1st MidAmerica Credit Union: Minimizing Risk Through Real-Time Integration

The Hidden Risk of Siloed Systems

Picture this: A member finalizes their mortgage at 1st MidAmerica Credit Union, celebrating the end of a long journey. For the credit union’s staff, however, the work was only beginning. Every new loan set off a tedious process of entering the same data into three different systems – first into the Mortgage Cadence Loan Fulfillment Center (LOS), then into FICS MortgageServicer, and finally into the Fiserv DNA core platform. This “swivel-chair” routine of copying information across disconnected systems wasn’t just slow; it opened the door to errors at every turn. A typo or missed update in one system could mean account records out of sync elsewhere – a recipe for member confusion or compliance headaches down the road. Siloed systems like these carry a hidden cost, quietly sapping productivity and putting data integrity at risk. 1st MidAmerica’s leadership recognized this threat and set out to eliminate it by unifying their mortgage systems.

Meet 1st MidAmerica Credit Union

Headquartered in Bethalto, Illinois, 1st MidAmerica Credit Union serves over 63,000 members and recently surpassed $1 billion in assets. Like many growing institutions, it relied on multiple specialized platforms that didn’t natively talk to each other. Loan officers originated mortgages in Mortgage Cadence LFC; the servicing team managed loans in FICS MortgageServicer; meanwhile, the core banking system (Fiserv DNA) – and even the CRM – stood apart. These siloed systems forced staff to manually re-key loan details from one system to another, a time-consuming and error-prone practice that drained efficiency and accuracy. Important member and loan information lived in separate corners of the organization, so updates had to be duplicated across systems (with fingers crossed that nothing was overlooked). To sustain its high service standards, 1st MidAmerica knew it needed to break down these silos and streamline the flow of information across its lending operations.

The Challenge: Disconnected Systems & Duplicate Work

For a time, the team coped with the fragmented workflow as “business as usual.” But duplicate data entry, processing delays, and frequent inconsistencies had become the norm – and it was unsustainable. The core issue was simple: the mortgage origination system, servicing platform, and core banking system weren’t integrated. After a loan closed in Mortgage Cadence LFC, employees had to manually re-enter every detail into FICS MortgageServicer, and then often repeat the data entry in the Fiserv DNA core for accounting purposes. This clunky, triple-entry process wasted hours and invited mistakes. If an update was missed in one place, records could fall out of sync before anyone noticed. Even a small typo could cause big headaches – like a member receiving incorrect information on their first statement, or an auditor flagging a discrepancy between systems. Meanwhile, skilled staff were tied up doing clerical data transfer instead of serving members or ensuring loan quality. In short, the disconnected systems weren’t just inconvenient – they were risky. Every extra touchpoint was another chance for error, and the credit union’s operational reliability was hanging in the balance. It became clear that 1st MidAmerica urgently needed a way to bridge LFC, the servicing software, and the core banking platform to eliminate the redundant work, reduce errors, and speed up the lending process end-to-end.

The Solution: Real-Time, Rules-Driven Integration via MortgageExchange

To fix the problem at its root, 1st MidAmerica implemented the MortgageExchange^® platform – a secure, cloud-managed integration service from Access Business Technologies (Mortgage Workspace). MortgageExchange acts as a real-time data pipeline linking Mortgage Cadence LFC with FICS MortgageServicer and feeding key information into the Fiserv DNA core. In practice, it created one unified workflow out of three formerly isolated systems. The integration is bi-directional and rules-based: any update entered in one system automatically propagates to the others within seconds, with no manual intervention. 1st MidAmerica’s own business rules were encoded into the platform to enforce data consistency and quality at every step. That means whether a change originates in the LOS or in the servicing system, the information stays consistent everywhere. Instead of relying on fragile copy-paste workarounds, the credit union now has a dependable, automated data exchange that happens in real time – effectively making the LOS, servicing platform, and core behave like parts of one connected system.

Secure and Scalable by Design

Equally important, MortgageExchange runs as a cloud-based service, which ensured the new integration would be both secure and easy to maintain. 1st MidAmerica didn’t need to install any new servers or worry about software updates – the entire data exchange operates in the cloud, fully managed by the provider. All data transfers between the LOS, core, and servicing systems are encrypted end-to-end and handled according to industry security standards, mitigating any concerns about sensitive information in transit. The cloud architecture also delivers high reliability: there’s no local infrastructure to maintain or “patch juggling” required by the IT staff, and the service is continuously monitored to ensure uptime. Just as critically, the solution is built to scale effortlessly. As 1st MidAmerica’s mortgage volume grows, the integration can seamlessly handle the increased load without missing a beat. And because MortgageExchange has an open, extensible design, the credit union can easily extend the integration to additional platforms (for example, bringing the core or CRM fully into the fold) over time. In short, the integration platform not only solved today’s silo problem but also set 1st MidAmerica up with a secure, future-proof foundation for its mortgage operations.

Outcomes: Reliable, Low-Risk Operations at 1st MidAmerica

After deploying the MortgageExchange integration, the impact on 1st MidAmerica’s lending department was immediate and profound. The days of triple-checking and triple-keying information are over – duplicate entries and sync delays vanished as loan data began to flow seamlessly between systems. Loans that once took days to board into servicing now show up in the FICS and DNA systems instantly upon closing, shaving significant time off the post-closing process. This automation translated into measurable time and cost savings, as many manual steps were erased from the workflow. More importantly, data accuracy skyrocketed. With LFC, FICS, and DNA all in lockstep, there are no more discrepancies between what’s in origination versus what’s in servicing or the core. The risk of human error has plummeted, which means compliance and audit worries have largely evaporated – staff and auditors alike can trust that reports, statements, and balances are consistent across the board. Employees who used to spend hours firefighting data mismatches can now focus on higher-value activities. In essence, a process that was once full of risk and redundancy has become smooth, fast, and reliable.

Key benefits realized include:

• Real-time consistency: Loan data now updates instantly across the origination, servicing, and core systems, keeping every record in sync and eliminating timing gaps.
• Reduced manual workload: Staff no longer waste time re-keying data into multiple platforms. Freed from tedious duplicate entry, they can concentrate on serving members and improving the business.
• Lower operational risk: With human error virtually removed from the equation, the credit union has minimized the chance of mistakes that could lead to compliance issues or member impact.
• Audit-ready accuracy: Consistent, synchronized data across all systems boosts confidence in regulatory reports and audits – no more hunting through spreadsheets to reconcile discrepancies.
• Dependable infrastructure: The cloud-managed integration runs reliably in the background with encryption and vendor oversight ensuring security and uptime. There’s no hardware to maintain, reducing IT burden and the risk of downtime.

Conclusion: A Secure, Connected Mortgage Ecosystem

By finally connecting its once-siloed mortgage systems, 1st MidAmerica transformed a risk-prone process into a secure, streamlined backbone for lending operations. The MortgageExchange integration turned the credit union’s integration hurdles into tangible improvements, delivering immediate efficiency gains and long-term strategic value. The mortgage team now runs on a dependable, rules-driven workflow rather than manual leaps of faith, greatly reducing operational risk. With accurate data flowing in real time and robust controls in place, the back-office can trust the system and devote attention to growth and member service instead of data cleanup. It’s a dramatic shift: Mortgage Cadence LFC and Fiserv DNA (along with the servicing platform) now function as a unified ecosystem, giving 1st MidAmerica unprecedented reliability and control over its mortgage process.

1st MidAmerica’s success is a prime example of how integrating core systems can modernize a credit union’s operations – empowering teams to focus on what matters most, rather than getting bogged down by data frictions. In an era where member experience is paramount, the ability to share information seamlessly between platforms isn’t just an IT upgrade; it’s a strategic advantage. By embracing a solution like MortgageExchange and committing to a connected architecture, credit unions can turn operational pain points into opportunities for improvement. In the case of 1st MidAmerica, what used to be a tedious, risky set of tasks is now an efficient, future-ready process – letting the institution concentrate on serving its members and growing its business with confidence.

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