The problem

A microfinance institution serving small merchants processes hundreds of applications a month. Field agents spend most visits collecting missing papers, and inconsistent files slow the credit committee.

The solution, step by step

  1. Applicants send documents to a WhatsApp Business number: ID card, activity proof, three months of receipts or statements.
  2. A Make scenario stores everything in Airtable under one application record.
  3. Claude reads the documents, extracts identity, activity, revenue estimates, and flags inconsistencies (dates, names, amounts that do not match).
  4. The application gets a completeness score and a summary sheet; incomplete files trigger an automatic list of missing items to the applicant.
  5. Field agents visit only applicants with complete files, checklist in hand; the committee reviews standardized summaries.
  6. Result and estimated gains

    • Field visits per approved loan drop from 3 to 1 on average.
    • Committee preparation time per file falls by half.
    • Faster answers to applicants — days instead of weeks — with human decision kept at every step.