Process automation case study using the ROI-FIRST approach
Credit Management for Microcredit and Consumer Loans
Industry
Banking - Microcredit and Consumer Lending
Date
Oct 8, 2026
Recommendation
✅ Automate
Time saved
From 6.25 h to 2.8 h per credit application
ROI Automation, recommendation and costs
USD
currency $:
Level of Automation | % Automation | Cases x Month | Time x Case (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
High - digital credit file with centralized document management, automatic stage handoffs and client notifications, document expiry alerts, real-time dashboard and audit log. Credit evaluation and approval decisions remain human | 55 | 1000 | 6.25 |
Personas Involucradas | Nivel de Cargo Promedio | Average Monthly Salary | Real Company Cost with Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
120 | Credit Advisor (x120) across 20 branches | 1.000 | 1.350 |
Monthly Operational Cost | Annual Operational Cost | Estimated Monthly Savings |
|---|---|---|
50.223 | 602.679 | 27.623 |
Estimated Annual Savings | Year 1 Investment | Net Benefit Year 1 |
|---|---|---|
331.473 | 6.620 | 324.853 |
Cumulative Net Benefit 3 Years | FTE Equivalente Liberado |
|---|---|
974.560 | 37.2 |
Power in Numbers
4907
ROI Year 1 (%)
0.2
Payback (months)
50.1
Cost/Benefit ratio
✅ Automate
55% of this process is automatable: internal communications, forms and follow-up. At 1,000 applications per month and 6.25 hours per application, the process consumes 37.2 FTE and USD 602,679 per year. Automating it saves USD 331,473 annually against a USD 6,620 Year 1 investment in 51 licenses, a 4,907% ROI with a payback of less than a week. The scale explains the return: a small saving per application, multiplied by 12,000 applications a year across 20 branches. But the stronger case is control. Physical files and manual transfers between branches create rework, document errors and exposure of client data, and the evaluation stage holds each application for 3 days with no visibility. Halving the cycle from 7 days to 3-4 means faster disbursement for the client and the same 120 advisors spending their time on credit analysis instead of chasing documents.
Signs of inefficiency detected
Paper-based files: customer documentation lives in physical folders and an uncontrolled repository, and files are moved between branches by hand. Frequent rework: scanning and manual document handling generate recurring errors and resubmissions. Bottleneck in evaluation: credit evaluation takes an average of 3 days out of a 7-day cycle. No status visibility: there is no way to know where an application stands without asking the advisor. Manual client communication: every update to the client depends on the advisor remembering to send it. Expired documents: utility bills and certificates expire mid-process with no alert, forcing the client to resubmit. Data exposure risk: manual transfers between branches and channels expose sensitive client information.