Staff Guide
How to use this site

This site documents how Benchmark works — the steps, the roles, and the handoffs for every stage of a deal. You're here because your input makes it accurate.

You don't need any technical knowledge. Just read through the steps for your role, flag anything that's wrong or missing, and submit. That's it.

Each review takes about 5–10 minutes per page. The more specific your feedback, the faster it gets incorporated.

Use or the Next button below to step through this guide.
Step 1 of 7
Find the right page

Use the navigation bar at the top to move between phases. Each phase (Before, During, After) contains individual stage pages — one page per stage of the pipeline.

Go to the stage most relevant to your role. If you're an Underwriter, start with App Rec'd. If you're in Client Care, the App Pending and Doc Collection stages are yours. The During phase covers everything from application to compliance.

Site structure
Before App Pending · Doc Collection · Document Collection
During App Rec'd · Mortgage Options · Pre-Approved · and more
After Post-Funding · Compliance
Step 2 of 7
Use the filters to focus on what's relevant to you

Every process page has a filter bar at the top. Use it to show only the steps that apply to your role and deal type. Steps that don't match your selection will hide — the page clears down to exactly what you need to look at.

Example — filter bar
Deal Type
All
New Purchase
Renewal / Switch / Transfer
Refinance
Role
All
Underwriter
Client Care
Broker

If deal-type-specific variations haven't been documented yet, the filter may not change much — steps are currently marked "All" as a placeholder. Your feedback is what fills those gaps.

Step 3 of 7
Read the steps

Each step shows who owns it (the role badge), what to do, and — for steps that depend on the situation — a purple Conditional block showing the if/then logic.

Example — a step with a conditional
3
Call the client
D1-3 Conditional
Call the client to introduce yourself and go over the application.
Client availability
If available → Conduct the full review on the call (~10–15 min).
If unavailable → Book a follow-up using the booking link.
Underwriter

Role badge colours: teal = Underwriter, green = Client Care, amber = Broker. Steps owned by other roles are still visible when the filter is set to "All" — useful for understanding the full picture.

Step 4 of 7
Click a reference code to flag a specific step

Every step has a small code in the top-right corner — something like D6-3 or D1-7. The first part is the stage (D6 = Commitment, D1 = App Rec'd), the second part is the step number.

Click the code and two things happen: the code gets pre-filled into the feedback form at the bottom of the page, and the page scrolls down to the form. No ambiguity about which step you mean.

Before and after clicking
Before click
D6-3
After click — pre-filled in feedback form
D6-3

You can also type a reference code directly into the form if you prefer. But clicking is faster — especially if you're already on the step you want to comment on.

Step 5 of 7
Choose the right feedback type

The form has four types. Pick the one that best describes what you're submitting.

Step 6 of 7
What happens after you submit

Your feedback goes straight into a review log. Here's the loop:

You submit feedback Your name, the step ref code, the type, and your notes are captured.
Mike reviews Feedback is assessed — corrections go in directly, questions may come back to you for clarification.
The page is updated The step is corrected, expanded, or confirmed. The "Last reviewed" date at the bottom of the page gets updated.
The site reflects how the team actually works Over time, this becomes the reference the whole team can trust.
Step 7 of 7
About the Open Gaps section

Every page has an Open Gaps section at the bottom. These are things we know are missing but haven't documented yet — either because we haven't had the right conversation, or because it's waiting on your input.

If you see a gap that applies to you, that's an invitation. Use the feedback form to fill it in — just reference the gap in your notes. You don't need to write anything formal. A few sentences about how it actually works is enough to get it documented.

Gaps aren't a sign that the process is broken. They're an honest acknowledgement of what's still to be learned.

You're ready
Quick tips before you dive in
🎯
Be specific about the step. "Step 5 is missing the part where we check X" is much more useful than "the whole page needs work."
Confirming accuracy is valuable. Submitting "Looks Good" for a step you've verified saves future review time — don't skip it just because there's nothing to correct.
🔢
Click the ref code before you scroll. It's easier to click D6-3 while you're reading that step than to scroll back up and find it after you've opened the form.
📝
Write like you'd explain it to a colleague. "Actually we do X first, then Y" is perfect. Mike handles the formatting.
🔄
Variations matter. If something works differently for refinances vs. purchases, mention it — that's exactly what the deal-type filters are built for.
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