Historically-low interest rates negatively impact bank profits worldwide, and financial institutions must now focus on cost-cutting through operations efficiency as revenues tumble. However, doing so might require a complete overhaul of end-to-end lending journeys, including the customer experience and supporting credit operations. Meeting this challenge may require lenders to explore digital optimization in banking, whose effective transformations streamline and automate operational processes, resulting in substantial cost savings.

Benefits of Digital Optimization in Banking

Modern optimization provides Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and other loan installment suppliers with digital lending solutions to offer their consumers affordable financing. It is present in all forms of the lending journey, including:

• application processing
• credit evaluation 
• underwriting 
• collection
• reporting

The benefits of optimization in banking include:

• Quicker credit approval and loan disbursals: Digital lending truncates loan approval time from days to minutes. Replacing manual form filing with digital data grabs, automating evaluations using advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and minimal in-person visits contribute to considerable time savings.
• Minimized human error: Digital lending solutions automate most recurring tasks related to crediting work, leaving little margin for human error.
• Enhanced tracking and reporting: Complete digital optimization can be an involved and time-consuming process, and it is only worth the time and effort if companies use the data it collects. As such, businesses should implement automation software that provides analysis, tracking, and reporting.
• Expedited origination and servicing: A loan can be created, approved by an underwriter, and disbursed using modern lending automation technology in a matter of seconds.
• Fast time-to-market: Assuming a company implements the appropriate lending software, it can have a fully-functional digital lending solution up and running in days.
• Easily set up remote work capabilities. In today's tech-heavy world, remote work is becoming more commonplace, and lenders need to adapt to keep pace. Optimization can help by creating distinct workspaces for different employee kinds and real-time tracking of borrowers and staff actions within the lending site.

Optimization and the Benefits of Automated Underwriting

Optimization plays a significant role in automated underwriting, which is now common in nearly all forms of lending, including BNPL and other installment loan products.

Those roles and their benefits include:

More Informed Decision Making 

Algorithms do not make the same clerical errors that people might. A human is susceptible to oversights, potentially costing lenders significant sums in high-risk loans. On the other hand, automated algorithms can quickly analyze massive quantities of data to identify which loans are likely to perform better than others.

Boosted Productivity

An automated underwriting process cuts time for BNPL providers and borrowers, facilitating quicker decisions and reducing steps required by conventional underwriting methods. Automated underwriting also ensures the borrowers’ demands for shorter customer journeys, but accuracy does not imperil the lenders’ balance sheet.

Improved Fraud Detection

Loan fraud is on the rise, but it can be significantly and systematically reduced by automation software. Artificial intelligence and other robotic processes use powerful predictive analytics to quickly identify hazards associated with disbursing a loan to a customer. Wherever a mismatch is identified, these systems raise red lights, allowing for more accurate fraud detection.

Consistent Underwriting Processes

Automation allows lenders to underwrite and approve credit in a more personalized, borrower-specific manner while remaining compliant. It compensates for inconsistent practices that might result from differing policy interpretations from one employee to the next. Furthermore, automation considers all loan-risk elements related to loan policies, which traditional underwriting may overlook.

Well-defined workflows

Automation operates through a specified process that makes underwriting well-defined, resulting in higher levels of consistency. It avoids the flaws of traditional underwritings, such as the risks of omitting essential details or making subjective decisions.

Meeting Regulations

On the surface, loan paperwork may appear as a trivial back-office procedure. However, completing it correctly and following the appropriate regulations is crucial to sustaining a successful (and compliant) lending practice. Automated underwriting and loan disbursement documentation can help meet these objectives by ensuring a seamless solution for the bank.

Benefits for Merchant Partners

Digital optimization in banking means more financing options, and more financing options mean more consumers are borrowing money and buying merchant products.

With these emerging choices available, merchants have become increasingly competitive by offering those payment options directly to consumers. 

‍The growing popularity and demand for BNPL and equivalent products have been disruptive to traditional payment solutions for reasons that include:

• Increased transaction value: More access to credit means customers will spend more.
• Improved conversion: BNPL payment solutions provide shoppers with the opportunity to purchase something they otherwise might not afford.
• Expanded customer base: Retailers can attract more consumers by introducing new payment alternatives.
• Fewer abandoned carts: BNPL and related products improve these conversion rates at checkout.
• Repeat sales: Offering payment installment options helps merchants build relationships with customers who conduct repeat business.

Skeps Can Help You Achieve Digital Optimization in Banking

Optimization is a core objective that helps lenders boost their operational performance. They benefit in numerous ways, including better decision-making, consistent underwriting processes, improved client experiences, and significant cost savings.