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Financial services

Vantage West Credit Union Accelerates Loan Processing by 20% with Docusign Notary On-Demand

Solution impact

20%
faster home loan processing, from 30 days to 24
67
staff hours saved in three months

Products used

eSignatureNotaryIdentify

When it comes to achieving financial goals, speed matters. At Vantage West Credit Union, members count on having fast and seamless access to loans, from auto financing to home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Vantage West delivered the products customers wanted, but behind the scenes, a manual and time-consuming notarization process prevented them from doing even more.

Notarization is essential for safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of important documents, but paper forms, physical meetings, and manual coordination bogged down the process. Not only was this inconvenient for members, it drained staff resources and delayed loan funding.

When Vantage West launched an initiative to address various inefficiencies, Supervisor of Consumer Lending Operations Cara McCarthy identified notarization as an area that could benefit from modernization.

“The support from their team has been wonderful, and the convenience, security, cost savings, and time efficiencies are real. You can’t compare it.”

Cara McCarthySupervisor of Consumer Lending Operations , Vantage West Credit Union

“We took too long to process and fund loans, and we needed a better way,” said McCarthy.

Already using Docusign for electronic signatures, the team decided to expand its use to Docusign Notary On-Demand, allowing the team to sign and notarize important agreements remotely.

“With Docusign Notary On-Demand, we’ve cut the end-to-end process for funding a HELOC by 20%, from 30 days to just 24,” said McCarthy. “Members are funded faster, and they love the ease and convenience of signing on their own schedule.”

Simplifying a previously complex process

Before Docusign Notary On-Demand, notarization was tedious at Vantage West. Critical documents, such as power of attorney forms for auto loans or deeds of trust for HELOCs, had to be prepared, printed, and physically sent to the right parties. McCarthy’s team also had to coordinate schedules between members and notaries to meet in person at a branch. These cumbersome steps caused delays, wasted team resources, and even led to lost opportunities.

Moving online with Docusign Notary On-Demand makes the process radically more efficient. Members complete everything on their own schedule, from any device, via a secure video session. The experience is simple for both Vantage West and its members.

“All we do is send an email with simple instructions for the member to follow,” said McCarthy. “The process only takes a few minutes. Members simply open a page, confirm their ID, hit a couple of buttons, within minutes a Notary joins their session, and they’re done. The documents come back to us, and we’re ready to fund the loan.”

Gaining more time for high-value work

With the more streamlined approach, Docusign Notary On-Demand delivered immediate time and cost savings for Vantage West. Within three months, they reclaimed 67 hours of staff time by cutting out manual steps. The loan team can now focus on higher-value tasks, such as processing more loans and helping members receive their funds faster.

“Docusign takes the pressure off of us, and we’re able to spread ourselves out a little bit better,” said McCarthy. “We can be more efficient and responsive to our members and reduce how long applications sit in our queues.”

The impact of Docusign on loan turnaround times has been significant. What used to be a 30-day endeavor has been accelerated to just 24. Members have noticed the six-day improvement, which adds value to their experience.

In addition to a smoother workflow, Vantage West is also starting to see cost savings from digitization efforts. By eliminating the need to ship documents, Vantage West has the potential to save thousands of dollars annually—which they can reinvest into surrounding communities. “It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it certainly adds up for us,” said McCarthy.

Docusign has been the complete package for Vantage West. “We’re all in with Docusign, and I think they’re fantastic,” said McCarthy.

A game-changer for members

By making the notarization process easier with Docusign Notary On-Demand, Vantage West has not only improved internal efficiency but also significantly enhanced the member experience. Feedback from members using Docusign Notary On-Demand has been overwhelmingly positive, with rising Net Promoter Scores (NPS) underlining its impact.  

“We always performed well in NPS, but now we’re seeing specific feedback from members about how wonderful the new process is,” said McCarthy. “They love the freedom to sign documents any time of the day or night, without needing to travel. It’s changing the game for us and giving our members more control.”

The solution has been particularly valuable for out-of-state members. “Being in Arizona, many of our members are snowbirds who aren’t here year-round,” explained McCarthy. “Accommodating their needs so easily has been one of the biggest success stories for us.”

By eliminating the friction associated with traditional notarization, the Vantage West team has fostered greater trust and loyalty with members. This newfound efficiency allows them to focus on what truly matters: providing exceptional financial services and supporting the unique needs of their communities.

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