ECLOF Kenya – From DFA pilot to full platform

Country: Kenya

Segments: Microfinance, urban and rural lending

Background

ECLOF Kenya is a microfinance institution serving individuals, groups, and small businesses across Kenya. Initially, ECLOF was using the Virmati ICBS core banking system and wanted to digitize field operations without disrupting the existing core.

Starting point: DFA with Virmati ICBS

MFI Expert was first introduced as a Digital Field Application (DFA) integrated with Virmati ICBS. Field officers could capture loan applications, KYC data, and repayments in the field, while Virmati ICBS remained the system of record for accounts.

Full migration to MFI Expert

With the benefits observed from DFA, ECLOF Kenya decided to move fully to the MFI Expert platform. The implementation now covers:

• CRM: Central customer and group records with full history.
• Core Banking: Loan and savings products managed directly on MFI Expert.
• Digital Field Application (DFA): Mobile app for originations and collections.
• Mobile Money integration: Collections and repayments via mobile channels.
• Self Service (USSD & SMS): Customer self-service for balance enquiries and basic transactions.
• Document Archiving: Digital storage for loan and customer documents.
• Workflow Management: Automated approval and review flows across branches and head office.

Key impact metrics

Results

By moving from a DFA-only integration with Virmati ICBS to the full MFI Expert platform, ECLOF Kenya gained a single environment for CRM, core banking, field operations, mobile channels, and workflows. Turnaround times dropped to around one day, and staff across 20 branches can access consistent, up-to-date information.

• Loan turnaround time of approximately one day for standard applications.
• Consistent processes and data across 20 branches in Kenya.
• Improved customer experience through USSD/SMS self-service and mobile money channels.
• Simpler IT landscape with MFI Expert as the main platform for daily operations.