Pawnshop & lending

Golden Lombard — CRM and Client Platform for Lending Operations

A CRM and client platform connecting Golden Lombard’s core lending operations, financial workflows and customer self-service.

CRM→ONLINE CABINET→CRM

✓ Cash desk up to date

Renewal and redemption — online ✓ Agreement and record in CRM

CRM→ONLINE CABINET→CRM

✓ Cash desk up to date

Renewal and redemption — online ✓ Agreement and record in CRM

Focus: Loan management · Online servicing · Compliance
Our role: CRM development and modernisation, client portal development and integrations
Platform: Operational CRM + connected client platform

Focus: Loan management · Online servicing · Compliance
Our role: CRM development and modernisation, client portal development and integrations
Platform: Operational CRM + connected client platform

Client testimonial

Oleg · Owner

“You are always asking questions, sharing what is happening, teaching and explaining. It feels as though you are being looked after and you are not dealing with everything alone. I am also often surprised by how much easier the things we build together eventually make our work.”

Read the full testimonial ↓Read the full testimonial ↓

How we joined the project

Working with an existing system

Golden Lombard was already working in a custom CRM when IC Studio joined the project. We began not by replacing the system, but by understanding its architecture and business rules — including logic used every day that was not fully documented.

This allowed us to preserve business-critical processes, modernise the technical foundation and continue developing the system without disrupting business operations.

Understand

Preserve the logic

Modernise

Continue evolving

How we joined the project

Working with an existing system

This allowed us to preserve business-critical processes, modernise the technical foundation and continue developing the system without disrupting business operations.

Understand

Preserve the logic

Modernise

Continue evolving

How the system evolved

As the business grew, managing operations manually became harder. Transaction volume was only part of the change: the number of exceptions, checks and coordination points also increased.

Over time, the CRM grew from an internal working system into the operational core of the business, later extending into a client platform and online operations.

Before

Manual allocation of bank payments

When a client transferred money to the bank account, a team member had to enter the payment into the system manually.

Non-cash payments were not recorded separately

Even a bank transfer was recorded as a standard payment. Every few days, the team reconciled the operations manually.

The system in use

1/2

2/2

Demo data

On-screen data has been changed for demonstration. No real client information is published.

After✓

Up-to-date cash desk and accurate reconciliation

Financial operations became easier to control and less dependent on manual checks. The system separates cash and bank transactions, including portal payments and bank transfers.

—Separate payment types
—Cash operations
—Online portal payments
—Bank transfers
—Up-to-date cash-desk data
—Accurate reconciliation

Before

Cash-desk data lagged behind

Manual accounting consumed staff time, increased the risk of errors and prevented an accurate real-time view of cash and non-cash payments.

Compliance pressure

AML/KYC requirements added additional operational pressure.

The system in use

After✓

Centralised operational system

The CRM became one operational workspace for the business.

—Loans
—Payments
—Renewals
—Customer operations
—Financial records
—Internal workflows

After✓

Compliance and internal control

Processes structured around AML/KYC requirements.

—Customer verification
—Operational records
—Internal controls
—Compliance processes

Before

Peak demand required greater staff attention

Operational workload rose noticeably during peak hours. As more operations required manual coordination and simultaneous checks, the risk of human error increased with the pressure on staff attention.

Limited online access

Online customer interactions were limited.

The system in use

1/3

2/3

3/3

After✓

The client portal as an extension of the CRM

Customers can view their loan information, make payments and extend loans online, while each operation is automatically reflected in the internal CRM.

—Loan information
—Online payments
—Online loan extensions
—Automatic updates in the CRM
—One record for the client and the team

Operational result

Cash and bank transactions recorded in one system

✓Up-to-date cash-desk data and accurate reconciliation

Fewer manual checks in financial workflows

✓Financial operations are easier to control

Customer self-service reflected in the internal CRM

✓Online payments and loan extensions

Business logic embedded in the system

✓Less dependence on individual staff knowledge

Client testimonial

I am often surprised by how much easier the things we build together eventually make our work

The first thing I associate with your team is the way you work with us. I had previously worked with Estonian companies, and the communication was completely different: you did not always understand what you were paying for, and nobody tried to explain what we were doing or why. Things simply happened, without much visibility into the details.
With you, it is completely different. You are always asking questions, sharing what is happening, teaching and explaining. It feels as though you are being looked after and you are not dealing with everything alone. I really value that.
I am also often surprised by how much easier the things we build together eventually make our work. I really value that too.

OlegOwner

Key lessons and insights

01Operational complexity grows gradually+

As a business grows, transaction volume is only part of the change. The number of exceptions, checks and coordination points also increases. Processes that could once be managed manually gradually become an operational risk.

02Financial workflows need clear rules+

In lending operations, consistent rules for payments, transaction changes and customer verification matter every day.

03Good systems reduce dependence on memory+

Business-critical logic is embedded in the system’s workflows rather than held only in the knowledge of individual employees.

04Operational systems evolve with the business+

This is not a one-off build: the system continues to change alongside compliance requirements, integrations, customer expectations and online services.

Project conclusion

Over the years, the system has evolved alongside the business: from an existing CRM into a broader operational platform covering financial workflows, integrations and customer self-service. Rather than replacing a working system from scratch, we have continued to modernise and extend it as new operational needs emerged.

How the system works across the business

One operation moves through the CRM, cash desk and client portal — without being entered twice

When a client renews a pledge online, it is not a standalone website feature. The action has to follow the same rules as an internal operation, update the financial record and remain clear to the team.

On-screen data has been changed for demonstration. No real client information is published.

Golden Lombard · 01 · Client context

01 / 06

01 · Client context

The complete client history lives in one working record

The team can see active pledges, documents, compliance status, amounts and portal access in one context. They do not have to reconstruct the picture from separate spreadsheets and messages.

Demonstration cash desk screen in the Golden Lombard CRM

02 · Financial operation

Movement of funds reflects a specific operation

The cash desk separates cash, card and online payments while retaining the relationship between the amount, client, pledge and operator. The financial record becomes part of the workflow instead of a separate end-of-day reconciliation.

Demonstration operations analytics for Golden Lombard

03 · Management view

Operational data forms a coherent financial picture

Income, expenses, profit and operation types are available in one view. Management does not first need to assemble figures from several sources to understand what happened during the day or month.

Demonstration list of pledges in the Golden Lombard mobile portal

04 · Client self-service

Clients see the actions available to them, not the internal CRM

The portal shows active pledges, dates, amounts and current status. System rules determine what can be renewed or paid now and where a different action is required.

Demonstration pledge renewal period selection

05 · Renewal rules

Online renewal follows the same operational logic

The client chooses a pledge and an allowed renewal period. Related dates and amounts are shown before confirmation, making a standard operation self-service without removing the business rules around it.

Demonstration renewal calculation and payment in the client portal

06 · Back into the operational flow

Calculation and payment remain parts of the same operation

Accrued interest, partial principal repayment and the final amount are assembled before payment. The client can understand the calculation, while the result can return to the CRM as a continuation of the existing process.

Before → built → result

A system response for every operational bottleneck

Not a detached feature list, but four connected lines: what constrained the work, what we built and what changed for the team and the client.

Payments and cash desk

Before

Manual allocation of bank payments
Non-cash payments were not recorded separately
Cash-desk data lagged behind

What we built

Up-to-date cash desk and accurate reconciliation

Financial operations became easier to control and less dependent on manual checks. The system separates cash and bank transactions, including portal payments and bank transfers.

Separate payment typesCash operationsOnline portal paymentsBank transfers

Result

Cash and bank transactions recorded in one system
Up-to-date cash-desk data and accurate reconciliation

Client servicing

Before

Peak demand required greater staff attention
Limited online access

What we built

The client portal as an extension of the CRM

Customers can view their loan information, make payments and extend loans online, while each operation is automatically reflected in the internal CRM.

Loan informationOnline paymentsOnline loan extensionsAutomatic updates in the CRM

Result

Customer self-service reflected in the internal CRM
Online payments and loan extensions

Compliance and control

Before

Compliance pressure

What we built

Compliance and internal control

Processes structured around AML/KYC requirements.

Customer verificationOperational recordsInternal controlsCompliance processes

Result

Fewer manual checks in financial workflows
Financial operations are easier to control

One operational layer

Before

Operational logic depended on manual coordination

What we built

Centralised operational system

The CRM became one operational workspace for the business.

LoansPaymentsRenewalsCustomer operations

Result

Business logic embedded in the system
Less dependence on individual staff knowledge

Client testimonial

I am often surprised by how much easier the things we build together eventually make our work

The first thing I associate with your team is the way you work with us. I had previously worked with Estonian companies, and the communication was completely different: you did not always understand what you were paying for, and nobody tried to explain what we were doing or why. Things simply happened, without much visibility into the details.
With you, it is completely different. You are always asking questions, sharing what is happening, teaching and explaining. It feels as though you are being looked after and you are not dealing with everything alone. I really value that.
I am also often surprised by how much easier the things we build together eventually make our work. I really value that too.

OlegOwner

Key lessons & insights

Operational complexity grows gradually

Financial workflows need clear rules

In lending operations, consistent rules for payments, transaction changes and customer verification matter every day.

Good systems reduce dependence on memory

Business-critical logic is embedded in the system’s workflows rather than held only in the knowledge of individual employees.

Operational systems evolve with the business

This is not a one-off build: the system continues to change alongside compliance requirements, integrations, customer expectations and online services.

Strategic value

Over the years, the system has evolved alongside the business: from an existing CRM into a broader operational platform covering financial workflows, integrations and customer self-service. Rather than replacing a working system from scratch, we have continued to modernise and extend it as new operational needs emerged.

Operational controlFinancial coordinationClient operations

The next operational stage

If your operations feel harder to manage than they should — we're happy to take a look.

We usually start by identifying one area that can be improved quickly.

Discuss your situation