From 1,200 hours to 1 minute: how we transformed banking RFP workflows with AI
Manual RFP workflows slowed growth and deal capacity
The client’s bankers were spending hundreds of hours manually gathering data and building RFP responses. Each proposal required pulling information from more than a dozen systems, leading to long turnaround times, inconsistent output, and several missed RFP opportunities each quarter. The process also diverted time away from client strategy, relationship building, and deal execution.
Leadership recognized the need for a scalable RFP automation approach that could reduce manual effort while maintaining accuracy, personalization, and compliance.
Business goals
- Reduce the ~1,200 hours required to build each RFP
- Maintain quality, reliability, and domain expertise in automated drafts
- Centralize and control access to 18–20 trusted data sources
- Increase RFP throughput and empower bankers to focus on higher-value work
Key challenges
- Designing retrieval guardrails to ensure outputs relied solely on vetted internal systems and approved APIs
- Aligning the AI workflow with strict financial-services compliance
- Onboarding junior developers efficiently without slowing delivery momentum
An AI-powered RFP automation platform for banking
We designed and implemented an AI-powered RFP generation platform that produces complete, tailored drafts in under a minute.
The solution centralizes trusted data sources and applies retrieval controls to ensure every output is accurate, compliant, and grounded in real deal data.
By orchestrating multiple AI models and integrating with leading financial APIs, the platform delivers high-quality narratives, data visualizations, and research in a single workflow.
A continuous feedback loop with bankers refined performance, captured edge cases, and aligned outputs with real-world workflows.
Solution delivered
- Production-ready AI RFP generation platform on Azure
- AI-powered drafting using OpenAI and Gemini for tailored, high-quality outputs
- Dynamic charts and data visualizations powered by Claude
- Unified research engine integrating leading financial APIs
- Ingestion pipelines connecting 18–20 trusted internal and external data sources
- Retrieval controls and source weighting to ensure accuracy and compliance
- Workflow UI prototypes and supporting interfaces
- Documentation, training, and developer ramp-up plan
- Roadmap for pitch deck and memo automation
RFP automation to reduce draft time and increase wins
The AI platform significantly improved both efficiency and business outcomes.
Impact and results
- Time-to-draft reduced from ~1,200 hours to under one minute
- Three to four additional RFPs were completed per quarter, expanding pipeline capacity
- Many additional submissions resulted in one new midmarket deal per cycle, typically valued at $20M–$30M
- Improved personalization, consistency, and accuracy across all RFP deliverables
- Bankers gained more time for client strategy, planning, and relationship management
More RFPs out the door equals more deals won and a clear business impact. It’s always about delivering applications that get more done, not about using AI for its own sake. The project was fun, impactful, and had strong leadership buy-in.– Solution architect
A scalable foundation for AI in banking
The success of the RFP automation initiative did more than streamline a single workflow, it changed the firm’s expectations for what scalable AI can achieve.
With a proven foundation in place, Horizontal and the client are now activating a broader automation vision across pitch materials, client communications, and future deal-support functions that will continue to expand efficiency and business impact.
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