The Intermediary – March 2026 - Flipbook - Page 86
T E C H N O L O GY
Opinion
What if you could
run 100 file checks
before lunch?
W
hat if your
admin team
could complete
100 file
checks before
lunch? Not
by rushing or cuing corners, but
by systematically reviewing every
document, identifying discrepancies
and updating the record in real time?
For most broker firms, file checking
is one of the most time-intensive and
pressure-heavy parts of the operation.
It requires close aention to detail,
carries regulatory risk, and rarely
feels finished. Documents arrive
in stages. Information sits across
multiple systems. Administrators
move between inboxes, portals
and CRMs, manually reviewing
paperwork and updating records.
Imagine a different environment.
Documents are automatically
categorised. Payslips are identified.
Bank statements are recognised
and assessed for completeness.
Identification is verified. Missing
items are flagged. The case record
updates as documents are uploaded,
creating a live and auditable trail.
Instead of manually opening every
file and checking each page line by
line, the administrator oversees a
system that has already performed the
initial analysis. Their role shis from
repetitive processing to quality control
and case progression.
Cases don’t sit in admin backlogs.
Missing items are requested
immediately. Updates are specific
to that client and case – not generic
holding emails sent hours later.
From the borrower’s perspective,
it means they’re not le chasing
progress or wondering whether
documents have been received.
They receive timely, personalised
communication that reflects exactly
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The Intermediary | March 2026
where their application stands.
This is an important benefit that
builds confidence, stronger client
relationships, and more referrals.
In many firms today, administrators
act as the human bridge between
fragmented systems. Sourcing
soware sits separately from case
management. Compliance notes
live in spreadsheets. Documents are
shared via email or portals. Much of
the working day is spent transferring
information and checking that
what has been entered in one place
matches another.
When artificial intelligence (AI)
is embedded, that fragmentation
reduces. Case data, documentation
and compliance checks operate within
a connected environment. The system
handles categorisation, cross-checking
and alerts in the background, allowing
an administrator to focus on resolving
issues rather than finding them.
This is also beneficial from a
Consumer Duty perspective, as
oversight becomes continuous rather
than retrospective. Audit readiness
is no longer a separate exercise
conducted weeks aer completion –
it’s built into the life of the case.
It also changes capacity planning.
Historically, growth in broker firms
has required proportional growth in
administrative headcount.
When document analysis and
file checking are automated,
capacity increases without a direct
increase in cost.
This isn’t about replacing
administrators, but elevating
their contribution. When routine
checks are handled automatically,
administrators can concentrate on
identifying process improvements,
monitoring lender trends, supporting
advisers and ensuring cases progress
efficiently through to completion.
KARL GRIFFIN
is CEO and co-founder
at JammJar
Consistency is an oen-overlooked
benefit. Aer all, technology doesn’t
rush the final file of the day or become
fatigued. It applies the same checks
every time.
Of course, not every platform
delivers this outcome. Automating
isolated tasks does lile if the wider
workflow remains disconnected.
The real impact emerges when
document management, compliance
monitoring, communication and case
data sit within a single, intelligent
framework, where automation
operates quietly in the background
and human judgement is applied
where it adds value.
Imagine an administrator finishing
the morning confident that every
active file has been reviewed for
completeness and that discrepancies
have already been identified. Imagine
compliance teams able to see realtime file quality without requesting
updates. Imagine growth no longer
constrained by how many documents
can be manually reviewed in a day.
This is what operational
transformation looks like in
practice. It doesn’t rely on additional
dashboards or more data entry. It
relies on redesigning the workflow
around how mortgage advice actually
happens. The really transformational
benefits don’t come by automating
fragments, but realigning the entire
advice journey so it works as one
connected system.
For firms adopting this model, the
question is no longer whether 100 file
checks before lunch is realistic. It’s
whether they are ready to operate at
that level. ●
