The value of making timely use of data

04-08-2022 | Cobase | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

Since the start of the pandemic, the unprecedented financial stresses companies have underlined the potential consequences of underestimating risks and the value of building multiple business scenarios and corresponding options.

In the first in a series of blogs, we outline best practice for reviewing key financial data and look at the value of treasury dashboards and why cash forecasting is being undertaken more regularly, as well as exploring trends in payments.

The phrase ‘time is money’ is highly applicable in treasury environments where there are significant fluctuations in working capital availability. Companies that fall into this category benefit from at least daily reviews of key financial data. In companies where capital is constrained, reviewing existing credit facilities on a weekly basis is a sensible approach.

The pace of economic change at national and global level also demands more regular cash forecasting. With market conditions changing regularly, treasurers need to take a shorter-term view and implement monthly or even weekly forecasts.

This is backed up by research, showing that treasurers have increased their focus on cash forecasting in the last few years and intend to commit additional resources to this area, including investing in tools to generate better information about payments, receivables and forecasting, and technology to integrate cash flow forecasting into day-to-day banking flows.

Visual representation of key data is useful for helping senior management understand corporate cash positions. Treasury dashboards that present historic, current and projected financial information via charts and graphs allow for better decision-making.

They also enable the treasurer to produce user-definable reports on financial transaction data such as receivables and payables, cash on hand, currency exposures and days outstanding. These can be used to inform hedging strategies as well as enabling treasury teams to proactively report on their activities and play a more influential role in their organisation.

Reducing bank account complexity is another key treasury objective, which can be achieved through the use of virtual accounts that support automated receivables reconciliation processes and higher invoice matching rates while lowering banking costs.

One of the key cash flow and liquidity levers available to businesses is delayed payments. Every company wants to receive monies owed on time, but very few have never made a late payment to a supplier – particularly larger organisations with greater bargaining power.

Flexible payment terms are a key mechanism to manage and make the best use of cash flow, but this strategy may not be an option for small businesses. In this context, real-time or instant payments could be the answer, allowing businesses to hold on to cash for longer while paying suppliers and staff or reimbursing customers on time.

In the next blog in this series, we will look at how cash positions can be optimised through the use of specific solutions centred on connectivity and explain the pros and cons of connecting back office functions via SWIFT and how automation, frees up time for the treasurer to focus on higher value tasks.

 

The 7 habits of highly effective treasurers

Why are some treasury teams more adept at managing the financial challenges faced by their enterprises than others? We decided to identify some of the factors that contribute to intelligent treasury management and operational excellence and created an e-book which we would like to share with you. If you follow the habits outlined in this e-book, you will be well on the way to better cash flow and working capital management.

 

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Treasurers Get Strategic About Hedging Programs as Interest Rates Keep Rising

02-08-2022 | treasuryXL | GTreasury | LinkedIn |

The current interest rate landscape (read: rates going up for the foreseeable future) is spurring treasurers and the office of the CFO to implement rate hedging strategies at a faster clip. For many organizations, hedge programs are a new initiative—and it can take some understanding to know what they do and what to look for from companies that offer them.

Farah Lotia, the Director of Interest Rate and Quantitative Analytics at Hedge Trackers (a GTreasury company), discusses what interest rate hedge programs are, the ROI benefit they deliver treasures, how to get started with them, and why there has never been a more advantageous time to implement them.

The 7 habits of highly effective treasurers

28-07-2022 | Cobase | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

Why are some treasury teams more adept at managing the financial challenges faced by their enterprises than others? Cobase decided to identify some of the factors that contribute to intelligent treasury management and operational excellence and summarized it all in an e-book.

To this end, Cobase analysed the market and interviewed and observed our clients and the work we do for them.

Having considered the results of this analysis we came to the conclusion that while there are many factors that impact the ability of treasurers to do their job effectively, there are seven key habits that are continuously practiced by successful treasurers.

Download this e-book now and you will be well on the way to better cash flow and working capital management.

Zeroing in on 4 Specific Ways Treasurers’ Can Improve Cash Forecasting

21-07-2022 | treasuryXL | GTreasury | LinkedIn |

Particularly with continued financial headwinds, accurate-as-possible cash forecasting and visibility are more critical than ever. But, according to a recent survey of hundreds of global treasurers, the process of generating forecasts has been either “somewhat difficult” or “extremely difficult.”

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Jo Stevens, a senior product manager at GTreasury, wrote for Treasury & Risk on four specific best practices around how treasurers can improve cash forecasting and optimize their use of sophisticated forecasting technologies. Jo discusses how to capture more accurate data, how to best process that data with machine learning, how to approach cash visibility, and, crucially, how to continually adapt to meet ongoing forecasting challenges.

The Working Capital Forum Europe | Amsterdam 2022

20-07-2022 | treasuryXL | The Working Capital Forum | LinkedIn |

 

MANAGING WORKING CAPITAL IN CHALLENGING TIMES

 

 

On 1st December 2022, Working Capital Forum Europe brings together leaders in treasury, procurement, and payments to share ideas and techniques for better working capital management across supply chains.

That’s never been so important as in these times of rising interest rates, inflation, and supply chain shocks, when managing working capital is everyone’s concern.

From supply chain finance to accurate cash forecasting, solutions for every component of working capital management will be discussed on stage, demonstrated in our information area, and examined in our workshops at the world’s largest specialist working capital and supply chain finance event.

We’re delighted to return to Amsterdam for this one-day live event, with main stage keynote sessions, panel debates, and breakout workshops and demos.

If you’re interested in optimising working capital in your organisation, you need to join us in Amsterdam for the most productive day you’ve had in years.

Among the topics we will be covering are:

  • Cash forecasting and cash visibility
  • Payables finance
  • Receivables finance
  • Optimising receivables – get paid faster
  • Inventory management and inventory finance
  • Supply chain finance
  • ‘Deep tier’ supply chain finance
  • Funding options for trade and supply chain finance
  • Using working capital tools for ESG objectives
  • Credit insurance
  • Disclosure rules on supplier finance
  • Ratings agencies and their view of working capital solution

USE YOUR COUPON CODE VIA TREASURYXL

  • Banks, fintechs, and other solution providers can get 25% off the cost of a ticket using this TreasuryXL code: TXL2225
  • Corporate Treasurers can apply for a free ticket using this Treasury XL code: TXL22CG

TO REGISTER AND FIND OUT MORE VISIT:  WORKING CAPITAL FORUM EUROPE 

Visit the Working Capital Forum: https://www.workingcapitalforum.com/

Join our events here: https://www.workingcapitalforum.com/events

Enter the Working Capital and Supply Chain Finance 2022 Awards here: https://www.workingcapitalforum.com/awards.html

 

 

5 steps to effective fraud prevention in fintech

14-07-2022 | treasuryXL | Refinitiv | LinkedIn |

 

A recent Refinitiv expert talk looks at the digital banking and fintech arena, unpacking the compliance challenges that dominate the sector and offering advice for a best-practice response.

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GTreasury Launches New Connectivity Suite for Treasurers

12-07-2022 | treasuryXL | GTreasury | LinkedIn |

 

Workflow Brings in Third-Party Banking, Payments, and Financial Data

ClearConnect ensures the fidelity of data essential to treasurers and CFOs

CHICAGO, Ill. – July 12, 2022 – GTreasury, a treasury and risk management platform provider, today announced the launch of ClearConnect. Featuring more than 80 API calls in a dozen key categories, ClearConnect offers the most robust connectivity suite available to treasury teams and the office of the CFO. The solution provides immediate access to the comprehensive data required for confident and actionable treasury insights, and ensures the fidelity and security of that data through purpose-built connections bolstered by GTreasury’s support.

While “API” is becoming a buzzword often associated with data connectivity solutions, the terms are not synonymous. API connections are only as powerful as the underlying workflows that support them. Activating an out-of-the-box API is not an instant panacea for an organization’s data needs. Without the right underlying workflows, APIs not attuned to a business’s specific requirements will drop or fail to capture all the data sets necessary to power effective analytics and data lakes. Given the complexity of treasury and risk management, those missing insights can result in significant consequences for treasury teams and CFOs.

ClearConnect provides both the powerful underlying workflows and the multifaceted purpose-built API-enabled connectivity to ensure that data capture is consistently done correctly and thoroughly—providing all the analytics an organization needs from a particular connection. The solution creates certainty, security, and seamless connections by integrating all data from business systems and financial institutions, and is capable of combining connection types for uniquely complete data sets and data fidelity.

Specifically, ClearConnect creates value for treasury teams and the office of the CFO by delivering:

  • Secure connectivity across the financial value chain
  • Extensions to corporate treasury workflows
  • Access to specialist solutions within the integrated platform
  • Lower bank fee costs through seamless connectivity
  • Access to multiple innovative FinTech products and services

ClearConnect’s market-leading API catalog features over 80 API calls, augmented by host-to-host connectivity wherever needed to bolster capabilities. The solution enables robust functionality across a dozen categories, including payment approval rules, payment workflows, payments and templates, balances and transactions, general ledgers, deal management, bank accounts, bank account management, legal entities, forecasts, operators, and data extracts. ClearConnect’s flexible connectivity architecture uses best-in-class API-enabled connections to ensure fidelity and continuity of customers’ most vital data. Connectivity into Swift, Fides, and others provides a single source of truth and visibility into an organization’s cash and financial risk, and delivers transparent workflows for payments, bank file monitoring, and more.

GTreasury’s always-expanding partnerships with leading global financial institutions and market data partners ensure seamless bank and ERP connectivity, domestic and international transactions, and access to market insights. As client needs change, GTreasury’s active collaborations with product partners further ensure the creation and delivery of modernized products and services, securing ClearConnect’s place as a market-leading solution always aligned with customers’ current data requirements.

From risk management capabilities powered by Moody’s Analytics and KYOS, to market data provided by Refinitiv and Fenics MD, to banking, ERP, investments, and payments partners, ClearConnect now enables customers to wield the full power of the GTreasury ecosystem even more easily and completely.

“ClearConnect doesn’t just offer a significantly greater breadth of connectivity options than anything else available, it also underwrites those capabilities with foundational workflows for data integrity and ease of use,” said Pete Srejovic, Chief Technology Officer at GTreasury. “Investing in API technology only to realize that you are dropping crucial data is a nightmare that has come true for many CFOs and treasury teams. With today’s launch of ClearConnect, we’re proud to offer not only the largest and most powerful API connectivity solution on the market, but one that customers can entrust to deliver absolute data integrity along with the comprehensive and future-proof solutions of the GTreasury ecosystem.”

       

About GTreasury

GTreasury believes there is opportunity in complexity. We connect treasury and finance teams with industry-leading experts, technology solutions and untapped possibility. By simplifying complexity, teams can unleash their organization’s potential to gain strategic advantages and grow. GTreasury helps organizations reach that potential by connecting treasury and digital finance operations through a world-class SaaS treasury and risk management platform and integrated ecosystem where cash, debt, investments, and exposures are seamlessly managed within the office of the CFO. GTreasury delivers intelligent insights, while connecting financial value chains and extending workflows to third-party systems, exchanges, portals, and services. Headquartered in Chicago, with locations serving EMEA (London) and APAC (Sydney and Manila), GTreasury’s global community includes more than 800 customers and 30+ industries reaching 160+ countries worldwide. Visit GTreasury.com

Hedge Trackers, a GTreasury Company, Offers Advice to Treasurers Amid Interest Rate Uncertainty

28-06-2022 | treasuryXL | GTreasury | LinkedIn |

With interest rates rising and remaining unpredictable, corporate treasurers need to have a hedging plan in place. For many, this can be easier said than done.

Farah Lotia, the Director of Interest rate and Quantitative Analytics at Hedge Trackers, recently spoke with both Treasury Today and Euromoney Magazine about the purpose of interest rate hedging and how they can use it to their advantage.

Hedge Trackers was recently acquired by GTreasury.

GTreasury Adds Victoria Blake as Chief Product Officer; Ashley Pater Becomes General Manager at Hedge Trackers

21-06-2022 | treasuryXL | GTreasury | LinkedIn |

The product leaders bring veteran experience into their new roles, as GTreasury expands its treasury and risk management solutions and services for treasury teams and the office of the CFO

CHICAGO, Ill. – June 21, 2022 – GTreasury, a treasury and risk management platform provider, today announced that it has named Victoria Blake as GTreasury’s Chief Product Officer, and Ashley Pater as General Manager at Hedge Trackers. Recently acquired by GTreasury, Hedge Trackers is the global leader in accounting, consulting, and software services that protect clients against financial risk.

Victoria Blake joins GTreasury with more than 20 years of experience and success in product leadership roles across several SaaS and technology companies. Blake comes to GTreasury from Zapproved, where she served as the Vice President of Product. During her tenure at the e-discovery software provider, she led high-level strategy development, product definition, and market-facing thought leadership and vision. Before Zapproved, Blake was responsible for defining next-generation cloud services offerings as the Vice President of Product Management at Metal Toad, an AWS Consulting Partner. Blake has also held product management and leadership positions at WebMD Health Services, Jive Software, and Walker Tracker.

As GTreasury’s Chief Product Officer, Blake will lead the company’s global product and UX teams in developing and delivering innovative new solutions for GTreasury’s customers and partners. From modern automated treasury and transaction management to AI-powered SmartPredictions™ cash forecasting and visibility, GTreasury’s SaaS platform empowers treasury teams and the office of the CFO with the future-proof technology and capabilities required to drive confident financial decision-making. GTreasury has also continued to expand its broad ecosystem of connected partner technologies, via API integrations with ERPs, banks, and other external providers where instant data connectivity maximizes customer efficiencies.

“GTreasury has built its reputation as a leading treasury and risk management platform by harnessing innovative cloud, AI, machine learning, and emerging technologies that move our industry forward,” said Victoria Blake, CPO, GTreasury. “Just as importantly, GTreasury has always focused on product usability and ensuring that its powerful tools are always easily accessible and seamlessly connected for the teams that rely on them. I look forward to building on what GTreasury has created over the past three decades, and delivering even more next-generation tools to make CFOs and treasury teams more successful.”

Ashley Pater is now the General Manager of Hedge Trackers after more than a decade of leadership roles within GTreasury. Pater most recently served as GTreasury’s Chief Product Officer, where she was responsible for aligning product vision and strategy to the company’s business objectives. Pater previously held leadership positions in GTreasury’s marketing and account management functions, focusing on building global brand awareness, lead generation, event management, and cross-sell programs.

Pater will oversee daily business operations and lead growth strategy around Hedge Trackers’ FX, interest rate, and commodity price risk management services and consulting. Pater will also ensure alignment and integration opportunities within the broader GTreasury organization. Hedge Trackers offers best-in-class expertise and technical depth in meeting today’s unprecedented demand for effective hedging strategies, identifying exposure, managing risk, and meeting compliance and audit requirements. Under Pater’s leadership, Hedge Trackers will focus on bolstering its risk management expertise and bringing new solutions to market across the company’s risk product suite.

“Combining the strengths of GTreasury and Hedge Trackers makes us the clear market leader when it comes to both our treasury risk management products and our consulting acumen,” said Ashley Pater, General Manager, Hedge Trackers. “Today’s CFOs and financial leaders understand that risk management and hedging capabilities are critical to navigating volatile markets and achieving larger business goals. I’m excited to further our solutions and insight to equip customers with the solutions required for effectively and cost-efficiently managing their risk.”

“Both Victoria and Ashley possess the clarity of vision required to advance our GTreasury and Hedge Trackers products to meet our customers’ evolving needs today and well into the future—and both bring relevant, experienced, and proven leadership to accomplish those goals,” said Renaat Ver Eecke, CEO, GTreasury. “I’m glad to welcome Victoria and Ashley into their new roles and look forward to what’s to come from GTreasury and Hedge Trackers.”

About GTreasury

GTreasury is committed to connecting treasury and digital finance operations by providing a world-class SaaS treasury and risk management system and integrated ecosystem where cash, debt, investments and exposures are seamlessly managed within the office of the CFO. GTreasury delivers intelligent insights, while connecting financial value chains and extending workflows to third-party systems, exchanges, portals and services. Headquartered in Chicago, with locations serving EMEA (London) and APAC (Sydney and Manila), GTreasury’s global community includes more than 800 customers and 30+ industries reaching 160+ countries worldwide. Visit GTreasury.com

The Relentless Rise of Real-Time Data


16-06-2022 | treasuryXL | Refinitiv | LinkedIn |

 

Demand for real-time data is growing fast as financial firms face regulatory, trading, operational and competitive challenges. Rob Lane, head of real-time feeds at Refinitiv, discusses the changing data needs of banks and buy-side firms and how the cloud is helping improve access to a key source of competitive advantage in pursuit of more informed and agile decision-making.

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