New trade customers of a building-materials wholesaler waited six days for credit terms — and often bought elsewhere meanwhile. We digitized the application, automated registry and payment-history checks, and routed files to approvers with a recommended limit. Approval now takes a day.
Typical results
1 day
From application to terms
97%
Complete on first submission
9%
Drop-off, down from 38%
100%
Checks run automatically
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Opening a trade account meant a PDF form, faxed guarantees and a folder that crawled between sales, bookkeeping and the CFO. Only 45% of applications arrived complete, 38% of applicants gave up mid-process, and the average approval took six days — while a contractor with a project starting Monday simply ordered from a competitor.
Before and after
Credit approval time
−83%Applications abandoned
−76%Complete files first time
2.2×The automation
We replaced the paperwork with a guided digital application that validates fields and collects documents as it goes — nothing incomplete gets submitted. On submission, the flow queries the company registry, pulls the applicant's payment history from the books, and computes a recommended credit limit with risk notes. The file routes to the right approver by amount for a one-tap decision, and approved terms write into the ERP while the customer gets status updates on WhatsApp.
How it works
- 01
Apply
A guided digital form collects details and documents, validating as it goes.
- 02
Verify
Company-registry lookups and internal payment history run the moment the file arrives.
- 03
Score
The flow computes a recommended credit limit with supporting risk notes.
- 04
Approve
The file routes to the right approver by amount for a one-tap decision.
- 05
Open
Terms and limit write to the ERP and the customer is notified on WhatsApp.
Starts from
- Digital application
- Company registry
Delivers
- Approver file + limit
- Applicant updates
- ERP account terms
The impact
Credit approvals dropped from six days to one, with 97% of applications now arriving complete on first submission. Drop-off fell from 38% to 9%, approvers decide from a single prepared file instead of chasing documents, and new customers place their first order the very next morning.
Questions about this automation
What does the credit check look at before a file reaches an approver?
When an application is submitted, the flow looks up the company in the public registry, pulls the applicant's payment history from the accounting system or ERP, and checks that required documents such as guarantees are attached. It then proposes a credit limit with short risk notes, so the approver sees one prepared file.
How are applications routed to the right approver?
Routing rules are set by requested amount and risk level. Smaller limits can go to a sales or finance manager, while larger ones escalate to the finance lead. Each approver gets a one-tap approve, adjust or decline option, and every decision is logged with a timestamp in the account file.
What is needed to start, and how is it rolled out?
The build needs the current application form, the approval thresholds, access to the ERP or accounting system and a WhatsApp Business API number for applicant updates. It is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages: the digital form first, then the automated checks, then approver routing and ERP account creation.