1. Why We Created AI Assistant “Ive” (SME Advantage)
In small and mid-sized trading firms, the same people must cover sales, operations, accounting, documentation, and compliance. This reality is not a weakness—if you build the right tools, it becomes an advantage.
Our principle is simple: “Let AI handle repeatable work. Let people focus on decisions, relationships, and responsibility.” “Ive” was developed in-house as a practical system to support cross-border operations across Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
What makes our approach distinctive is that we operate as a small and mid-sized enterprise while building our AI capability in-house. We have formed an internal AI team to design, implement, and maintain the systems ourselves—covering planning, development, deployment, and day-to-day operations.
This in-house model allows us to iterate quickly based on real trade workflows, keep governance and confidentiality under direct control, and avoid fragmentation across desks. Instead of outsourcing critical operational logic, we keep the “core” inside Tokyo HQ and continuously refine it with feedback from the field.
- Built by operators: AI tools are designed around real tasks (documents, evidence, translation, submissions), not demos.
- Continuous improvement: We update rules, templates, and workflows as operations evolve—without waiting for vendors.
- Controlled governance: Access control, compliance boundaries, and official explanations remain centrally managed.
- Speed: Small teams move fast. AI lets us standardize work without building a large department.
- Consistency: The same rules, templates, and explanations are reused across all desks.
- Auditability: AI helps organize evidence, documents, and internal standards so work can be explained to banks and stakeholders.
- Cost Efficiency: Instead of placing separate accounting / legal / PR staff in each location, Tokyo HQ manages with AI + a small team.
2. Blue Ive – Public-Facing PR & Corporate Explanations
Blue Ive is our external-facing assistant. It supports corporate explanations in a consistent, compliance-oriented tone, helping partners, banks, and stakeholders understand “how we operate” without depending on a single person’s availability.
Blue Ive is designed for public information: group structure, desk roles, governance approach, and high-level operational principles. It does not provide deal-specific details (contract terms, pricing, counterparties, or negotiations).
- Multi-language PR: Provides consistent explanations in English and Traditional Chinese and Japanese and Tagalog for cross-border communication.
- “Single Source of Truth” explanations: Uses official pages and approved knowledge so answers stay stable and reviewable.
- Bank / Due Diligence support: Explains governance, documentation standards, and escalation paths clearly.
- Website Q&A: Handles repetitive questions (desk roles, policy overview, how inquiries are handled) while staff focus on execution.
- A partner asks: “Who issues documents?” / “Which desk handles execution?” → Blue Ive answers based on the approved group description.
- A bank asks: “How do you ensure consistent governance across regions?” → Blue Ive explains Tokyo HQ oversight and standardized documentation.
- A counterparty asks: “Can you share product list and prices?” → Blue Ive declines and routes to the correct human contact.
3. Green Ive – Accounting & General Affairs (Internal)
Green Ive is our internal assistant for accounting and general administration. It reduces daily operational burden by guiding staff through rules, templates, and routine submissions—especially in a mobile-first workflow.
The goal is not “AI for show.” The goal is less manual checking, fewer mistakes, and faster month-end close with a small team.
- Expense / receipt processing guidance: Explains how to submit receipts and required fields (who / purpose / category).
- Policy Q&A: Answers internal questions (expense rules, travel rules, document naming rules) in a consistent format.
- Template-driven work: Provides links or instructions for forms, internal procedures, and standardized reporting.
- Operational translation support: Helps staff confirm wording across languages for internal requests and routine notices.
- Mobile-first submission: Staff upload receipts/invoices from phones while traveling; the workflow is optimized for “do it now.”
- Fewer back-and-forth messages: Green Ive clarifies “what is missing” before accounting review starts.
4. Red Ive – Document Archive Owner (Evidence & Retrieval)
Red Ive is our document archive and retrieval system. In international trade, documents accumulate quickly. If documents cannot be found, the real cost is not storage—it is time, risk, and explainability.
Red Ive supports document storage responsibility: standardized filing, searchable indexing, and fast retrieval of records needed for audits, bank checks, and operational review.
- Searchable archive: Retrieve past documents quickly without manual folder hunting.
- Cross-language retrieval: Even if documents are stored mainly in English, staff can search with local language queries.
- Evidence-first operations: Supports keeping “what happened and why” in a format that can be explained later.
- Access control mindset: The system is designed to protect confidential documents while still enabling authorized work.
- A staff member asks: “Where is last year’s shipping record?” → Red Ive returns the relevant archived documents instantly.
- A review requires: “Show the supporting documents set” → Red Ive helps locate the correct set quickly and consistently.
5. Multi-language Operations (Translation System as Infrastructure)
Cross-border trading is fundamentally multi-language. Instead of depending on “who can translate,” we treat translation as infrastructure. Our internal workflows are designed so that routine explanations and operational messages can be produced quickly in multiple languages.
- English + Traditional Chinese first: Matches how our desks actually communicate day-to-day.
- Consistent wording: Standard phrases for governance, compliance, and operations reduce misunderstanding.
- Faster response: Less waiting for manual translation means faster partner communication.
6. Centralized Back Office at Tokyo HQ (Lean & Controlled)
We intentionally do not place separate accounting, legal, or PR teams inside each regional desk. Instead, we centralize standards and oversight at Tokyo HQ, supported by AI and a small team.
- Governance consistency: Policies, templates, and official explanations are controlled centrally.
- Reduced operational fragmentation: Less variation between desks means fewer errors and rework.
- Security and control: Central management makes it easier to maintain access control and update standards quickly.
7. Smartphone-Integrated AI System (Real-World Fit)
Our work happens at warehouses, ports, meetings, and on the move—so “Ive” is designed with a strict smartphone-first concept. The objective is practical: shorten the time between “event happens” and “record is created.”
- Submit receipts and supporting files immediately from outside the office.
- Check internal rules without searching through manuals.
- Provide consistent group explanations to partners and banks during meetings.
8. AI Designed Backwards from Real Trade Work (Not a Demo)
We are not an AI software vendor; we are a trading company. We build AI tools only when they reduce a real operational burden—such as documentation consistency, multi-desk coordination, and faster internal processing.
This approach keeps the system grounded: every feature must help execution, control, or explainability.
9. AI Security
Security & Operations (International Standards)
ASIACOM Group’s AI systems are operated using security infrastructure provided by Cloudflare,
a platform widely adopted by global enterprises worldwide.
This allows us to ensure internationally recognized levels of safety, reliability, and speed
across our AI operations.
Note:
Our internal AI team operates its systems with a global standard mindset rather than
limiting itself to domestic (Japan-only) or regional (Asia-only) practices.
As an international trading company, our AI team works primarily in English and
actively adopts leading AI technologies developed and proven in the United States,
particularly those originating from Silicon Valley–based ecosystems.
10. ASIACOM Group’s AI Policy (Safety & Boundaries)
- Transparency: Ive answers using officially approved, internally reviewed information.
- Human responsibility: Final decisions, approvals, and exceptions are handled by humans.
- Confidentiality: Ive does not disclose deal-specific information such as counterparties, contract terms, pricing, or negotiations.
- Centralized governance: AI operations and standards are governed by Tokyo HQ.
If a request involves urgent judgment, contractual changes, or sensitive commercial details, Ive will guide users to contact the appropriate human desk.