Identifying different parts of your business

Businesses on the NZBN Register can use Organisation Parts to uniquely identify different parts of their business, like divisions, departments, or branches of the same business in different locations.
This can help their customers and suppliers easily find details about those parts.

An example of how NZBN Organisation Parts can identify different parts of a business.

If your business has a warehouse or a retail store in a different location to your head office, you can create an Organisation Part to record the trading and contact details of that location.

An Organisation Part has a unique 13-digit number to distinguish it from the legal entity it is a part of. The Organisation Part can have its own name, purpose, status, addresses, contact details and other data recorded on the Register.

Organisation Parts played an important role in the Government’s COVID-19 contact tracing system. They helped the Ministry of Health to quickly set up the system and accurately identify business locations in New Zealand.

The Organisation Part identifier can also be used to enable eInvoicing that involves different business units, locations and/or financial management systems. The unique identifier ensures the eInvoices go to the right place.

More complex Kiwi businesses can streamline and automate systems using Organisation Parts.

Read the transcript

Video transcript

Hundreds of thousands of Kiwi businesses are already using their NZBN to link to the core business information they need to share, making it easier to connect and interact digitally with customers, suppliers, other businesses, and government agencies.

Smaller businesses may find the NZBN is the only digital identifier they need. However, larger more complex businesses may benefit from taking this to the next level by using globally unique identifiers for different parts of their business. This creates exciting new possibilities, for example, a branch of one business can interact directly with the department of another, streamlining ordering, delivery, and invoicing.

Organisation Parts will make it easier to track product development for example from the paddock to the plate. The NZBN, and Organisation Parts, provide the common standard and shared network which is supporting New Zealand's journey towards digital innovation. They will help future-proof businesses by helping to prepare for unexpected events and to take advantage of new opportunities. To find out more, visit nzbn.govt.nz

How to get an Organisation Part

Some businesses already have Organisation Parts that were created for COVID-19 contact tracing through the Ministry of Health. Before you create a new Organisation Part, log in to MyNZBN to check if you have an existing Org Part set up. You can now repurpose them for eInvoicing, branch, warehouse, division, or other purposes by logging into MyNZBN.

Before you start, you will need:

A RealMe® login (if you don’t have one, you can create one the first time you log in)
Confirmed authority over your business.

Every business with an NZBN can get 2 free Organisation Parts, but more can be licensed. If you are creating less than five Organisation Parts, these can be created in MyNZBN following the instructions below.

Here’s how to do it:

Log in to MyNZBN.
Select the NZBN you want to create an Organisation Part for.
Select the 'Create Organisation Part' option on the right side of the NZBN details screen.
The Organisation Part will appear on the NZBN details page once the required information is added, such as:
- Organisation Part Name
- Function
- Purpose
- Privacy Setting.

We’ll also ask you to provide your contact details to GS1 when you license your first additional number. If you are creating more than 5 Organisation Parts, we recommend discussing membership options with GS1 to save you money.

GS1 New Zealand(external link)(opens in new window)

GS1’s Use Guide [PDF 1.46MB](external link)(opens in new window) provides more information on the potential use of Organisation Parts.

Repurposing or inactivating your Organisation Part

Your business may have an active Organisation Part that was created for COVID-19 contact tracing. These Organisation Parts are no longer required for COVID-19 but can be repurposed or inactivated.

To find out whether you have an active Organisation Part and how to repurpose or inactivate the Part, follow the easy steps below:

Log in to MyNZBN.
Select the Business Name or NZBN you want.
On the entity details page, select the ‘plus’ icon to reveal any Organisation Parts linked to your NZBN before selecting the name of the Organisation Part you want to view or edit.
Select the ‘Edit these details’ option from the Organisation Part details page and update the information.

If you want to repurpose your Organisation Part(s), update the 'Purpose' to correctly identify the part of your business by choosing from the following options:

Branch/Outlet
Warehouse/Storage Facility
Division/Department
eInvoicing
Other — If the Organisation Part does not fit under any of the above headings.

If you no longer need an Organisation Part, you can make it 'Inactive' and you can reactivate it again later. It is not possible to delete Organisation Parts from your NZBN.

Making Organisation Parts visible

Depending on how you plan to use your Organisation Parts, this information can be set to either:

Public — seen by anyone searching the NZBN website or requesting NZBN data.
Private — only seen by authorised users for your NZBN.
Shared — only seen by authorised users of your NZBN and other organisations that you choose.

Log in to MYNZBN and update your privacy settings for each Organisation Part to Public, making it easier for your customers, suppliers, and other businesses to access and use your data.