The move is part of the mutual’s plans to bolster its intermediary proposition and comes alongside the implementation of its new mortgage origination platform. Both the platform and the portal have been delivered by Ohpen, a company supplying digital-first alternatives to legacy systems for mortgage lenders, building societies and banks.
Dudley Building Society has been working on a wider digitisation programme, of which the launch forms a part. It has been informed by broker feedback.
The mutual has made changes to improve progress tracking, speed up decision-making and simplify case placement. The platform is also intended to streamline the journey from decision in principle to full application by decreasing the amount of back-and-forth often involved in document handling.
Internally, Dudley Building Society has also removed or digitised several manual processes, which it said will improve operational efficiency by allowing underwriters to concentrate more fully on decision-making.
Further enhancements are in the pipeline, which the mutual confirmed will include future integration with sourcing platforms and broker systems.
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Paul Purewal (pictured), the mutual’s head of intermediary relations, said: “We have listened carefully to broker feedback, and this launch is about making us easier to do business with in a practical sense.
“The new platform improves speed and simplicity across the journey. Submissions are quicker, packaging requirements are reduced, and brokers have better visibility of their cases from start-to-finish, with less need for manual follow-ups.
“We have also streamlined a number of internal processes. Tasks that previously took around 45 minutes can now be completed in a matter of minutes, which supports faster decision-making and helps us improve our service levels and overall turnaround times.”
Purewal continued: “Importantly, while we are introducing more automation and beginning to bring AI into parts of the process, we are still committed to human underwriting. Brokers can expect the same common-sense approach, backed by better systems and quicker outcomes.
“We will be rolling the new system out to brokers in a phased manner in the weeks ahead, with invitations to use the new platform being sent by the Dudley team. This launch marks the start of our wider digitisation journey for brokers and their customers. It allows us to be more dynamic in how we develop and launch products, respond more quickly to market changes, and continue improving the experience we offer to intermediaries.”
Jerry Mulle, UK managing director of Ohpen, commented: “We are delighted to support Dudley at this important stage, with the platform now live and delivering real value. Our technology is designed to enable lenders to implement rapidly, innovate confidently and improve outcomes for intermediaries.
“At Ohpen, we have always focused on fast deployment, delivering friction-free, highly automated processes through cloud-native, API-first technology. By going live with Dudley, we are helping to significantly improve operational efficiency and creating a more intuitive experience for brokers in the complex and specialist market.”
