Case Study
HBL Customer Engagement Platform
Digital Onboarding & Document Automation, Delivered to a Central Bank Deadline
Overview
Executive Summary
Challenge
A secure, on-premise digital onboarding and document platform meeting a hard Central Bank deadline with full data sovereignty
Solution
A phased, open-source-first platform with UAE Pass, OCR, Maker-Checker workflows, and Zero-Trust QR verification
Outcome
Live ahead of the Central Bank deadline with self-service onboarding, automated liability letters, and 100% audit coverage
The Problem
The Challenge
HBL needed a secure, scalable platform to digitise customer onboarding and automate trade and liability document processes — meeting a hard Central Bank regulatory deadline while maintaining full data sovereignty. All customer data was required to remain within HBL's own on-premise infrastructure.
| Pain Point | Impact |
|---|---|
| Central Bank compliance timeline | Hard regulatory deadline with no slippage |
| Full on-premise data sovereignty requirement | Data could not leave the bank |
| Manual customer onboarding | Slow, paper-based customer journeys |
| Liability and trade document processes | Manual, error-prone document issuance |
| Document authentication for third parties | Risk of exposing PII in verification |
Our Approach
The Solution
Qrestik delivered a phased, open-source-first platform with a fully on-premise primary deployment. Phase 1 delivered a self-service customer onboarding portal with UAE Pass OAuth 2.0 integration, OCR-based document capture for Emirates IDs and trade licences, automated generation of seven standard liability letter formats through a Maker-Checker approval workflow, and a Zero-Trust QR verification system that confirms document authenticity without exposing any personal information. Phase 2 extended the platform to Trade Finance and Credit Administration document management, reusing the Phase 1 authentication, workflow, and audit foundations.
Self-service onboarding portal with UAE Pass OAuth 2.0
OCR-based document capture for IDs and trade licences
Automated liability letter generation (7 standard formats)
Maker-Checker approval workflow with separation of duties
Zero-Trust QR verification using SHA-256 hash, no embedded PII
Transformation
Before vs. After
Before
- Manual, paper-based onboarding
- Manual liability letter issuance
- No standardised audit trail
- Document authenticity hard to verify
- Customer data residency risk
- Disconnected trade document processes
After
- Self-service digital onboarding
- Automated liability letter generation
- 100% audit trail coverage
- Zero-Trust QR document verification
- Fully on-premise data sovereignty
- Unified Trade Finance & Credit Admin document management
Outcomes
Results & Impact
Delivered Ahead of Deadline
Phase 1 went live ahead of the Central Bank regulatory deadline.
Self-Service Onboarding
Customers onboard digitally via UAE Pass identity verification.
Automated Liability Letters
Seven standard formats generated through a Maker-Checker workflow.
Full Audit Coverage
100% audit trail coverage across onboarding and document issuance.
Bank-Grade Verification
Zero-Trust QR authentication without exposing customer PII or external network calls.
Resilient Architecture
Architected for 99.9% uptime and 100+ concurrent users.
Performance
Operational Improvement Metrics
Percentage improvements across key operational metrics
“They delivered a fully compliant digital onboarding platform on a tight Central Bank deadline — on-premise, bank-grade secure, and exactly what we specified. The Zero-Trust QR system is precisely the kind of innovation we needed to stay ahead of the regulatory curve. — Head of IT, Habib Bank Limited, Dubai”
Impact
Bank-Grade Automation, On-Premise, On Time
Delivered in two phases (Phase 1: 6 weeks; Phase 2: 12 weeks), the HBL Customer Engagement Platform met a hard Central Bank deadline while keeping all customer data within HBL’s own on-premise infrastructure. The platform combines UAE Pass digital identity, OCR document intelligence, Maker-Checker workflow governance, and a Zero-Trust QR verification system — architected for 99.9% uptime with Azure high-availability database replication.
Deliverables
Key Capabilities Delivered
- Self-service digital onboarding with UAE Pass OAuth 2.0 / JWT
- OCR-based document capture (Emirates ID, trade licence) with PaddleOCR
- Maker-Checker approval workflow with full separation of duties
- Zero-Trust QR verification using SHA-256 document hashing
- On-premise primary deployment with Azure HA database replication
- Trade Finance and Credit Administration document management
Client
About Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Dubai, UAE
Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Dubai, operates within the UAE banking sector under Central Bank regulation. HBL invests in secure, compliant digital capabilities that improve customer experience while maintaining full data sovereignty and bank-grade security.
Partner
About Qrestik Technologies
Qrestik Technologies delivers enterprise automation and digital transformation for banking and financial services clients. Specialising in compliant digital onboarding, document intelligence, and Zero-Trust verification, Qrestik builds bank-grade platforms architected for data sovereignty and regulatory compliance.