Case Study

Bank Achieves 10% Cost Savings & 40% Faster Launches via Underwriting and Compliance Overhaul

Sutherland enabled the bank to streamline underwriting, scale compliance, cut costs by 10%, accelerate implementation by 40%, and sustain 100% SLA compliance over the years.

Industry: Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods | Services: Automation

Client Overview

One of the largest American bank holding companies, headquartered in Atlanta, manages over $ 500 billion in assets across retail, commercial, and mortgage banking. The bank needed to scale underwriting and compliance operations efficiently after strategic mergers, while sustaining quality, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction.

The Challenge

Surge in Loan Demand and Post-merger Complexity Stressing Underwriting and Compliance

Following a major merger, the bank faced surging loan volumes, backlog in underwriting, and elevated demand on compliance (especially TRID / TILA-RESPA reviews) for its correspondent/wholesale channels. Internal recruitment and training could not keep pace, leading to delays, customer dissatisfaction, and risk of errors.

Sutherland Solution

Agile, Scalable Underwriting and Compliance Support via Pilot Teams and Domain Expertise

Sutherland launched pilot teams—eight underwriters and ten compliance / TRID reviewers—rapidly certified (within 2–3 weeks) and integrated into production workflows. These teams outperformed existing vendors on SLA metrics and quality. Based on success, the scale was expanded (4× for underwriting, 5× for compliance). Sutherland also partnered with the bank to ramp staffing, expedite training, and stabilize operations—a model that transitioned from pilot to full-scale engagement over years.

The Outcome

Sustainable Performance Gains, Cost Control, and Operational Reliability

The modernization and support transformation enabled a 10% reduction in operational costs, even as onshore resources scaled. Implementation timelines were improved by 40%, enabling the bank to clear its backlog faster and respond to market demand more nimbly. The engagement delivered 100% SLA compliance (i.e. “green” scorecards) consistently, reinforcing service reliability. The scalable model enabled the bank to extend underwriting and compliance capacity seamlessly in line with growth, acquisitions, or spikes in demand.

KEY OUTCOMES

10%

Reduction in operational cost through optimized underwriting/compliance processes

40%

Faster implementation and rollout of underwriting teams and compliance workflows

100%

SLA compliance maintained consistently across service delivery