Encompass 2026 Project Planning: A Series

Part 1: Supercharging Consumer Connect

Written by: Paul Bates, Senior Technology Consultant

The ICE Encompass digital Lending Platform continues its evolution, offering lenders an array of options to improve the customer experience, enhance efficiencies, and integrate cutting-edge solutions. This article is the first in a series designed to provide strategic options as you build your 2026 technology project list. We begin with a deep dive into supercharging your Consumer Connect deployment.

Consumer Connect Makeover – Elevating the Customer Experience and Efficiency

Consumer Connect is likely the first contact with a new applicant.  When was the last time you reviewed at your Consumer Connect platform?  Are you leveraging all the options available to make the customer experience outstanding and provide efficiencies for the back office?

Multiple Loan Application Workflows

Many Lenders have a single “Apply Now” option for applicants and a single application path that they follow.  This leads to applicant confusion and post-submission Loan Officer time explaining options that could have been clearer to the applicant in the online experience.

Multiple Loan Application Workflows allow you to custom-tailor the questions presented to the applicants, so they are only entering information pertinent information to their transaction.  If someone wants to refinance, there is no need to ask about a Purchase Contract. You can show or hide questions, make them optional or required, and even add custom questions.  A well-thought-out suite of Loan Application Workflows should have 3-5 options, depending on your business goals.

Collecting All Six Pieces

I see many lenders hesitant to collect all six data points required for mortgage transactions.  The most common reason I hear is to keep the 3-day disclosure clock from starting until a loan is submitted on the Consumer Connect platform.  Lenders are mitigating compliance risk (maybe), but is that efficient or in the applicants’ best interest?  By leveraging the platform and collecting all six pieces allows you to ability to disclose on Day 0 and close faster.  Proper procedures and controls must be implemented, but this will make for a much more efficient process.

Ordering Services

There are multiple Services that can be ordered throughout the application process that will streamline the back-office process.  The larger online competitors already leverage integrated services to reduce manual steps. As applicant demographics evolve, the demand for instant gratification requires a faster, more streamlined process. Beyond ordering credit, you can integrate: Automated Underwriting, Employment and Asset Verification and Payment portals for collecting application or appraisal fees.

Product and Pricing

Although another service I believe this should be highlighted.  One of the first and most successful online application solutions is Mortgagebot which has had this as a core feature/functionality since its inception 25 years ago.  Consumer Connect can integrate with multiple pricing engines and allow you applicants to pick a product and rate as part of the online experience. 

Continuing the Conversation

There is a lot you can do with your Consumer Connect deployment to truly supercharge it. In our next installment, we will shift focus to strategies for optimizing the closing experience within Encompass. If you want to start a conversation on your Consumer Connect Deployment or any other Encompass-related questions, please contact Paul at pbates@scapartnering.com.