webAI powered detection of unregistered economic activities for a Chamber of Crafts.

In a nutshell

We enriched the client's company dataset with web domains and identified companies in the region potentially performing crafts activities that require permission. By leveraging webAI for detailed analysis, the client was able to efficiently target companies engaged in regulated craft activities, significantly reducing manual effort.

What was the challenge?

Their primary objective was to identify businesses engaged in craft activities that require authorization, ensuring regulatory compliance and supporting the Regional Chamber of Crafts in its outreach efforts. Moreover, our client sought to enhance their dataset of companies in their operating region by adding their web addresses (domains). However, this identification process was traditionally manual and highly time-consuming. A more efficient, automated approach was needed.

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How did we help?

We first enriched the customer’s dataset with current domains, ensuring a comprehensive foundation for further analysis. To identify craft businesses requiring authorization, we trained webAI to recognize 53 regulated craft activities in Germany, including categories such as A1 Maurer und Beton (masonry and concrete work), A9 Stuckateur (stucco work), and A10 Maler und Lackierer (painting and varnishing), among many others.

The analysis was performed in multiple stages:

  1. Matching with ISTARI database – We leveraged domain search techniques to match company data with ISTARI’s extensive business database.
  2. Webscraping of company websites – Relevant business websites were automatically extracted and scanned for content.
  3. Keyword-based prioritization – Each craft category had a predefined set of keywords derived from guides provided by the Chamber of Crafts. These keywords helped prioritize companies for further in-depth analysis.
  4. Detailed AI-powered analysis – webAI assessed the extracted website content to generate detailed descriptions and indicators, confirming whether the identified companies were engaged in crafts requiring authorization.

Additionally, we developed standardized extended outputs using AI, ensuring consistent reporting and easy interpretation of results. Notably, this process also uncovered a substantial number of previously unknown companies performing regulated craft activities — over 150 in just one chamber of crafts alone.

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How did we add value?

We significantly enriched our client’s dataset with essential business information and conducted a detailed analysis to identify companies potentially engaged in crafts requiring authorization. Our automated approach saved the client countless hours of manual work, allowing them to focus on strategic decision-making. Moreover, the insights were directly provided to the Regional Chamber of Crafts in the form of a structured file, enabling efficient and targeted outreach to these companies.

Crucially, our work led to the discovery of a large number of businesses not previously known by the chamber, strengthening regulatory oversight and improving industry transparency. The combination of domain enrichment, AI-driven analysis, and standardized outputs has set a new benchmark for efficiently identifying regulated craft activities, demonstrating the power of webAI in transforming manual processes into intelligent, automated solutions.