In merchant funding workflows, applications come in from multiple ISOs and brokers, each with its own submission style, file naming conventions, and program requirements.
Without automation, operations teams spend hours manually sorting which deals go to which queue, funder, or underwriter. This manual routing slows decisions, creates bottlenecks, and increases the risk of misplaced or forgotten submissions.
Heron automates routing for applications by analyzing document content, metadata, and broker source to assign each submission to the correct workflow or queue automatically.
It routes applications based on rules like funding program, merchant type, completeness level, or geography, ensuring that every deal lands exactly where it needs to go the moment it’s received.
By removing manual triage from the intake process, Heron helps brokers and funders maintain consistent speed, reduce backlog, and scale their deal flow effortlessly.
Use Cases
- Route by completeness: Complete, scrubbed applications are sent straight to underwriting, while incomplete ones go to the review queue.
- Assign by funding program: Submissions are automatically routed to the correct product team or program queue based on parsed application data.
- Distribute by broker or ISO: Heron directs applications to funder-specific teams, ensuring visibility and accountability.
- Queue by deal type or risk: High-value or high-risk deals can be prioritized or escalated to senior underwriters.
- Region-based routing: Routes applications to teams responsible for specific territories or jurisdictions.
- Round-robin assignment: Evenly distributes incoming applications across underwriters to balance workload.
Each routing rule eliminates manual touchpoints, enabling a smoother, faster application handling process.
Operational Impact
Routing automation has measurable effects on efficiency and throughput.
- Speed: Deals are routed in real time upon intake, removing human bottlenecks.
- Accuracy: Applications are sent to the right queues automatically, reducing misplacements.
- Consistency: Every submission follows the same routing logic regardless of broker or source.
- Scalability: Handles growing submission volume without expanding operations staff.
- Visibility: Managers gain insight into workload distribution and queue performance.
Heron users typically reduce queue reassignment by over 90% and see a sharp drop in application idle time.
How Routing Works in Heron
Heron’s routing engine integrates with intake, scrubbing, and validation workflows to automatically distribute submissions across queues.
- Capture incoming packets: Applications and supporting documents arrive via email, portal, or API.
- Identify key metadata: Heron extracts broker ID, merchant name, and completeness score from each packet.
- Evaluate routing logic: The system applies predefined rules—such as “route complete packets to underwriting,” or “send ISO ABC deals to Queue B.”
- Assign the destination: Applications are routed automatically to the appropriate queue, underwriter, or CRM owner.
- Update CRM fields: Routing outcomes (queue, owner, region) are written directly into the CRM record.
- Trigger notifications: Assigned users receive alerts that a new application is ready for action.
This entire process takes seconds, giving funders full control over routing behavior without the drag of manual triage.
Queue Management and Prioritization
Routing ties directly into queue management, ensuring each deal is processed at the right time by the right team.
- Priority scoring: Applications with high completeness or deal value are surfaced first.
- Dynamic re-routing: Submissions can move automatically when conditions change (e.g., when missing documents are received).
- Load balancing: Heron keeps workloads even by routing new applications to underwriters with available capacity.
- Exception routing: Incomplete or flagged applications are sent to specialized queues for manual review.
- Real-time visibility: Managers can see queue status, SLA progress, and deal flow metrics on dashboards.
With this system, funders can scale their intake and underwriting operations without losing control over priorities or timing.
Collaboration and Transparency
Routing automation also improves collaboration between ISOs, brokers, and internal teams.
- Instant broker feedback: ISOs are notified automatically when their submissions enter the correct queue.
- Reduced confusion: Brokers and funders always know the deal’s current stage and handler.
- Clear accountability: Routing logs identify who owns each deal and what actions were taken.
- Better communication: Standardized routing reduces miscommunication between intake and underwriting teams.
- Workflow traceability: Every routing event is timestamped and auditable for transparency.
These improvements foster smoother communication and stronger broker-funder relationships.
Performance and Metrics Tracking
Routing automation impacts the most important operational KPIs.
- Turnaround time (TAT): Faster movement from intake to underwriting-ready status.
- Touches per submission: Fewer human interventions needed to direct deals.
- Queue time: Reduced idle time before applications are reviewed.
- Backlog burn-down: Queues clear faster as routing removes manual triage delays.
- Assignment accuracy: Routing accuracy rates regularly exceed 98%.
Tracking these metrics helps funders refine workflows and maintain continuous process improvement.
Benefits of Using Heron for Routing Applications
- Speed: Instantly sends applications to the right team upon intake.
- Accuracy: Eliminates misrouted deals and duplicate handling.
- Scalability: Supports high submission volume with minimal oversight.
- Clarity: Gives full visibility into the deal location and owner.
- Efficiency: Reduces operational drag and improves queue health.
Heron’s routing engine ensures that every deal reaches the right destination instantly, keeping pipelines clean and underwriters focused on decisions, not logistics.
FAQs About Route for Applications
How does Heron decide where to route an application?
Heron uses predefined routing rules based on metadata like broker, funding program, completeness level, or region. These rules determine which queue, underwriter, or owner receives the application.
Can routing rules be customized?
Yes. Funders can define and adjust routing logic to fit their workflows, whether it’s by broker, program, completeness, or priority score.
What happens if an application fits multiple routing rules?
Heron applies priority logic to determine the best match, making sure the submission is sent to the highest-priority destination automatically.
Can routed applications be reassigned?
Absolutely. Routing is dynamic, and if conditions change (for example, missing documents arrive), Heron automatically re-routes the deal to the next appropriate queue.
How does routing impact underwriting speed?
Routing removes manual triage, so applications reach the correct underwriter immediately after intake. This can reduce average queue time by more than 60%.
