Applications are the backbone of any merchant funding submission, containing vital information about business operations, ownership, requested funding, and other qualifying details. However, parsing these documents manually is slow and prone to human error.
Every field, like business name, requested amount, and address, must be located, read, and entered into systems by hand, which creates inefficiencies and inconsistencies across brokers and funders.
Heron automates the parsing of applications, converting unstructured documents into clean, structured data instantly. Using advanced document intelligence, Heron identifies relevant fields, extracts the correct values, and writes them directly into the CRM.
This process eliminates repetitive manual work while maintaining accuracy and traceability at scale.
With automated parsing, MCA brokers and funders reduce turnaround time, minimize rework, and achieve a consistent data foundation across every incoming submission.
Use Cases
- Extract merchant information: Heron reads and parses merchant details such as legal name, DBA, address, and contact data.
- Capture funding requests: The system identifies and records requested advance amounts, program type, and desired terms.
- Recognize ownership and signatures: Heron parses ownership percentages and signature dates, ensuring legal compliance.
- Handle multiple application formats: Works across PDF, scanned, and digital form submissions.
- Normalize field names: Converts varied broker templates into standardized field labels for CRM consistency.
- Flag missing or invalid data: Detects blanks or incomplete values, prompting automated follow-up requests.
These use cases replace tedious data entry with instant, accurate data extraction that speeds every downstream process.
Operational Impact
Automating parsing has measurable downstream benefits across the underwriting process.
- Speed: Heron processes applications in seconds, not minutes or hours.
- Accuracy: Machine-level precision eliminates typos and mismatched entries.
- Consistency: Every field maps to the same CRM schema for reporting and analysis.
- Efficiency: Reduces staff dependency on repetitive manual data handling.
- Scalability: Handles peak submission days without human bottlenecks.
Funders using Heron’s parsing capabilities often report a 70–90% reduction in manual data entry work while achieving better decision speed and data quality.
How Parsing Works in Heron
Heron’s parsing workflow combines document recognition, data extraction, and validation in a unified process.
- Ingest the application: Files arrive via shared inbox, API, or portal and are automatically detected as applications.
- Identify field patterns: Heron scans the document structure, detecting consistent label/value pairs such as “Business Name” or “Requested Amount.”
- Extract relevant data: Text and numeric fields are parsed, cleansed, and structured according to funder configuration.
- Validate extracted data: Heron checks data accuracy against format rules (e.g., phone number length, numeric limits).
- Write structured data to CRM: Extracted fields are automatically synced to the corresponding CRM or underwriting system.
- Flag uncertain values: Low-confidence fields are routed for human-in-the-loop review to maintain accuracy.
This integrated pipeline creates a continuous feedback loop, allowing Heron’s parsing accuracy to improve with every submission.
Data Quality and Compliance
Parsing applications requires strict attention to data quality and security, both of which Heron enforces automatically.
- Standardization: All parsed values follow consistent field formatting.
- Traceability: Every extracted field is linked to its source document location for audit purposes.
- Security: Heron operates under SOC 2 Type II standards with encryption in transit and at rest.
- Error detection: Discrepancies in extracted data trigger exception queues for quick review.
- Audit trails: All parsing actions are timestamped and logged, providing a full record of document handling.
- Compliance alignment: Supports funders’ internal audit and data retention policies by maintaining full visibility into data extraction.
These safeguards make automated parsing not just efficient, but also compliant and reliable for financial workflows.
Integration and Workflow Automation
Heron’s parsing integrates seamlessly with downstream systems and workflows.
- Direct CRM write-back: Parsed data populates the correct CRM fields automatically, ready for underwriting.
- API connectivity: Funders using custom systems can receive parsed data through Heron’s API endpoints.
- Real-time notifications: Once parsing completes, teams are alerted so underwriting can begin immediately.
- Exception handling: Files that fail parsing due to poor scan quality or missing fields are automatically queued for review.
- Continuous feedback loop: Reviewed exceptions are used to refine extraction models for ongoing accuracy improvement.
By aligning intake, parsing, and write-back, Heron creates a complete end-to-end automation ecosystem.
Performance Metrics and Results
Automating application parsing leads to major measurable gains.
- Turnaround time (TAT): Average application handling time drops by over 75%.
- Touches per submission: Reduced from multiple manual steps to one automated process.
- Exception rate: Falls below 5% with continued accuracy improvement.
- Cost per submission: Significant savings as fewer staff hours are required per deal.
- Accuracy rate: Maintains 95–99% field precision across document types.
These metrics demonstrate tangible ROI while maintaining the precision that funders demand.
Benefits of Using Heron for Parsing Applications
- Speed: Extracts structured data from applications within seconds.
- Accuracy: Maintains high precision across all document formats.
- Scalability: Handles large intake volumes with zero downtime.
- Consistency: Standardizes varied broker templates into uniform CRM fields.
- Transparency: Creates clear traceability for every extracted value.
Heron transforms unstructured documents into usable data, creating a clean, scalable foundation for underwriting and decision-making.
FAQs About Parse for Applications
How does Heron parse data from different application formats?
Heron uses a hybrid model of OCR and semantic pattern detection to extract data accurately, even from unstructured or scanned forms.
What happens if certain fields cannot be parsed?
If a field is unreadable or uncertain, Heron flags it for review, ensuring no data loss. The feedback is used to improve parsing accuracy for future submissions.
Can Heron parse handwritten applications?
Yes. Heron can extract handwritten data with reasonable accuracy, flagging unclear entries for human review while still parsing the rest automatically.
How is parsed data mapped into the CRM?
Each extracted field is mapped to the appropriate CRM field using pre-configured data schemas defined by the funder.
How secure is the parsing process?
Heron adheres to SOC 2 Type II controls, encrypts all documents in transit and at rest, and logs all extraction activity for audit visibility.
