Fiserv reports ABN Amro Mortgage, community bank deals

An indirect subsidiary of the Netherlands-based ABN AMRO Bank, the U.S.-based ABN AMRO Mortgage Group is a multi-channel lender headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich.

ABN AMRO Mortgage Group's market presence includes mortgage loans generated through the retail branch network and Web site of the Chicago-based LaSalle Bank, the mortgage.com retail Web site and its wholesale/correspondent division, InterFirst Wholesale Mortgage Lending. In 2005, among all its production sources, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group originated more than $53 billion in loans.

Currently, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group uses several disparate technology systems to manage loan production. As part of a strategic initiative, the lender will not only reduce the number of systems it supports but also eliminate procedural inconsistency. The highly scalable and flexible UniFi PRO loan origination system has been selected to replace several loan origination systems. The end result will be a common loan origination platform across all channels that will enable standardized practices and straight-through-processing for ABN AMRO Mortgage Group affiliates in the U.S.

"ABN AMRO Mortgage Group has built a significant presence in the U.S. mortgage market as the company established new divisions and Web sites," said Randall Conte, executive vice president and chief operations officer, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group. "Over time, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group developed proprietary solutions as well as acquired businesses that have resulted in processing silos for its business channels. It is the company's vision to eliminate those silos and create standard business processes and workflows across the enterprise. UniFi PRO is the loan origination technology engine that will help make that happen. ABN AMRO Mortgage Group will reengineer local methods and make best practice business processes its enterprise standard as the company systematically moves its divisions onto UniFi PRO."

The fully functional UniFi PRO provides ABN AMRO Mortgage Group with the option to deploy with the supplied screens and functionality, or to customize screens and workflows using the system's PowerTools®. Most immediately, the system will be deployed "out-of-the-box" at ABN AMRO Mortgage Group's Sunrise, Fla. facility that originates Internet-based loans referred by its mortgage.com Web site.

"Because Fiserv Lending Solutions has built UniFi PRO to be a comprehensive solution, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group is able to accelerate implementation and begin to benefit from streamlined workflow and information exchange," said Raymond Oral, group senior vice president, information technology, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc. "Fiserv allows a more rapid deployment than developing a system in-house or by utilizing a tool kit approach. There is significant out-of-box functionality that, when coupled with PowerTools, will provide ABN AMRO Mortgage Group with the flexibility required to adapt UniFi PRO to meet its needs."

Fiserv Lending Solutions' consultants will be working in partnership with ABN AMRO Mortgage Group to roll out the UniFi PRO platform. As the system is implemented facility by facility, a combined team of ABN AMRO Mortgage Group and Fiserv Lending Solutions personnel will manage the migration to the more streamlined processes of UniFi PRO. The enterprise-wide implementation will involve deploying over 5,000 UniFi PRO workstations and training several thousand ABN AMRO Mortgage Group associates.

"ABN AMRO Mortgage Group's selection of UniFi PRO is a great validation of Fiserv Lending Solutions' technology direction," said John Tenuta, division president of Fiserv Lending Solutions. "We've built UniFi PRO so that lenders can chart their own course. ABN AMRO Mortgage Group is able to leverage the system to standardize processes company-wide. Once ABN AMRO Mortgage Group establishes a single platform enterprise, they will customize processes for global deployment to maintain ongoing consistency and business rule adherence."

UniFi PRO Mortgage eX is a "next-generation" loan origination system that blends innovative, Web-centric technology with proven business logic. With its open architecture, highly configurable decision-making and workflow capabilities, and complete integration to a wide range of services and business systems, UniFi PRO Mortgage eX offers lenders the tools to achieve a fully automated, "end-to-end" mortgage-processing environment. UniFi PRO Mortgage eX automates every phase of mortgage and home-equity loan origination, electronic processing, traditional processing, and closing. UniFi PRO Mortgage eX offers integrated access to Web-based transaction management tools for the delivery, presentment and tracking of application documents and disclosures, collaborative closings and document storage. The system enables real-time transactions, document status and signature options for traditional as well as electronic closings.

Separately, using Premier Customer View software from Information Technology, Inc. (ITI), a unit of Fiserv, Inc. (Nasdaq:FISV), to track, maintain and share customer information from any desktop is helping First Community Bank and Trust of Beecher, Ill., and Citizens National Bank of Bluffton, Ohio, enhance their customer relationships and identify more profitable opportunities.

Both community banks have deployed this comprehensive solution, which combines a contact tracking system with a customer relationship tool.

"You can't just deploy a piece of customer relationship management (CRM) software and suddenly say you're a customer-centric organization if that's not what you are," said Greg M. Ohlendorf, First Community Bank and Trust president and CEO. "As a community bank, we are first and foremost customer-centric, and Premier Customer View facilitates that focus by helping us determine which of our innovative products and services are best-suited for each individual customer. It's given us a huge competitive advantage."

At any time from a single workstation it can be determined which customer contacted the bank and when, and what sort of follow-up action was taken. In addition, the customized, flexible reporting and open database import and export options track the progress of sales campaigns to determine their success and the effectiveness of employee incentive programs. Premier Customer View also offers a cross-selling feature that matches products to customer profiles, increasing customer satisfaction and retention.

"We're able to effectively track customer contacts, prospects, marketing efforts and customer service levels in one integrated application," said Ohlendorf. "Not having to run a loan file to track recent events with a customer, or needing to look back on a string of e-mails is a big plus."

"Even as we grow and add branches, Premier Customer View has enabled our bank to maintain its 'community bank feel,' since customer contacts can be shared across our organization in realtime," explained Stacy Lauer, Vice President of Citizens National Bank. "Each query is another opportunity to better serve the customer and determine profitable relationship opportunities."

Lauer added the solution has also proved to be an excellent risk management tool. "Occasionally, an individual will play the 'branch game,' thinking one branch isn't aware of what the other branch is doing. Because our employees now have real-time customer information, we've been able to avoid potential financial loss situations."