The traditional approach to loan-portfolio management puts collections and overall performance on one side and origination on the other, with decisions that should be closely coordinated made by separate departments often deployed across distinct software systems. But that's changing as senior managers work to strengthen ties between departments and advances in artificial intelligence allow for more nuanced -- and more inclusive -- procedures for vetting would-be borrowers. Putting origination on an equal footing with other parts of loan management does more than provide holistic overviews. It puts extra resources into gatekeeping, providing a crucial first step in credit-risk evaluation and fraud detection, a must-have for overall portfolio health. It also equips lenders to compete in today's tough economic environment, a byproduct of business shutdowns, workplace furloughs and the general public's hesitancy to congregate in a pandemic.