Applications are the foundation of every funding request, containing essential merchant, ownership, and funding details. When Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs) submit these applications, they often arrive in mixed formats or under inconsistent file names.
Manually sorting them from a flood of documents in shared inboxes wastes valuable time and leads to misfiled submissions.
Heron automates classification for applications by detecting, identifying, and labeling them automatically during intake. The system recognizes common application templates, keywords, and structures, making sure that every application form is accurately tagged and routed to the right queue.
This eliminates manual file sorting and guarantees consistent, predictable workflows across all submissions.
By automating classification, Heron gives MCA brokers and funders complete visibility into their submissions, helping teams move from inbox to underwriting faster and with fewer errors.
Use Cases
- Identify application forms automatically: Heron scans every incoming ISO packet and identifies which attachments are application forms.
- Tag and route by type: Applications are classified by submission type, merchant program, or funding category.
- Support mixed-format detection: Heron recognizes applications, whether they’re PDFs, scanned documents, or portal-generated forms.
- Differentiate versions: Updated or corrected applications are linked to the original deal record instead of duplicating entries.
- Enable clean search and reporting: Standardized labels make it easy for teams to find and track applications by date or broker.
- Trigger downstream workflows: Classified applications automatically enter scrubbing and completeness-check queues.
These use cases replace manual document sorting with reliable, automated categorization that accelerates the underwriting cycle.
Operational Impact
Application classification streamlines operations and creates measurable efficiencies.
- Speed: Applications are recognized and labeled instantly upon arrival.
- Accuracy: Heron detects and tags forms correctly even when filenames are inconsistent.
- Consistency: Every submission follows the same classification rules, improving reliability across staff.
- Scalability: Handles large ISO volumes without requiring additional processors.
- Auditability: Every classification event is logged for compliance and traceability.
Funders using Heron for classification typically reduce manual handling by 80% while improving visibility across queues.
How Application Classification Works in Heron
Heron’s automated classification runs within its broader intake engine, connecting email submissions, document parsing, and CRM updates into one seamless process.
- Capture incoming packets: Submissions arrive through the inbox, API, or portal and are automatically grouped by merchant.
- Scan and interpret files: Heron analyzes structure, layout, and keywords to detect which attachments are applications.
- Assign classification tags: Each identified application receives structured metadata, such as merchant name, program, and ISO source.
- Handle mixed submissions: If a packet includes multiple forms, Heron separates them and assigns correct labels to each.
- Write results to CRM: Classification results, timestamps, and tags sync to the deal record automatically.
- Prepare for next steps: Once identified, applications proceed to scrubbing, validation, and completeness review.
This sequence ensures that every application is handled consistently, whether it arrives from one broker or one hundred.
Data Quality and Compliance
Automating classification doesn’t just save time; it improves control over sensitive data and compliance adherence.
- Standardization: Every application file follows the same naming and tagging convention.
- Compliance-ready tracking: Each classification action is logged for audit trails.
- Error prevention: Prevents accidental misfiling or loss of key merchant documents.
- Data hygiene: Clean categorization keeps CRMs organized and eliminates redundant records.
- Secure automation: All files are processed within Heron’s SOC 2 Type II environment with encrypted transmission.
- Improved reporting: Teams can easily track submission volume, broker activity, and document flow quality.
These measures create operational reliability while meeting funder and data protection standards.
Collaboration Between ISOs and Funders
Classification helps both brokers and funders communicate efficiently.
- Faster acknowledgment: ISOs receive immediate confirmation when applications are received and classified.
- Improved transparency: Brokers can see which applications are logged and which are missing.
- Reduced confusion: Clear classification minimizes follow-up questions about what was submitted.
- Version control: Updated applications replace old ones without duplication.
- Consistent expectations: Funders maintain standardized intake behavior across all ISO relationships.
This shared clarity improves turnaround speed and strengthens collaboration across the funding ecosystem.
Implementation Best Practices
Funders can maximize the accuracy and benefits of automated classification by following structured rollout practices.
- Define classification categories: Establish clear document types and associated metadata fields.
- Train the model on real samples: Use historical applications from top ISOs to improve detection accuracy.
- Align CRM mappings: Ensure CRM fields and Heron classification labels match exactly.
- Review exceptions regularly: Monitor any “unclassified” files to refine detection logic.
- Standardize ISO formats: Encourage brokers to use consistent submission templates for optimal accuracy.
- Monitor reporting dashboards: Track classification rates, errors, and turnaround times to gauge performance.
These actions strengthen automation accuracy and reduce dependency on manual intervention.
Benefits of Using Heron for Classifying Applications
- Speed: Instantly identifies and labels applications within seconds of intake.
- Accuracy: Recognizes diverse templates and formats reliably.
- Scalability: Supports growing submission volumes with no extra overhead.
- Clarity: Keeps queues clean and organized with standardized classification.
- Compliance: Logs every classification event for full audit visibility.
Heron converts cluttered submission workflows into structured, transparent systems that scale effortlessly with volume growth.
FAQs About Classify for Applications
How does Heron identify application forms automatically?
Heron analyzes document layout, field labels, and recurring keywords like “Business Name,” “Funding Amount,” and “Authorized Signature” to detect application forms across varied templates.
Can Heron classify applications from different ISOs or programs?
Yes. Heron supports custom rules by ISO, funder, or program type, ensuring each application is categorized correctly according to your workflow.
What if a document cannot be classified?
Files that don’t match known templates are flagged for review. Once corrected, Heron learns from the new format and classifies similar submissions correctly in the future.
Does Heron handle scanned or handwritten applications?
Absolutely. Heron’s classification models can detect and tag scanned forms, even when text extraction is partial, using layout and visual pattern recognition.
How does classification improve team efficiency?
By eliminating manual sorting, Heron frees intake specialists and underwriters from repetitive work, letting them focus on deal evaluation instead of file management.
