Larry Bailey

November 10, 2023

Another example of why workflow comes before technology

I’ve encountered another example of a situation where workflow should have come before technology and once again, the client is the one who suffers. In this particular example, it is not a very black-and-white situation. The parable goes something like this. How are you supposed to know what you don’t know before you know it? Meaning, if you update technology that exposes problems in your workflow, but you would not otherwise have known there were problems in the workflow until you updated the technology, How are you supposed to know that you had problems in your workflow? 

This is the twistiest of problems, any organization, or for that matter, any person could try to grapple with. If you had only known what you know, now, you would’ve made different choices before, is usually what people think when confronted with this situation.  The reality is you made a decision to move forward with a new piece of technology and all you can do is review your workflow to bring you up to speed for the best possible experience.

Now ,  there are examples of when you can fully explore what your workflow should be if you were implementing a new piece of technology. I’m not suggesting that you can never be prepared for any possible changes, so please make sure that you go through the potential workflow changes technology updates. A good example of this would be if you were to update your technology to include for automation, which would reduce your necessity to rely upon a human being to push a button or  update a particular field. That stuff you can 100% predict what the workflow will be upon implementing the technology. 

The situation described at the beginning, creates a conundrum which typically occurs when an entire platform is changed in uncertainty around what the new workflow will specifically be. Unfortunately, for this particular, recent example, there was an uncontrollable time constraint that forced the situation. It is an opportunity, however, to examine the ability to consistently review, accompanies workflow, so that if there is a particular. Of needed an immediate pivoting, with regards to technology, potential workflows, both prior to the technologies interaction, as well as after the technologies interaction can be well documented and mapped and researched to try to mitigate most of the potential issues. 

Rule of  thumb is to always know your workflow inside and out before you decide to change any technology. And if your situation does not afford you that, find the people in your company, who can tell you how things are done inside and out, get them in the same room to deal with the workflow contingency issues that have occurred from your new technology. While you’re  doing all of that, document your workflow that you can be ready for the next technology change. 


Larry Bailey
609-760-7222 Direct

About Larry Bailey

As the Founder and CEO of Mortgage Workflow Partners Inc., I consistently work with clients who are generally underserved. We provide services to help our clients understand and document their workflow so that they may exploit every aspect of the technology they are already using. If additional technology is needed, we assist our clients in using the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions. We train our clients on all the technology they are using to ensure complete success throughout their company. My newest online community for the mortgage industry can be found at https://mortgage.community. It is a forum of various topics from various providers, and it is free and open for anyone to join, regardless of where they work. Education and sharing information to help others is the bedrock of growth in our industry.

Figuring out solutions to complex problems is a passion of mine.  I started my career in mortgage banking in 1993 as a loan processor for a mortgage broker. There was a clear future in helping people with home financing as well as other mortgage banking professionals. After 30 years and counting, my resolve to help everyone, from borrowers to peers, remains unchanged. I have helped company after company develop and grow to be something much bigger and better for themselves and their customers, which is always my intention. Because of my experience in the complete life-of-loan workflow and my extensive technology background, I can help others see how to determine a path to success and then help everyone through the journey to completion. Pivots happen too, but that is what makes life interesting.

I enjoy spending time with family, hiking, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and snowboarding whenever possible.