Case Study

Transforming Member Banking

Client: FHLB - Cincinnati

Callibrity revolutionized the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati's loan advancement process by transforming a cumbersome, manual system into an efficient, digital platform. By implementing a robust solution, Callibrity significantly improved processing times, accuracy, and user satisfaction. The project resulted in a 42% adoption rate of the new digital channel for loan advances, showcasing Callibrity’s expertise in strategic project management and innovation.

Overview

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Cincinnati is a regional wholesale bank, providing financial services to over 600 member institutions in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. FHLB Cincinnati’s mission is to provide members with reliable funding to support housing finance, affordable housing and community investment, and to assist with balance sheet management.

A key service facilitating FHLB Cincinnati’s mission is same day access to liquidity and term finance. These loans, called Advances, are fully secured and offer flexible terms at competitive interest rates. However, the process for member institutions to apply for Advances was cumbersome and manual, requiring members to apply via telephone or fax. FHLB sought to improve the member experience by digitizing the Advances application process.

With the project underway, FHLB was keen to improve time to market by leveraging a consulting partner. That's when FHLB reached out to Callibrity.

Callibrity’s Entry

Upon assessment, Callibrity identified significant issues in the codebase that had been written, which was overly complex and inefficient. Modernizing the codebase was our recommended approach, however we needed to demonstrate the value of this as it would mean abandoning work that had already been completed.

Lightweight Proof of Concept

Callibrity began by building a Proof of Concept (PoC) to help illustrate the potential of a fresh code approach. In less than a week, Callibrity completed a successful PoC that demonstrated the necessity of a rewritten codebase to get the project back on track and to lay the foundation for FHLB’s longer term objectives.

Scalable Solution

Within months, Callibrity transformed the manual, inefficient Advances process into a robust, digital experience facilitated by an interactive online portal. Post go-live, member satisfaction with Online Advances was evident; 42% of all Advances were initiated via the digital channel.

The new system significantly improved efficiency, accuracy, and user satisfaction. Beyond clean code creation, this project showcased Callibrity’s ability to modernize processes and deliver high-value outcomes through strategic project management and innovation.

Working in an iterative fashion, the Callibrity team delivered a robust, extensible solution resulting in:

The elimination of legacy manual steps that dominated the Advances process
A reduction from 400+ files to just 150, simplifying maintenance and scalability
Increased code coverage to 90% with a 100% success rate in tests
Completion of an internal admin portal
Regression tests that took less than 10 minutes to complete - compared to previous regression testing taking 8+ hours
An executive-level dashboard enabling FHLB leadership access to key Advances data not previously available

We are incredibly grateful for your partnership.  Your responsiveness to our needs, willingness to discuss challenges, and proactive approach to problem solving were truly commendable.

Holly Laiveling

Assistant CIO, FHLB - Cincinnati

Conclusion

Callibrity’s engagement with FHLB Cincinnati showcases our ability to transform struggling projects into successful, efficient solutions. By modernizing outdated processes, improving user experiences, and fostering a collaborative client relationship, we delivered beyond expectations and set a solid foundation for future enhancements.