Workflow automation means many different things to lenders today. For a depressingly large number of lenders (many of which rely on outdated loan origination systems), "workflow" means simply a combination of menus and queues. Menus represent the collection of screens that users cycle through to complete their job functions; in other words, they standardize processes by listing the steps that users must follow to perform their jobs. Queues represent the set of loans or tasks awaiting completion by a user or group of users; in other words, they allow managers to define and sequence allocation of work to different users. Workflow management is all about making business processes more efficient, in part by automating manual processes. Menus and queues represent a start that allows enforcement of process standards and control over allocation of work. The true advantages are gained when a business goes beyond these initial steps.
