Founded in 2017, VerifyUnion provides total ownership of the data that is stored, from the network through to the customer (end user), while protecting user privacy and securing documents and identity. Its first product was a decentralized digital identification and verification platform on blockchain. The company expanded its product range to supply chain management in June of this year to showcase the benefit of its products used alongside a supply chain management system.

ASB is a bank owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, operating in New Zealand. It provides a range of financial services including retail, business and rural banking, funds management, as well as insurance through its Sovereign Limited subsidiary, and investment and securities services. It also operates BankDirect, a branchless banking service that provides service via phone, Internet, EFTPOS and ATMs only.

The two companies have developed a digitized, automated trade process and documentation platform to help exporters conduct business, ensure data integrity, and remove fraud risk. Based on blockchain, the platform offers a “single trade window,” which means all documents including certificates of origin, government approvals, traceability information and other key documents can be exchanged via a single platform.

“Currently the documentation process for exporting takes around 8 days because physical papers have to be couriered back and forth between bank and client,” said VerifyUnion CEO AJ Smith. “It also means we have to trust that the physical documents haven’t been tampered with.”

The platform has been piloted by Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea and successfully completed New Zealand’s first blockchain export trade. The pilot also involved the Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Primary Industries, the New Zealand Meat Board and insurance companies, including Vero, document processing company Prodoc, as well as local and international banks.

The pilot shadowed a live trade from Greenlea to their large Korean importer. The platform was able to digitally transfer documentation and cash within one hour – compared to the two to four days it would take to process using traditional systems.

Jack Vollebregt, Greenlea chief financial officer, said that the platform will help them reduce the documentation timeframe for New Zealand exporters and mitigate risks such as cybersecurity threats and fraud.

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data,” said Vollebregt. “We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones.”

Greg Beehre, ASB Bank general manager of global transaction banking, said that ASB is committed to using blockchain to improve the trade process for its customers.

“ASB is helping ensure New Zealand’s export industry remains competitive through offering single trade window with enhanced cyber security, traceability across the whole supply chain ecosystem, and decreasing the time involved in doing international trades,” said Beehre. “It’s a pretty proud day for us. Plus, it offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage. That was really important to us here at ASB.”

Leading financial institution ASB, in partnership with VerifyUnion, has launched New Zealand’s first bank blockchain single trade window.

The launch came after the platform was used by Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea Premier Meats to make a trade with a large Korean importer. The platform was used in parallel to the traditional trade process. All the relevant documents relating to the trade were able to be uploaded, shared and updated within the secure platform which will save time for all those involved in the supply chain.

The idea is that the platform has an instant translation capability, which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones. It offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage.

“This is a significant new chapter in the history of New Zealand sharing our products with the rest of the world,” ASB GM global transaction banking Greg Beehre said. “We’re proud to be one step ahead progressing New Zealand’s single trade window and excited to be using blockchain technology to digitise and improve the trade process for our customers.”

The marine insurance division of Vero supported the launch and was involved in the test trade.

“New Zealand exporters are some distance from most of their overseas markets, and having secure, verified insurance certificates is critical to protecting local businesses from the risk of transit incidents,” Vero marine executive manager Allen Chong said. “Marine insurance is an old and very traditional form of insurance, but blockchain has a lot of potential to provide an efficient and reliable successor to previous paper-based systems.

“It’s exciting to be moving marine insurance into the modern world of automation,” he said.

Greenlea CFO Jack Vollebregt, meanwhile, explained the secure blockchain platform reduces the risks of fraud and cyber security threats.

VerifyUnion, who designed the platform, witnessed the trade, and export documentation processing company Prodoc were also involved in the test.

VerifyUnion and ASB Bank have developed a new digitized and automated trade process and platform that helps exporters conduct businesses on the blockchain. Data integrity and fraud risk are among the main benefits of this platform.

VerifyUnion is a decentralized identification platform and ASB Bank is a financial institution owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. VerifyUnion works by providing data ownership and protects user privacy securing documents and identities.

ASB Bank operates in New Zealand and provides financial services such as retail, businesses and rural banking, among other things such as funds management or insurance.

The companies were able to create this digitized platform that will offer a ‘single trade window.’ All the documents, such as certificates of origin, government approvals and traceability information can be exchanged using this specific platform.

In order to start exporting, the documentation process takes over 8 days. Physical papers have to be exchanged between the bank and the client. VerifyUnion CEO, AJ Smith, explains that it is necessary to trust that the physical documents haven’t been tampered with.

In order to test the network, Greenlea completed New Zealand’s first blockchain export. Other institutions involved in this pilot involved the Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Primary Industries, the New Zealand Meat Board and other insurance companies.

The platform was capable of transfer documentation and cash within an hour, compared to two or four days that it could take in the past or using traditional systems.

Jack Bollebregt, Greenlea chief financial officer, said that the platform will be reducing the documentation timeframe for exports in New Zealand. Additionally, he explained that risks related to cybersecurity threats are also tackled.

On the matter, Vollebergt commented:

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data. We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones.”

ASB Bank general manager of global transaction banking, Greg Beehre, said that they are committed to start implementing blockchain systems and improve trade processes for customers. He then said that New Zealand’s export industry will remain competitive with this new platform and by using blockchain technology.

There are several companies that are starting to implement blockchain systems for exports and imports. The Chinese e-commerce giant, JD.com developed a blockchain system to track meat from the farm until it reaches the customer.

Last week New Zealand bank ASB in partnership with VerifyUnion launched a blockchain single trade window application. The World Economic Forum recently reported that providing a single point of service for importers and exporters can reduce the time taken for processing trade documentation by 90%.

The pilot trade involved meat exporter Greenlea Premier shipping a consignment to a large Korean importer. The trade mirrored a traditional transaction.

The online system will reduce the time involved, help in fraud prevention an potentially reduce errors.

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data. We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones,” explained Jack Vollebregt CFO of Greenlea.

“Plus, it offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage.”

VerifyUnion was the technology supplier. CEO AJ Smith explained how it works: “At the documentation layer, the blockchain-enabled supply chain allows partners to access key documents, such as a bill of lading, certificates of origin and other documents required by customs, which streamline these processes.”

The digital payment and paperwork took an hour, compared to the usual 2-4 days. Greenlea already had a paperless system, but it still involved numerous emails. Whereas the new system provides a single dashboard that covers payment, regulator documents, insurance and customs.

The platform test involved Vero for marine insurance and Prodoc for export document processing.

Allen Chong, Executive Manager, Marine at Vero commented: “Marine insurance is an old and very traditional form of insurance, but blockchain has a lot of potential to provide an efficient and reliable successor to previous paper-based systems.”

Prodoc CEO Steve Cox stated: “Using couriers and email for the ‘last mile’ of documentation has always been a source of cost and possible fraud. By reducing the cost and bringing in blockchain to verify the authenticity of documentation, the trade can be facilitated faster and the trust relationship between the exporter and their customer can be improved.”

ASB is also planning to announce an airfreight pilot in the near future.

#ASB #Greenlea Premier #New Zealand #VerifyUnion

ASB Bank, VerifyUnion, Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea and a Korean importer have all successfully completed New Zealand’s first ever export trade through a blockchain platform.

The trade, which is essentially a proof of concept, demonstrates how a secure blockchain platform can help exporters to conduct business, ensure data integrity, and remove fraud risk.

VerifyUnion developed the blockchain platform. It offers a ‘single trade window’, which means all documents including certificates and invoices can be exchanged through one touchpoint.

“Currently the documentation process for exporting takes around 8 days because physical papers have to be couriered back and forth between bank and client. It also means we have to trust that the physical documents haven’t been tampered with,” comments VerifyUnion CEO AJ Smith.

Blockchain can reduce that documentation timeframe for New Zealand exporters and mitigate risks such as cybersecurity threats and fraud, adds Greenlea chief financial officer Jack Vollebregt.

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use a blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data. We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings,” Vollebregt explains.

The pilot trade also required participation from the Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Primary Industries, the New Zealand Meat Board and insurance companies including Vero,document processing company Prodoc, as well as local and international banks.

ASB Bank general manager of global transaction banking, Greg Beehre, says that ASB is committed to using blockchain to improve the trade process for its customers.

“ASB is helping ensure New Zealand’s export industry remains competitive through offering single trade window with enhanced cyber security, traceability across the whole supply chain ecosystem, and decreasing the time involved in doing international trades. It’s a pretty proud day for us,” comments Beehre.

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data. We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones,” Vollebregt adds.

“Plus, it offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage. That was really important to us here at ASB,” Beehre says.

Smith adds that New Zealand exporters need to be more proactive about using technology to protect the country’s brand and product reputation.

“When a buyer in Korea opens a carton of meat they want to know that it is genuine New Zealand beef from a cow that has grazed on our grass – not raised on an unknown factory farm,” he says.

“Part of the solution we are trying to develop is to allow customers to see when the cow was born, what farm, which feed, the kill date, and how it was transported. This is a major benefit of the blockchain system.”

Smith adds that exporters are also concerned about cyber attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks.

“Hackers replace bank account details in documentation resulting in criminals being paid funds instead of the intended recipient,” Smith explains.

Prodoc CEO adds that couriers and email for 'last mile' documentation have always been sources of cost and possible fraud.

"By reducing the cost and bringing in blockchain to verify the authenticity of documentation, the trade can be facilitated faster and the trust relationship between the exporter and their customer can be improved," Cox says.

Smith adds that this is also an opportunity for New Zealand to position itself as a cybersecurity leader.

“There has been a lot of hype about blockchain technology but today we have successfully piloted a real working product that could change the way things are done all over the globe,” Smith concludes.

ASB in partnership with VerifyUnion has successfully launched this country’s first bank blockchain single trade window. It comes after the platform was used by Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea Premier Meats to make a trade with a large Korean importer. The platform was used in parallel to the traditional trade process.

All the relevant documents relating to the trade were able to be uploaded, shared and updated within the secure platform which will save time for all those involved in the supply chain - from ASB, Greenlea, the shipping company, to Maritime New Zealand and other government agencies.

ASB’s GM Global Transaction Banking Greg Beehre says "This is a significant new chapter in the history of New Zealand sharing our products with the rest of the world. We’re proud to be one step ahead progressing New Zealand’s single trade window and excited to be using blockchain technology to digitise and improve the trade process for our customers."

Having a secure blockchain platform to conduct business not only reduces the time New Zealand exporters will need to spend on documentation throughout the trade process, as Jack Vollebregt CFO of Greenlea explains, it also reduces the risks of fraud and cyber security threats.

"We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data. We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones," Vollebregt says.

"Plus, it offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage. That was really important to us here at ASB," Beehre says.

Witnessing the milestone trade was VerifyUnion who designed the platform for ASB.

"New Zealand is an export led economy. It was really important to us to be able to use emerging technologies to help ASB solve a real problem facing its exporting customers. At the documentation layer, the blockchain-enabled supply chain allows partners to access key documents, such as a bill of lading, certificates of origin and other documents required by customs, which streamline these processes. The application of blockchain technology in trade creates the potential for multi-beneficial productivity gains to the supply-chain," AJ Smith, VerifyUnion CEO says.

Also involved in the test is insurer Vero, whose marine insurance division is one of the leading export insurers in New Zealand, and Prodoc, New Zealand’s leading export documentation processing company.

"New Zealand exporters are some distance from most of their overseas markets, and having secure verified insurance certificates is critical to protecting local businesses from the risk of transit incidents," Allen Chong, Executive Manager, Marine at Vero says. "Marine insurance is an old and very traditional form of insurance, but blockchain has a lot of potential to provide an efficient and reliable successor to previous paper-based systems. It’s exciting to be moving marine insurance into the modern world of automation."

Prodoc CEO Steve Cox says, "Using couriers and email for the ‘last mile’ of documentation has always been a source of cost and possible fraud. By reducing the cost and bringing in blockchain to verify the authenticity of documentation, the trade can be facilitated faster and the trust relationship between the exporter and their customer can be improved."

In its quest to continue to innovate, ASB says the next stage is doing a trade via airfreight. Participants will be announced in coming weeks.

For more information about ASB visit www.asb.co.nz.

ASB has partnered with VerifyUnion, a decentralised identification platform, to launch New Zealand’s first bank blockchain single trade window.

Shadowing a live trade from Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea Premier Meats to their large Korean importer, ASB was able to digitally transfer documentation and cash within one hour in this landmark event for the exporting industry.

With the blockchain platform being used in parallel with the traditional trade process, the supply chain processing time was cut down dramatically from over two days and is also thought to reduce fraud risk and cyber security threats.

The blockchain platform designed by VerifyUnion will allow Greenlea to ensure data is accurate and minimise human error, which has been an issue when exporting to over 40 different countries and dealing with varying time zones.

Marine export insurance specialist Vero and export documentation processing company Prodoc were also involved in the test and supported blockchain as a reliable successor to the paper-based system.

ASB’s next step is to innovate in the airfreight space, with participants in this trade test being announced as early as in the coming weeks.

ASB’s GM Global Transaction Banking Greg Beehre says: “This is a significant new chapter in the history of New Zealand sharing our products with the rest of the world. We’re proud to be one step ahead progressing New Zealand’s single trade window and excited to be using blockchain technology to digitise and improve the trade process for our customers.”

Elsewhere in Asia Pacific, Singapore's DBS Bank has tested a cross-border blockchain trade platform for a commodity supply chain network, comprising farmers, exporters, traders and end-customers.

Developed in collaboration with global agri-commodity trading company, Agrocorp International, and blockchain provider, Distributed Ledger Technologies, the platform connects about 4,500 farmers in Agrocorp’s network in Australia to end-customers such as supermarkets and restaurants. With access to real-time pricing and supply information, suppliers and end-customers are currently able to carry out ‘live’ transactions at any time and track the delivery of orders on-the-go, allowing both sides to better manage their stock inventories.

Raof Latiff, managing director and group head of digital, institutional banking group, DBS Bank, says: “Cash flow and working capital are the lifeblood of companies and blockchain opens the doors to new business opportunities with trusted partners. The blockchain platform solution provides not only transparency, but also greater speed with which the business and its vendors can transact and finance their cross-border trades. The traceability that blockchain provides also offers much needed security when dealing with a new counterparty.”

Going forward, in the next 12 to 18 months, Agrocorp plans to broaden the reach of the blockchain platform from Australia to its other key origination markets, including Canada, Myanmar, Ivory Coast and Ukraine. The commodities trading company also intends to increase the variety of commodities traded on the blockchain platform from pulses such as mung beans and chickpeas, to cereals, cotton, edible nuts and oilseeds.

In future, the blockchain platform will also have the ability to capture in-depth details about the source of the commodities, including the location and ownership of the farm that they are grown in as well as the farming practices employed such as the extent of water, fertiliser and pesticide usage. This provides end-customers a transparent view of where their goods are sourced from and whether they are grown in line with their sustainability objectives.

Greenlea boss Tony Egan says blockchain technology addresses fraud and cyber-security fears.

ASB is claiming a first with a new blockchain-based service used to organise a meat export trade deal.

The bank says Greenlea used its new "single trade window" service to process a deal with a large Korean importer.

ASB's GM Global Transaction Banking Greg Beehre said the transaction was a landmark because the blockchain-based service meant digital payment and paperwork for the deal were wrapped up in an hour - compared to the two to four days it would take to process using more traditional means.

Trade is currently paperwork-heavy, Beehre says, making it susceptible to fraud or human error.

Greenlea boss Tony Egan says blockchain also appealed because of the technology was created to be unhackable. He notes that cybersecurity was one of the top concerns in the Herald's recent Mood of the Boardroom survey.

Egan says while Greenlea already had paperless systems, the single trade window solution meant it could move from scrabbling emails together to a single dashboard covering elements such as payment, regulatory documents and insurance, shipping and Customs paperwork.

He adds that by wrapping everything into one place, it's easier for an exporter to include and promote an export product's attributes. In Greenlea's case, that means highlight the fact its beef is pure grass-fed, and including information such as its product's farm of origin.

Blockchain was popularised as the transactional database technology that underpinned the digital currency bitcoin.

While bitcoin hype has fallen away following the Crypo-Currency's crash earlier this year, blockchain is gaining momentum.

Auckland University commercial law professor Alex Sims says blockchain's security and audit-friendly ability for all parties to transparently follow a series of transactions would push it into the mainstream.

A blockchain-based system which would speed up the paperwork needed for exporting is being tested in New Zealand.

ASB Bank and technology firm VerifyUnion unveiled the technology on Thursday with one of the country's biggest meat exporters Greenlea Premier Meats making the first trade with a large Korean importer.

The technology creates a safe place where exporters can upload and share certificates of origin, government approvals, traceability information and other key documents with importers.

Blockchain's reputation for cyber security means the system will be trusted, VerifyUnion's chief executive AJ Smith says.


Smith said that ultimately he hoped the project would become a "single point of truth" which would not just be used by other Kiwi exporters but the entire Asia-Pacific.

"Just on the New Zealand side, it cuts off between two and four days normal trade.... Currently everyone's dependent on couriers to move these documents along. Blockchain is the perfect solution.

ASB said the platform will mean greater trust and speed with documentation.
"We're at a place where this technology has become more mature and scaleable. Bigger users like supply chain companies are the perfect users."

However, the programme needed another year or so of refinement before it could go out to the wider market.

Smith said it had the potential to be broadened out with artificial intelligence and the internet of things, to keep track of a myriad of things such as the humidity inside the containers.

ASB's general manager of global transaction banking, Greg Beehre, said the blockchain platform would speed up the trade process for all those in the supply chain.

Tony Egan: "It's providing a mechanism ti not only streamline work but also minimise risk."

In Greenlea's case, the trade involved the bank, the exporter, the shipping company, Maritime New Zealand and other government agencies, taking just one hour where it might normally have taken days.

"Plus, it offers traceability and is scalable across the whole supply chain ecosystem, giving all partners in the process a competitive advantage," Beehre said.

Greenlea Premier Meats chief executive Tony Egan said his firm exported to 40 different countries, and the new system had a lot to offer many complex industries like his.

"We're dealing with inventory control in plants, we're dealing with the loading out and trucking procedure, we're dealing with all the commercial aspects and verification aspects of the product from halal, right through to antibiotic free and hormone free, you name these days, grass fed.

"All those things over time can be built into this process of verification procedures that certain users can gain access to on a routine basis.

"It's providing a mechanism ot not only streamline work but also minimise risk."

Also involved in the test was insurer Vero, whose marine insurance division is one of the leading export insurers.

Allen Chong, Vero's executive manager of marine, said having secure verified insurance certificates was critical to protecting local businesses transit risks.

"Marine insurance is an old and very traditional form of insurance, but blockchain has a lot of potential to provide an efficient and reliable successor to previous paper-based systems. It's exciting to be moving marine insurance into the modern world of automation."

ASB says its next test trade will be in airfreight and it will announce a partner in a few weeks.​