Inside Operational Excellence in Mortgage - A Chief Growth Officer View

In this expert interview, Ben Rempe, CGO at Alchemist Solutions, talks about automation, efficiency, and elevating quality control in mortgage origination. He dives into the most urgent operational challenges and how smart automation is helping lenders overcome them.

What major pain points are lenders facing in document handling and QC
today? 

Lenders are dealing with extreme fragmentation. A single loan file can include more than 250 documents, each requiring classification, validation, and review. It adds up quickly. Manual document handling and QC can account for 30 to 40% of origination costs. Even more concerning, the latest MetaSource 2024 data shows underwriting has become the top source of QC defects, especially with income and asset verification. This level of complexity and risk makes it clear that lenders need smarter, more connected systems to manage documents and quality control effectively. 

Which technologies offer the most immediate operational gains? 

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is the biggest unlock. It automates classification, data extraction, and validation with high accuracy. When combined with OCR and natural language processing, it can cut manual work by 60 to 70%. We’ve seen it reduce loan processing times by 35 to 50%. Digital signature workflows and cloud-native LOS platforms also make a big impact, especially when you're looking to scale without adding complexity. 

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is the biggest unlock. It can cut manual work by 60 to 70%.

What specific automation-driven solutions does your team offer? 

We offer a fully integrated platform built to streamline document handling and QC from start to finish. That includes AI-powered IDP, automated rule-based validation, and dashboards customized to both investor and internal standards. We also
support remote QC audits and real-time defect pattern tracking, which helps teams stay audit-ready and consistent across different branches, geographies, and loan channels. 

How do these tools improve quality control outcomes? 

We move QC to the front of the process, where it actually prevents problems. If a document doesn’t match what’s in the LOS, IDP flags it immediately. It stops the file from moving forward until the issue is resolved. That early visibility is what drives
results. Catching a small error at the start prevents a bigger problem at the end. Clients have seen repurchase risk drop by as much as 60%, and the real-time dashboards make it easier to coach performance and hit investor standards.

What operational efficiencies do lenders see when adopting your platform? 

Clients typically see document cycle times improve by 40 to 50%, with manual QC queues reduced by 30 to 60%. Defect rates consistently drop below 5%. We've also helped lenders scale their QC operations remotely without adding headcount. That kind of flexibility drives real operational agility and upgrades the borrower experience at the same time. 

The numbers don’t lie. Document handling and QC are two of the biggest cost centers in mortgage lending.

The numbers don’t lie. Document handling and QC are two of the biggest cost centers in mortgage lending. We’re helping teams cut through the noise, reduce risk, and operate smarter. 

Ready to Reimagine Your Mortgage Workflows? 

Want to see how it could work in your shop? Let’s set up a quick walkthrough. Contact us for a personalized demo of intelligent document processing — and see why solutions like SmartQC and LoanXPress are leading the mortgage tech revolution. 

🔗 Learn more about SmartQC and LoanXpress