Automating the Debt Deal Scoping Workflow with AI
Built an AI-driven automation agent that cut a three-hour research process to under fifteen minutes, shifting team focus to analysis.
Ayush Gupta
Senior Analyst at Leading Financial Services Inc
From their time as
Senior Analyst
Leading Financial Services Inc • 2026
Overview
Ayush identified that a significant portion of his team's time on debt deal scoping was going into process rather than analysis. The workflow involved downloading files, compiling them, and populating a structured format before any actual research could begin. End to end, this was taking around three hours per deal.
The Story
Ayush identified that a significant portion of his team's time on debt deal scoping was going into process rather than analysis. The workflow involved downloading files, compiling them, and populating a structured format before any actual research could begin. End to end, this was taking around three hours per deal.
He built an automation agent using Shortcut AI, an Excel-based AI tool, that replaced the manual steps. The agent pulled all required files automatically, a step that previously took around five minutes and now runs in five seconds. The compilation and formatting work that followed, previously around two hours, was reduced to roughly fifteen minutes.
The practical effect was a shift in where the team's attention went. Instead of spending the bulk of their time on file management, the team could focus on understanding the deal: why the company was raising, what the structure looked like, and where the risks were.
The same pattern extended to research reports and DCF models, where AI tools were used to handle document review and financial spreading. Overall research turnaround time was cut by around 50% for the primary debt client.