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The financial sector's dynamic evolution necessitates forward-thinking digital lending solutions. To match this fast pace, lenders are actively pursuing state-of-the-art innovations to address contemporary challenges while prioritizing a seamless user experience.
Borrowers or customers had to mail their application forms or visit a bank or a financial institution in person to submit a loan application. The lenders then manually entered the customer’s information into various systems and moved it to the verification stage. During this stage, loan officers will perform employer verification, bank statement verification, and credit checks. Underwriters would assess the customer’s creditworthiness and determine the terms and conditions of the loan.
Customers were required to manually provide various documents supporting their loan application, which the lenders would collect and review to ensure they met the bank’s requirements.
This was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, prone to errors, and lacked efficiency compared to the new-age Loan Origination Systems. Manual processing made it challenging for lenders to provide a good customer experience and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. This manual process failed to meet the needs of both the lenders and the borrowers. LOS addresses these challenges by automating and streamlining the Loan Origination process, improving efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.
A Loan Origination System is software that helps lenders simplify the lending experience by automating activities from documentation and application evaluation to the loan disbursal stage. It ensures security and compliance while dealing with sensitive customer data. It helps process loan applications at large volumes by giving no room for manual error. The LOS can be tuned to work based on predefined parameters based on the loan type it is catering to.
The LOS collects and processes loan applications and captures all necessary information required for the loan application, such as personal details, financial information, employment process, and the purpose of the loan.
Many LOS systems reduce manual effort and make quick decisions on loan approvals by automating the underwriting capabilities and verifying the documents' authenticity digitally to assess applicants' creditworthiness based on predefined criteria and algorithms.
LOS allows third-party integrations with credit scoring systems. For instance, LOS can integrate with credit scoring models to evaluate
e the credit risk associated with every individual loan applicant.
Documents such as proof of identity, tax returns, bank statements, income statements, etc., must be submitted when applying for a loan. A Loan Origination System facilitates collecting, storing, and managing all required documentation related to loan applications on the cloud.
LOS enables automated workflow management tools to automate the steps involved in processing loan applications. This helps ensure that applications progress through the approval process efficiently, with tasks assigned to appropriate personnel at each stage.
The software stack used in lending institutions varies depending on the size of the institution, their area of focus (such as consumer lending, commercial lending, mortgage lending, etc.), regulatory requirements, and technological preferences. A typical software stack would have the following components:
CRM software helps lending institutions qualify leads, manage customer interactions, track customer information, and streamline sales and marketing processes. This includes customer acquisition, customer engagement, automating lead distribution to internal teams, managing marketing campaigns, and similar functions.
This is the most crucial part of the loan application process as it takes care of everything from the initial application through approval and rejection. This software has features such as application processing, underwriting, credit scoring, document management, and compliance monitoring.
This software is used to assess the customer's creditworthiness and calculate the level of risk associated with lending a loan to them. It involves data analysis, statistical modelling, and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms.
Lending institutions must comply with various regulations and reporting requirements. These compliance software automate the compliance process and ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.
This is also known as debt collection software that helps automate payment collection. When a customer exceeds the due date to make the payment, collection system software helps lending institutions manage debt collection effectively.
LOS platforms often integrate with external systems, such as credit bureaus, income verification services, property valuation tools, and core banking systems. This allows accurate and up-to-date information for effective decision-making.
These software systems generate reports and analytics to track key metrics related to loan origination. This helps lending institutions assess operational efficiency and make data-driven decisions to improve and grow constantly.
From where loan origination starts to multiple stages within the process and until it ends, different lenders handle loan origination differently. Here are 7 crucial stages of loan origination:
The first step of the loan origination process is the Pre-Qualification stage, where the authenticity of the customer/borrower is evaluated. The borrower will receive a list of documents they need to submit to the lender to acquire the loan. These can include:
The pre-qualification is completed once the lender verifies these documents and declares pre-approval. The borrower is then moved to the next stage of the loan process.
The second stage of the Loan Origination process is the Loan Application stage, in which the borrower provides relevant information to request the loan. While earlier, this process involved a lot of paperwork and was done manually, now many organizations use digital lending platforms and self-serve portals such as websites and mobile apps. Since these digital applications are product-specific, the required fields may vary from application to application. This shift has considerably reduced manual error and improved time efficiency.
During this stage of the loan processing, the application is reviewed by multiple departments for accuracy and completeness. If the verification department finds any discrepancies, the application will be returned to the borrower to make necessary corrections and fill in any missing information. If this process is done manually, it can be very time-consuming. However, many organizations are switching to automated loan origination solutions that can complete the process instantly.
Underwriting begins after the application process is completed. This process involves lenders analyzing borrowers' financial information to evaluate how much funds the lender can allocate. To evaluate the eligibility of the borrower, lenders use multiple parameters and scoring mechanisms such as credit scores, risk scores, outstanding loans, etc. This process is automated with the help of API integrations with credit scoring engines (CIBIL, EXPERIAN, etc.) and rule engines that can help with underwriting guidelines specific to products.
At this stage, the lender would decide whether the loan application should be approved or denied with the help of a LOS. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are used to analyze these scores and make credit decisions. Using an LOS reduces the time to process loan applications, allowing lenders to make faster decisions for borrowers, and also decreases the risk of human error and bias in the decision-making process.
This stage of the origination process is crucial to lenders since lending is highly regulated. To ensure compliance, lending institutions check if the process is error-free and compliant by sending the application to the quality control team. The lender analyses and validates critical internal and external regulations at this stage.
Once all the documents are verified, approved, and signed, the lender arranges the funding. While funding for most loans is arranged soon after the documents are signed, some types of loans, such as business loans, mortgage loans, and loans against property, may require additional time due to legal and compliance reasons. LOS can track funding and ensure that all necessary documents are thoroughly scrutinized before and with the financing.
Now that we know how an LOS works, let’s have a look at some of the features.
Here are 8 features of the Loan Origination System:
This refers to the process of effectively managing interaction, relationships, and communications with borrowers throughout the loan origination lifecycle. It involves acquiring, servicing, and retaining customers, ensuring their utmost satisfaction. LOS has web-based interfaces that customers can use to fill in their information. Some advanced digital lending platforms may pre-fill some data, enhancing user convenience. Further, they come with APIs that help integrate with other apps and services.
A LOS must have an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows borrowers and lenders to navigate through the system effortlessly. It results in a positive user experience and enhances the overall efficiency.
Right from data entry to credit scoring and document preparation, LOS is backed by automation that reduces manual errors, decreases processing time, and enables the handling of high-volume loan applications.
An efficient LOS would allow seamless integration with other systems and databases, such as credit bureaus, compliance databases, and document management platforms. It ensures real-time access to relevant information and enhances the accuracy of decision-making.
A reliable LOS would prioritize data security, given the sensitive nature of financial information. Comprehensive data security in LOS would include encryption protocols, secure data storage, and compliance with industry standards to safeguard the data of borrowers and institutions.
Since different lending institutions follow unique processes, a flexible LOS can enable the customization of workflows applicable to each institution. This can ensure that the system aligns with the institution's specific needs and policies.
LOS can provide robust reporting and analytics features to support decision-making. It can include generating detailed reports, trends, and compliance metrics. Actionable insights derived from these reports and analytics can empower institutions to refine their lending strategies.
LOS maintains comprehensive audit trails to enhance transparency and accountability. It allows lending institutions to track every action within the system, providing an accurate record of who accessed what information and when.
Lenders must understand the borrower's expectations. A LOS should benefit borrowers by providing lenders with a comprehensive view of their financial history. It should reduce errors, simplify the application process, and ensure quick credit decisions.
LOS should use a single platform to enhance operational efficiency by standardizing procedures and empowering employees to work seamlessly across multiple lending verticals.
Consolidating operations onto a single platform would allow lenders to use the same set of tools to establish security protocols and create rules to ensure consistency across the organization. In turn, the IT team would only have to support a single platform, operating system, and database.
The evolution of the lending process, driven by Loan Origination Systems and shifting markets within a tight regulatory landscape, has significantly transformed operations. The impact of LOS has empowered financial institutions to originate and close more loans efficiently. It has also helped them swiftly adapt to industry changes and improved cost and revenue management.
LOS certainly positions lenders for future success, which is why choosing the right LOS is very crucial.
We at Novac Technology Solutions understand the need to find the right loan management system and have just what you need. You can manage your entire loan lifecycle with Novac ZIVA®’s cutting-edge cloud loan management software, crafted to meet the requirements of lending businesses of all sizes across various spectrums. This comprehensive digital lending platform is backed by a Loan Origination System that is automated, parameterized and powered by a business rule engine that controls various business activities performed in processing a loan application.
With ZIVA® You Can Achieve:
- Increased employee efficiency
- 20-30% reduction in:
There’s more! ZIVA® also offers a mobile lending application, mZIVA®, that caters to both B2B and B2C needs and allows seamless access to the lending process. Book a demo with us to learn more about ZIVA® and elevate your lending gameplay to the next level!
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