These were the following processes Amit Jain would like to see supported in a mobile smartphone app for Mifos X (as noted in a brief and initial conversation):
Mobile mainly for collections, and taking of attendance while from the fields - require a mobile application only after disbursement - loan officer approves the application into system, disbursement has taken place.
Collections
- As soon as field staff collects money from member, transaction is entered into system and goes into maker-checker workflow.
- Generate SMS receipt for collection, upon the transaction being approved - SMS receipt will be generated
- Question from Ed: is passbook entry sufficient proof of payment for the member until transaction approved and SMS generated.
- Prevention of funds from being stolen (i.e. center leader collects money and runs away) - If borrower doesn't get SMS by evening, he will be able to call helpline center in the evening
- After batch jobs run, account goes into one day PAR, immediately will have an SMS generated notifying to call the helpline center.
- Question from Ed: Need to clarify on who collects/deposits money at each center meeting - center leader or field officer.
- Question: need to clarify on how the interface should be for this repayment - I assume it's like collection sheet in Mifos web-app - similar to current Android client.
Attendance Tracking
It would also be effective for this to be captured during or via a mobile app during meeting.
Upcoming Meetings for Field Officers
See today's center meetings, how many center meetings have, how much collection to bring from centers.
Collecting Surveys
In Amit's view, capturing of data is not practical from mobile - 5 inches mobile or 4.5 inches mobile - not good for data entry.
Screen size is limited - summarized picture on mobile screen is best for collection disbursement, viewing of center meetings, viewing of collections.
Photos
Most smartphones have 2M to 5M sensors, getting a picture while filling out forms at client level would be valuable.This picture is the latest picture, live picture is easier to match and to prove it exists - so many issues from field that we have in resolving member identity.
Proposed Workflow (from Ed)
- Field Officer logs into mobile app.
- Able to see a list of center meetings for the day including # of meetings, locations, projected collections from each meeting.
- At each meeting, essentially brings up a collection sheet type view of that center with pre-populated amounts that are due and ability to track attendance.
- For each repayment made by member, entry made into passbook and amount entered into mobile apps. They then go into maker/checker approval or workflow.
- Back at the head office, once the transactions are approved and verified with money deposited, an SMS receipt gets generated and sent to a member's phone.
- If no SMS receipt, member will call helpline.
Nice to Have
- Biometric Thumbprint Matching
Collection Sheet Reports
This is best reserved for larger tablet screens