents, etc.) to complete
the work, no matter its source or type. SmartDesk then dynamically optimizes
the user experience so that only the right information and specific work
processing tools are presented, based on whether the user is a processor,
manager or decision-maker. And since the system provides real-time status
and visibility within each process, auditors and managers can now stay on top
of the borrower's receivables, monitor ineligible companies; ensuring that
debt ratios and collections are achieved.
Ben Davis, Director of Operations for Bridge Finance Group, comments, "Our
Operations Analysts have saved upwards of 20% of their time processing the
most labor-intensive work. The BlueThread solution has increased both their
accuracy and efficiency. The system ensures that work isn't just sitting on
people's desks ... now nothing gets left undone."
Davis continues, "We have just scratched the surface of what we can do
with this solution. BlueThread's SmartDesk is a comprehensive application
that made our work easier. Coupled with the security and robust ECM platform
features of SharePoint, the solution provides a foundation to automate
virtually every business process within our enterprise."
Rich Feldmann, U.S. Financial Services Industry Managing Director, said:
"Financial firms often struggle with understanding the 'single version of
truth' when it comes to critical documents around loan origination and
management. More and more companies are leveraging BlueThread's SmartDesk and
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to solve these mission-critical
business challenges. The combined solution automates workflow and provides
true and measurable business benefits."
About Bridge Finance Group
Bridge Finance Group offers a combination of comprehensive loan products,
decades of financial expertise and an unparalleled service approach unique to
the lending industry. Through accounts receivable and inventory revolving
loans; and equipment, cash flow and real estate based term loan lending
products; Bridge is able to address the differing capital needs of its
customers. Bridge is based in Chicago, Illinois with offices in the Northeast,
Southeast, and West Coast. Visit www.bridgefinancegroup.com to learn more
about Bridge Finance Group.
About BlueThread Technologies
BlueThread Technologies, Inc. (www.bluethreadinc.com) is an Ann Arbor,
Michigan-based company that specializes in integrated Enterprise Content
Management (ECM) solutions that provide tangible business benefits.
SOURCE BlueThread Technologies, Inc.

Mark Brazeau of BlueThread Technologies, Inc., +1-734-761-6543,
mbrazeau@bluethreadinc.com