Embracing iterative innovation

HomeTrust Bank, a 100-year-old regional community bank based in Asheville, North Carolina, specializes in first-time homebuyer programs, construction lending and home equity loans across five states. With 20 mortgage loan officers and a 30-person operations team supporting more than $300 million in annual mortgage and home equity volume, the leadership team recognized a pressing operational challenge.

Like many lenders, HomeTrust faced the mortgage industry's cyclical staffing challenge. "Market fluctuations make staffing difficult. Volume swings force teams to scale up quickly and then contract just as fast," says Rhoda McCrimmon, SVP and Director of Consumer Fulfillment at HomeTrust Bank. "My goal was to do more with the same number of people, so we don't have to navigate that cycle, because maintaining team stability matters for both employees and managers."

As an initial step, HomeTrust conducted a detailed workflow analysis to pinpoint where efficiency gains could deliver the highest return. The analysis revealed several specific opportunities for improvement. For example, loan officers could only access loan data while in the office, limiting their ability to respond to borrower inquiries remotely. Processors also experienced delays while waiting for third‑party services to be ordered manually. Meanwhile, operational employees were spending too much time on repetitive file‑intake tasks such as organizing and labeling documents instead of analyzing files.

“We wanted to reduce manual work, streamline how teams access information across screens and improve document review and third-party processes," Rhoda explains. By making these operational improvements, HomeTrust Bank aimed to improve their customer experience while reducing unnecessary steps and improving response times.

With these priorities in mind, the team shifted its focus to how they could use the Encompass platform to the fullest extent to achieve them. After a thorough review of their utilization, HomeTrust created an iterative strategy focused on adopting automated service ordering, transitioning to Encompass's web interface for remote access, and implementing advanced automation for managing conditions and tasks across the lending process.

HomeTrust rolled out changes in strategic phases to ensure the team could adapt to new workflows and reap operational benefits without being overwhelmed by change.

Phase 1: Automated service ordering

Processors previously had to order flood certifications, fraud reports, appraisal requests, credit, AVMs and MERS® registrations manually. By using Encompass Workflow Engine to automate ordering, Rhoda’s ops team experienced almost immediate efficiency gains by removing dozens of touches per file.

The objective, Rhoda noted, was simple: reduce the need for "humans to push buttons." By embracing automated service ordering through Encompass, her team realized tangible time savings for every loan originated while building internal confidence in the transformation.

Phase 2: Improving loan officer productivity

Building on the momentum from these early wins, Rhoda turned her attention to empowering loan officers with tools to improve their productivity. At ICE Experience 2025, she saw firsthand how Encompass’ mobile-friendly web experience could enable HomeTrust Bank’s loan officers to work on loans, check loan status and support borrowers from anywhere at any time. By providing her loan officers with a solution for accessing Encompass outside of the office, Rhoda aimed to improve loan officer responsiveness to borrowers while providing greater flexibility for the sales staff.

HomeTrust's rollout strategy focused on adoption while preserving continuity. Rather than requiring an immediate switch from desktop, Rhoda and her team encouraged loan officers to adopt the Encompass web interface at their own pace. Recognizing varying skill levels across a seasoned group, Rhoda emphasized practical benefits over mandates. She encouraged them to "go look at documents online and see how much faster they load while you have a customer on the phone."

Phase 3: Automating conditions and embracing task-based workflows

With momentum established, HomeTrust implemented more advanced workflows. Using the Encompass Workflow Engine, Rhoda configured several lending workflows to automatically populate conditions based on loan purpose, property type and other criteria. For example, conditions for sales contracts and earnest money documentation are now automatically placed on every purchase loan entered into Encompass. Similarly, condo properties automatically add condo-specific requirements to be satisfied prior to approval. This approach has significantly reduced loan processing time and helps underwriters start with a complete and consistent file, ultimately reducing overall cycle times.

Next in her adoption plan came task workspaces, a key component of Encompass's task-based workflow. HomeTrust created role-specific workspaces for her entire Operations team that include the exact documents and input forms each user needs to complete their work efficiently for each task in the manufacturing process. Underwriters can now review loan data on one side of the screen while simultaneously reviewing relevant documents on the other without toggling between input tabs.

Rhoda noted how transformative this shift was for her underwriters. "My underwriters now have everything they need in one place instead of chasing data across multiple screens.”

Staff reallocation to higher-value work

Workflow automation has significantly changed the nature of the file intake role within HomeTrust’s Operations department. Instead of repetitive tasks like labeling, organizing, or ordering services, these employees now function as junior processors, enabling them to cross-train and learn new skills that can help them grow in their career. For example, with the additional time available, they can analyze pay stubs, evaluate bank statements, and validate data. The positive change to employees is palpable across the organization. According to Rhoda, “They are interpreting data rather than just verifying whether it’s there.”

Faster delivery timelines and reduced suspense

By streamlining file organization and automating key processes, HomeTrust has improved post-closing quality and consistency. "Everything is labeled consistently, filed consistently. The documents are in the file where I expect them to be," Rhoda notes. This improvement has reduced suspense notifications and accelerated delivery timelines to investors, ultimately lowering warehouse costs.

Processor efficiency and scalability

Automated service ordering and condition assignment mean processors no longer wait for information to arrive or search across multiple documents. "My processors complete their work faster now because the data they need is already in the file," Rhoda notes. As a result, the team is now in a position to manage more volume without adding additional staff.

Improved customer and employee experience

These gains directly support HomeTrust's broader organizational goals. "We're focused on making it easier to bank here and easier to work here," Rhoda explains. By reducing unnecessary steps and improving response times, HomeTrust is now in a position to deliver a better experience to borrowers. Internally, better workflows make the organization a more efficient and attractive place to work, supporting the bank's recognition as one of the best banks to work for three years running.

Quantified financial impact

HomeTrust's workflow improvements have delivered measurable financial impact. An independent analysis by MarketWise Advisors, LLC quantified an operational cost savings of $148 per loan from the combined efficiency gains HomeTrust realized from adopting Encompass’ latest tools and workflow automation capabilities. According to MarketWise Advisors, the financial gains were a result of reduced manual processing time, faster delivery timelines and optimized staff allocation.

Rhoda emphasized that success requires patience and iteration. “Start small, iterate and expand. You are not going to get it right the first time out of the gate. You want to get it 85 percent of the way there in testing then let your day-to-day users get you to 100 percent.”

She also stressed the importance of workflow analysis up front, building internal alignment, rolling out changes in manageable phases and training repeatedly as tools evolve. “Repetition is key with any new process, so we reinforce the message consistently as the team adapts.”

HomeTrust Bank’s experience shows that transformational outcomes do not require big-bang technology projects. By identifying strategic starting points, delivering early wins and scaling methodically, lenders can innovate incrementally while maintaining operational continuity.

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