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Mulhern + Kulp:

Automating the Loan Estimation and Approval Process Using a Network of RPA Robots

Client:

Mulhern + Kulp residential structural engineering

Location:

California, United States

Industry

Finance & Real Estate

Team:

1 Senior RPA Architect

Technology:

UiPath, Encompass

Timeframe:

2 months
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Client Overview

Mulhern + Kulp residential structural engineering is a California-based mortgage lender, operating across 48 states with retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels.

The Challenge

Mulhern + Kulp approached us to automate a specific process: loan estimation and approval. In the months leading up to our partnership, they experienced an unprecedented increase in loan volume, heightening the need for automation.

Mulhern + Kulp was using Encompass, an industry-standard software for originating mortgage loans, to manage the process. However, several challenges arose:

  • The loan process was lengthy, often taking weeks or even months, involving multiple people at different stages for approvals, document sign-offs, etc.
  • A significant portion of the process was manual, relying on both Mulhern + Kulp’s team and an outsourced workforce, which led to frequent errors.
  • Loan data lacked consistency.
  • Mulhern + Kulp wanted to streamline the delivery of disclosure and closing packages by making them accessible through a web portal for brokers to access more quickly.

The company sought to ease the burden on their workforce by automating these tasks.

Mulhern + Kulp had not yet implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) but was interested in exploring its potential by creating a proof of concept for RPA across their operations.

The Solution

After confirming that UiPath seamlessly integrated with our LOS software and all of Mulhern + Kulp's tools, including Encompass, we chose it as our platform of choice.

With this in place, we examined the entire process in Encompass and broke it down into smaller subprocesses.

The Mulhern + Kulp team developed specific filters within the program to identify key data fields at different process stages, which would trigger the robots.

Initially, we began with just one robot, but quickly scaled up, adding more as we went. Today, we have five production robots automating six distinct tasks—each focusing on one segment of the overall process:

What do our robots do?

  • Retrieve disclosure packages
  • Send closing packages to the Broker
  • Deliver disclosure packages to the Broker
  • Notify the system of the intent to proceed with the loan
  • Enter payment information into the system
  • Download, organize, and transfer data between systems

By leveraging these robots, we were able to collect data and feed it into the system quickly, ensuring fresh data was available to brokers nearly in real-time.

After three weeks of development, we were prepared to deploy the MVP. A few facilities volunteered to test the new system, and we were all set to launch.

The Outcome

Thanks to the RPA implementation, we've improved outcomes for all parties involved:

Brokers now access real-time information in Encompass, enabling them to work faster. This has resulted in quicker loan processing and fewer errors.

For Mulhern + Kulp, this means processing a higher volume of loans in less time, allowing for faster scalability. The system now contains accurate, high-integrity data, providing a better customer experience.

Additionally, the team has been relieved from mundane, repetitive tasks, enabling them to outsource less and focus on higher-value activities that benefit the company.

And the results speak for themselves!

On average, we automate 550 tasks per day, with this number steadily increasing. Each automated task saves around 4 minutes of manual effort, amounting to approximately 40 hours of manual labor saved daily.

Mulhern + Kulp has experienced a 50% improvement in underwrites per underwriter per day, resulting in savings of $2 million. They expect this number to increase by another 25% due to the improved quality of the underwrites.

But we’re not done yet. After six months of successful collaboration, we're continuing to work with Mulhern + Kulp, adding new features and robots. Mulhern + Kulp has successfully tested RPA and UiPath and is confident in using these technologies moving forward. See how our UiPath consultants can accelerate your ROI.

The industry has also recognized Mulhern + Kulp, awarding them the Process Innovation Award at the 2021 ICE Mortgage Technology Innovation Awards, thanks to our robots.

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