Ready for automated payment transactions? Fully integrated in a few days

| 26-11-2019 | TIS |

Treasury Intelligence Solutions GmbH (TIS) is the leading cloud platform for managing corporate payments, liquidity and bank relationships worldwide. The company delivers SMART PAYMENTS to help customers make BETTER DECISIONS.

TIS is web-based. That means you don’t have to install any software locally. Save yourself high IT and ERP maintenance costs and connect TIS to your ERP system in a secure, simple and straightforward manner.

Cloud-based: This is how TIS is integrated.

Simple implementation and intuitive operation.

Many companies have to fight against non-transparent and decentralized payment processes due to the accumulation of organizational and IT structures. TIS understand this problem and can provide a solution to both issues. The TIS platform is web-based and is available productively across the whole company in just a few days. It can be integrated seamlessly into your ERP system via a plug-in. Every user, all over the world, can log in to the platform straightforwardly and manage the business processes for the areas for which they are responsible.

TIS Agent: Support for all ERP versions.

No changes to your ERP systems are needed.

Integration of the TIS Corporate Payment solution is independent of your ERP system. Interfaces for ERP systems other than SAP are either already available or they can be easily deployed by using the TIS Agents. Furthermore, interfaces to banks are already available and additional interfaces are continuously being integrated. Connection to your ERP systems can therefore be achieved straightforwardly.

Cost-efficient.

Fast ERP rollouts and lower maintenance requirements.

Reduce your costs by deciding for the introduction of a SaaS solution.  Systems that are located on your own servers will have considerably larger implementation expenses, risks and will involve major IT projects.

There are also expensive maintenance requirements. Every time the payment and bank statement processes between the ERP or accounting systems and the banks are standardized, your IT system will have to be involved. TIS enables fast and cost-effective ERP rollouts, without large IT costs, via the web-based solution. You will therefore save money and simplify your bank communications in the long term.

Particularly easy SAP integration.

TIS Bank Transaction Manager has been officially approved and certified by SAP.

As a certified partner of SAP SE, we guarantee that our SaaS solution is completely compatible with the SAP Business Suite. This means that TIS can integrated seamlessly via an SAP certified plug-in with

SAP ERP

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP S/4HANA

Once TIS has been incorporated into an ERP system, the user no longer has to save the bank files locally and transmit them to the bank. Payments are now triggered in the SAP environment and transmitted directly to the TIS cloud platform. Inversely, bank statements go from the bank to TIS and are collected there by the ERP system. As a SaaS solution, the platform is connected seamlessly to your ERPs, and you can design your national and international payment transaction process efficiently and in a future-oriented manner.

TIS Bank Transaction Manager

Integration of the TIS solutions is thus quick and easy. As soon as the TIS Bank Transaction Manager has been integrated into your business processes, you can centralize your payment process and increase your processing speed and data quality. Reduce errors from manual input and gain valuable time via standardized automation. Depending on what type of support in payment management you require, you can manage your payment processes entirely in accordance with your needs using additional TIS modules.

Visit TIS.biz

Get 25% off your SCF Forum Europe 2019 booking

| 22-11-2019 | by Kendra Keydeniers |

In less than a week the SCF Forum 2019 will take place. Mark the following date and place in your agenda: November 28th, 2019 at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

treasuryXL is media partner of the SCF Forum Europe, the world’s leading supply chain finance conference and awards.

The SCF Forum began in 2013 as a seminar at Nyenrode University attended by a small group of corporates and business schools. In the years since it has grown to become Europe’s leading event for Supply Chain Finance – but it has never lost its roots in independent, research-driven thinking about supply chain finance.

The video below will give you an impression of the SCF Forum event:

Each year the Forum brings together treasurers, procurement directors, CFOs and others from the corporate world who want to develop their supply chain finance programmes. They meet and network with other corporates, business schools, banks, technology companies and consultants who, among them, represent the most comprehensive knowledge base on supply chain finance anywhere in the world.

Keynote speeches, corporate case studies, plenaries and workshops, together with three breakout streams, make up the most comprehensive review of the state of Supply Chain Finance available anywhere.

See an overview of the event speakers here.

Download the full agenda of the conference here.

The SCF Awards presentations will take place at the end of the conference, showcasing the best examples of supply chain finance from around the world.

REGISTER HERE 

and be part of the SFC Forum Europe 2019. We are happy to provide our readers with a 25% discount code on regular tickets. Use the code TXL25 at checkout.

Already registered? Download the SFC Forum Europe app on your mobile (apple or android)  and receive an exclusive offer by treasuryXL.

Looking forward connecting with you at the SFC Forum Europe 2019.

Kendra Keydeniers
Community & Partner Manager at treasuryXL

 

Thrilled to take the next step with the redesign of our website

| 19-11-2019 | by Kendra Keydeniers |

In 2016 we launched our website with the goal to bring everybody who is interested in corporate treasury into our community. We are convinced many will benefit from bringing treasury expertise to a broader audience and experts having in-depth and up-to-date knowledge.

Every day we post new articles and blogs for our readers and if you like scrolling through your timeline you can see our latest news via social media. Friday is our recap day and all of our subscribers receive our weekly newsletter just before the weekend will start. So much is happening constantly.

Over the last months we looked back and discussed with treasury and community management experts how to move forward. As a result we made changes to our site in order to act future proof.

How to inform Treasurers and Non-Treasurers
In the past we tried to make a split between content for treasurers and those who have to deal with treasury not being an expert. We named the last group non-treasurers. This distinction seemed to make sense but in reality was not very practical. A lot of information is relevant for both groups, not all treasurers are experts in all treasury sub categories and there are non-treasurers who have in-depth knowledge.

We also assumed treasurers and non-treasurers use different social media channels, visit different events and consume different products & services. As it turns out this is partly true, there is a huge overlap in their media consumption and this is a good thing. A social media post about forecasting where the treasurer, the controller and the CFO respond is valuable for all.

Our analysis is that a lot of our valuable content does not reach all relevant audiences.

Website redesign
The most important change we made in our site is the first investment to enable further relevant steps. We have introduced an overview of the most relevant topics. With input from experts we had to make choices between being comprehensive and being an attractive read. We created an overview serving both the treasurer as well as the non-treasurer. As an example, cash pools will often be a treasurer topic, working capital management a topic also for non-treasurers and both groups will enjoy a good read about FX management.

The set of topics is not cast in stone. With your input we can tweak and adjust in order to be trendsetting and -following. Do know that reorganising all blogposts and other content in order to put them in the right category is quite a choir: over the years we posted about 700 blogs!

Topic overview:

What is next?
Building upon this investment we will initiate further initiatives. Answering questions about specific topics and offering tailormade information can be done. This is a good thing for both our reader audience, as well as our partners. It will be easier to get detailed insight, as dossiers will be organized in a sensible structure and relevant further info can be offered.

Enabling the match between subject matter experts with those who need input will be easier. You will know who is the expert in FX, trade finance, TMSs, et cetera. Broadcasting from these experts through social media channels can be done better: we will steer away from “spray and pray” and will be sharpshooters.

We are excited about these changes and are thrilled for the upcoming period. Will you join us and do you have any further input? Thank you and see you in our topical environment.

On behalf of Team treasuryXL,

Kendra Keydeniers
Community & Partner Manager at treasuryXL

Information session Treasury Management & Corporate Finance

18-11-2019 | by Kendra Keydeniers | Vrije Universiteit

The VU Amsterdam would like to invite you to the information Session of the Executive Education programmes at the VU Amsterdam on Thursday 28 November 2019. This evening gives an insight into the content and organisation of the programmes

 

The Information session of the postgraduate programme Treasury Management & Corporate Finance is from 18.30 hr. to 19:15 hr.

Anyone interested in the programme is welcome. We are looking forward to seeing you at the VU Amsterdam!

Register here

 

Take a dive into RT career stories from graduates

The VU has been delivering RT graduates successfully for a few decades. That means that there are hundreds of graduates working, most of them in corporate treasury. How do their careers look like after they graduated? treasuryXL asked some of the RT graduates about their career development and their thoughts about the RT programme. Check it out:

Cash Management in the Age of Digital Transformation

| 15-11-2019 | TIS |

Treasury Leaders Summit – London 2019

The Treasury Leaders Summit provides senior treasury and finance professionals with access to in-depth research, analysis and the opportunity to discuss key issues impacting the profession with senior level peers.

Our partner TIS will also be part of this Summit. Visit TIS at their stand and discuss your business case.

TIS Co-Founder, Jörg Wiemer, will hold a session about “Cash Management in the Age of Digital Transformation”. This will take place on Tuesday, 19th November at 4.30 PM GMT.

Also, do not miss our session on Day 2 with our customer HUGO BOSS. Get valuable insights on how they found the perfect-fit solution for their corporate payments processes.

This session will take place at 12.30PM GMT.

Request a meeting by filling out the form here.

Date:
19th – 20th November 2019

Location:
Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-10 Coopers Row, London, EC3N 2BQ

 

Post-HBO Masterclasses Treasury Management 2020

| 12-11-2019 | treasuryXL | Hogeschool Utrecht

The HU University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht scheduled 4 Post-HBO Treasury Management Masterclasses in 2020. The first masterclass will start on April 16, 2020. You can find all information below (in Dutch).

Bent u een controller, accountant, financieel adviseur, cash manager of bankier met enkele jaren ervaring en ambieert u op termijn een functie als financieel directeur van een grotere (internationale) MKB onderneming of non-profit organisatie? Of wilt u gewoon meer kennis opdoen over Treasury Management (TM) om dit binnen uw eigen werkgebied toe te passen, dan is de Post-HBO Leergang TM iets voor u. Gedurende een viertal masterclasses verdiept u zich in de belangrijkste onderdelen van TM, zoals corporate finance, cash management, valuta en rentemanagement

De cursus wordt afgesloten met een opdracht uit de eigen praktijk van de deelnemer die gepresenteerd en beoordeeld wordt. Naast de bedrijfsopdrachten van de cursisten zelf maakt ook een treasury simulatie op het gebied van cash management onderdeel uit van het programma.

Tijdens de leergang komen vele praktische vraagstukken aan de orde, zoals:

  • Bankrelatiemanagement: opbouwen en onderhouden van een goede relatie met de bank.
  • Alternatieve financieringsmodellen: SME bonds, Crowdfunding, Blockchain, Impact Investing.
  • Rentederivaten: niet alleen woningcorporaties hadden een probleem.
  • Dé manier om debiteuren (sneller) te innen: international cash management.
  • Een transparante rapportage: inzicht bieden voor alle stakeholders.
  • Internationaal zakendoen: forex risico en -hedging, investeringen met rendement.
  • Behavioral finance: inzicht krijgen in hoe financiële beslissingen worden beïnvloed door biases en wat daaraan te doen.

De masterclasses (met ook Engelstalige literatuur) vinden plaats op donderdagen in april, mei, juni en oktober 2020.

De opleiding bestaat uit de volgende onderdelen:

  1. Corporate Finance (Frans Boumans)
  • Hoe wordt een onderneming gefinancierd?
  • Nieuwe financieringsvormen (crowdfunding, private equity, peer-to-peer lending, fintech)
  • Overname- en buy out financiering
  • Het belang van Investor Relations
  • Hou houd je de relatie met de bank goed?
  1. Cash management (Michiel van der Ven)
  • Het opzetten en forecasten van cash budgets
  • Ins en outs van credit management
  • (international) betalingsverkeer
  • Netting en cash pooling
  1. FX-, interest rate risk management (Annette Prinsen)
  • Financial risk strategie en policy
  • Vreemde valuta- en rente riskmanagement (hedging instrumenten)
  • Investeringen van overtollige liquiditeiten
  • Pensioenverplichtingen
  1. Consultancy assignment and personal development (Frans Boumans en Janneke Nonkes)
  • Presentatie en feedback op een eigen praktijkonderzoek over een treasury naar eigen keuze
  • personal development gesprek

De docenten zijn allen langdurig in het bedrijfsleven werkzaam (geweest) als financieel directeur, treasurer en bankier en hebben tevens ruime ervaring in het hoger onderwijs.

Data: donderdagen 16 april, 14 mei, 18 juni  en 15 oktober 2020, van 15.30u tot 20.00u van 15.30u tot 20.00u, kort onderbroken voor een lichte maaltijd, in Utrecht.

Prijs: € 1975 (inclusief persoonlijk assessment)

Locatie: Hogeschool Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 15, Uithof, Utrecht

Toelatingseisen: HBO-diploma, ca. drie jaar relevante werkervaring

Tijdens een adviesgesprek kijken we samen of de opleiding aansluit bij uw ambitie én of u past bij de opleiding. Door de interactieve colleges leer je van elkaar, dus de samenstelling van de groep is van belang. Gestreefd wordt naar een diverse groep deelnemers verschillende sectoren van het bedrijfsleven en de non-profit sector.

More info and registration here

 

Why You Don’t Need a Treasury Workstation

| 11-11-2019 | treasuryXL | BELLIN

Location dependence vs. universal collaboration and access

Often times, terms and definitions change over time; and sometimes terms remain the same but their meaning shifts. Take for example the word “bookkeeping:” accountants nowadays no longer put pen to paper and make manual entries in a book. Transferring this concept to treasury, we only need to look at the name of the department itself. Treasurers no longer watch over dungeons filled with treasure troves and other valuables (maybe with the exception of Fort Knox). But that’s not the only shift in meaning: we can also come across obsolete terms and definitions when it comes to the digitalization of treasury tasks and specifically with the term: treasury workstation.

Looking at search requests in Google, one of the most commonly searched terms in treasury is “treasury workstation” – a term that has been in use for treasury systems for many years. However, we need to ask ourselves if the term and the understanding of technology and processes associated with it are still appropriate today. Should they have long been replaced by other terms?

“Treasury Workstation” – is that what treasury is?

“Treasury workstation” contains the element of “station” that appears to have no place in today’s treasury world: mobile communication and the flexible use of systems are such obvious characteristics of our daily work that a “station” clearly no longer delivers. A workstation is literally stationary and therefore limited: it sits in one single place and is only available right there. Conversely, this is precisely where modern systems differ: they’re web-based and can be used from any mobile device without any limitations regarding security, user-friendliness, and functionality. Indeed, the very fact that modern systems are not stationary makes them so powerful. They’re mobile and any number of people can make use of them from anywhere.

Today, large departments and units need to be able to readily collaborate and exchange knowledge and data; a workstation seems inappropriate to meet these demands and stands for a status quo that IT has long left behind. No one wants to install software on a workstation anymore; no one wants to be tied to a desktop computer. The internet with all its enormous potential drives the optimization of business processes and data communication to the point where companies can no longer afford to back workstations, in particular in treasury.

Collaboration with a Treasury Management System

At BELLIN, their system, tm5, is not a physical workstation limited to a specific location. The system is a web-based and dynamically-integrated platform that excels in ensuring global visibility, maximized security and uncapped work-hours saved. The key ingredient in regard to this article is that the system is web-based, yet accessibly by anyone company wide. We call this our Load Balanced Treasury approach which means no per-user licenses, ensuring subsidiaries can share data seamlessly, profit from real-time transparency, and maximize global security.

While many treasurers still refer to modern platforms as workstations, the distinction is important. Modern, web-based systems are platforms for collaboration, for cooperation and for uniting internal and external parties and partners who all contribute to treasurers always having the information they need to do their job: make decisions that reduce business risk, optimize asset management, manage funding and hedging and give the company the overall stability to meet the company objectives.

This is by no means limited to treasury. Unlike a workstation that is only ever available to the people in one particular office, treasury management systems serve the entire company and people from any department can be involved where needed. This allows treasurers to share the workload, get information first hand and have a fully integrated and connected workflow that ultimately benefits everyone.

Conclusion

Treasury workstations are a thing of the past and platforms like the BELLIN tm5 have long become established as industry standards. Consequently,  it is time we reflect that fact in our terminology in order to find what businesses really need and stop searching for things that were modern years ago. “Station” ultimately suggests inflexibility, stagnation. As time goes by, both terminology and processes are subject to change and move forward – just as treasury does. Perhaps this is just a semantic error or term that has stuck over the years? Either way, as treasury enthusiasts and experts, we are keen to help the industry acclimate to the existing technological ecosystem.

Martin Bellin

CEO

BELLIN logo

Proud media partner of the SCF Forum Europe 2019

| 08-11-2019 | by Kendra Keydeniers |

treasuryXL is media partner of the SCF Forum Europe, the world’s leading supply chain finance conference and awards.

The conference will take place on November 28th, 2019 at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The SCF Forum & Awards brings together over 300 of Europe’s treasurers, procurement directors, banks, technology vendors and academics to learn from each other and set out the future of Supply Chain Finance. Now in its seventh year, SCF Forum has grown to become Europe’s leading supply chain finance event.

SCF Forum is different from other conferences: with an agenda driven by leading business schools and an ethos that is about learning and networking rather than selling, it attracts the treasurers and procurement directors of corporations that are serious about understanding what supply chain finance can do for their businesses.

See an overview of the event speakers here.

Download the full agenda of the conference here.

The SCF Awards presentations will take place at the end of the conference, showcasing the best examples of supply chain finance from around the world.

Keynote speeches, corporate case studies, plenaries and workshops, together with three breakout streams, make up the most comprehensive review of the state of Supply Chain Finance available anywhere.

REGISTER HERE 

and be part of the SFC Forum Europe 2019. We are happy to provide our readers with a 25% discount code on regular tickets. Use the code TXL25 at checkout.

Already registered? Download the SFC Forum Europe app on your mobile (apple or android)  and receive an exclusive offer by treasuryXL.

Looking forward connecting with you at the SFC Forum Europe 2019.

Kendra Keydeniers
Community & Partner Manager at treasuryXL

 

Open banking and APIs: transforming the future of treasury

| 05-11-2019 | treasuryXL | BELLIN

Open banking is about much more than advanced technology. It has an impact on business models, processes and ways of thinking – and it will definitely have a huge impact on treasury.

The EU’s revised payment services directive (PSD2) has forced European banks to set up standardised interfaces, so-called APIs, to enable third parties’ technological access to bank accounts. This is an attempt to break up the banks’ monopoly and boost competition amongst payment service providers.

When it comes to payments, PSD2 APIs are currently limited to single Euro payments area (SEPA) single payments. Simply put, they are generally ill-suited for corporate payment processing. Nevertheless, open access to customer and transaction data for third parties represents a radical change that threatens traditional banking business models.

While in the past, banks reigned freely over their customers’ financial data – often keeping them in the dark about margins, fees and transaction routes – open banking makes banking fundamentally more democratic and gives companies much more freedom and flexibility.

How does a company want to handle its payment processing? With open banking, it will be of little relevance to corporates exactly how their payments are processed. As long as the payment goes from A to B, the back-end technology being used is up to the service provider. What will be more significant for corporate treasury departments when it comes to payments is how quickly this information becomes available to them.

Open banking’s impact on cash management

Today, treasurers are blind when it comes to intraday cash flow movements. Depending on the bank, they only receive balance information a few times a day at specific times. This has always been as real-time as it gets. Treasurers who would like to know their account balance at any time and in ‘real, real-time’ need to request this information. But how can you know when to best inquire about your account balance when you have no idea when money will be credited?

Some companies make use of automated requests, managed in their treasury management system (TMS). The system sends scheduled requests to the bank, for example every minute, to check if any new information is available. An analogy would be sending round a company postman to empty the letterbox every few minutes without knowing if anyone has actually posted a letter. This leads to enormous amounts of data and clogs up communication channels and systems, without really solving the issue.

A much more intelligent solution would be to not request the information until it is actually available. For that to work, there would need to be some kind of signal that data has come in – just like the signal flag on American letterboxes. New technologies, such as APIs and WebSockets, enable this kind of reversed order. The bank signals that a new balance is available as soon as money is credited to or debited from an account, and treasurers and other finance professionals can then take action. The same is true for payments, where status notifications for a transaction would be available straight away.

The future of APIs

What will the future look like for banking communication? Will APIs relegate existing technologies, such as electronic banking internet communication standard (EBICS) or SWIFT, to the sidelines? APIs’ greatest downfall is their lack of standardisation. Conversely, complete and powerful standardisation across the SEPA area is the biggest asset of these established communication channels.

In the context of PSD2, there have been various European initiatives to achieve standardisation, for example those of the Berlin Group. However, there is no comparable global initiative, and when BELLIN recently analysed the open banking offering of the ten most relevant banking groups, the discrepancies were staggering. What is needed are suitable enhancements of established technologies that could then be combined with new technologies, for example combining the EBICS protocol with API technology.

And this future is not far off. Massive changes that will impact treasurers’ day-to-day work significantly are just around the corner. Large retailers have already implemented instant payment solutions using APIs that not only enable them to transfer money, but also to receive notifications when a payment has come in as soon as it does. This has enabled them to fully connect payment processing, real-time balance information and customer service.

Direct communication of data between companies and banks is likely to have other, far-reaching consequences for treasury, for example when it comes to FX and risk management. Real-time corporate-bank communication definitely brings challenges for cash management. Banks will have to solve how cash pooling is handled in the future whilst also determining the time on which interest calculations are based. However, with new standards for speed, efficiency and data quality, open banking will continue to revolutionise treasury far beyond 2020.

Karsten Kiefer, Product Manager Solution Management, BELLIN

Karsten Kiefer

Product Manager Solution Management

 

College Tour International Cash Management 2019

| 04-11-2019 | treasuryXL | Vrije Universiteit

The treasurer’s professional environment is changing rapidly. Alongside the classic management of capital flows, treasurers are confronted with ever-increasing legislation. In addition, fintechs and cryptocurrency offer solutions which compete with traditional banking services. The International Cash Management module of the RT programme covers these topics extensively, clustered in several units. The Cash Management Fundamentals unit includes working capital management, liquidity forecasting and liquidity management. In addition, the structure of international banking is covered in detail. The role of correspondent banking, the principles of international payments and the main payment systems are examined in depth. In this context, the module also deals with the information technology which businesses require to create the interface with banking payment systems. Naturally, this covers the latest technological developments, including blockchain. The module also expands on netting and cash pooling techniques, the relationship with financial institutions and the organisation of an international treasury department. An overview of the legal and fiscal aspects is also included. Case studies are used to supplement the extensive practical knowledge provided.

Course Content
  • Management Account Structures: pooling Techniques, cash pooling, netting, tax and accounting impact
  • Working Capital Management: cash conversion cycle, working capital management, short term finance
  • Trade & Commodity Finance: identifying trade risks, trade instruments, trade finance solutions
  • Payment Services: payment instruments, collection instruments, clearing, bank connectivity
  • Relevant regulatory environment: Basel III, PSD2, bank relationship management
  • Cash flow forecasting methods
  • Treasury Management Systems: overview, treasury functions and evolution, selection of a treasury management system, implementation
  • Fintech: Payment innovations, Blockchain, Crypto currency

Course features

Primarily, the course gives an overview of this treasury
discipline, focussed on everyday practice and the latest
developments in this area. Sessions are interactive and
delivered by lecturers active in this field. There is an
opportunity to put knowledge sharing into practice with
the help of a game and case studies.

Exam/exemption

There will be an end-of-module examination. Participants
passing the examination will receive a certificate. This
certificate counts towards an exemption when enrolling
for the post-doctorate Treasury Management & Corporate
Finance programme; course language – English.

Coordination and lecturers

Professor Wilko Bolt (DNB) and Professor Herbert Rijken
(VU) will be the key lecturers for this module. Other lecturers will
include Rolf Michon and Nanno van der Werff.
Sybrand de Groes is responsible for the coordination of
this module. Maximum number of participants: 25

Admission requirements

The course is at Bachelor level. It is assumed that you
have work experience in the field of cash management.

Tuition fees & registration

The tuition fees are € 3,950. If there are enough places,
non-DACT members may also participate. The tuition
fees for non-members are € 4,750.

Send an email to [email protected] if you wish to register.

Location

VU Universiteit, Hoofdgebouw, Agora Zalen Complex,
De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam.

Course schedule

The course includes 8 double lectures (2 x 2 hours) each
week on Thursdays, starting Thursday 14 November 2019,
ending on Thursday 16 January 2019 (note: the lecture
planned on Thursday November 14, 2019 will be organized
in De Leeuwenhorst in Noordwijkerhout where the DACT
Treasury Fair will be held). Lectures are from 15:30 –
17:30 hours and 18:15 – 20:15 hours, including a meal.
The examination date is on Thursday 23 January 2020.

DOWNLOAD COLLEGE TOUR LEAFLET