Tag Archive for: ENIGMA

Brexit: UK Payment Service Providers barred from EU

13-01-2021 | treasuryXL | Enigma Consulting | Geert Blom

UK Payment Service Providers without an EU-license are barred from doing business in the EU. As of December 31, 2020, the UK and EU have concluded arrangements that effectuate the partnership between both parties on many different levels. However, the arrangement agreed upon does not include specifications regarding provisions, exemptions or special treatment for UK Payment Service Providers.


On January 31, 2020 the UK left the EU on the basis of the agreed withdrawal agreement. This prevented a no-deal Brexit on that date and led to the transition period until the end of 2020. In 2020, lawmakers have argued over the possibility to arrange for so-called EU-equivalence decisions with regard to the UK. These arrangements have not materialized and neither did EU member state parliaments deem it necessary to extend temporary exemptions for the provision of services by payment service providers or electronic money institutions established in the UK.

This means that from 2021 onwards, all British financial service providers without an EU-license are no longer allowed to provide many of their services to EU-clients. Also, the access rights of British financial institutions to provide cross-border financial services in the European Union will in many cases no longer apply. The financial supervising authorities expect that British institutions have taken timely preparatory measures so that the relevant state laws and regulations are complied with. Compliance could and can still be attained by applying for – and receiving – a payment institution license in one of the EU member states.

In recent years, The Netherlands have served as a favorite hub nation for many UK PSP’s. At Enigma Consulting, we are experienced and market leader in applying for payment institution licenses specifically in the Netherlands, for both PSP’s and EGI’s. We specialize in creating all required documentation and provide expert guidance on all applicable policies, procedures and related topics. If you too aspire to do business in the Netherlands as a PSP or EGI and if you are currently in need of expert advice or assistance with acquiring a license, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

 

Geert Blom

Senior Legal Consultant

+31 (0)6 13 91 88 22

 

 

 

 

 

Brexit Drives Financial Institutions from UK to EU License

20-03-2020 | treasuryXL | Enigma Consulting

Since the UK left the European Union on January 31st, Brexit is a fact. Currently both sides are in a transition phase that lasts until the end of this year. For now, it remains unclear how the future relationship between the EU and the UK will be shaped after 2020.

It is therefore important that financial institutions prepare themselves, as from 2021 onwards, bottlenecks can arise in cross-border services between the EU and the UK.

On the 31st January 2020 the UK left the EU on the basis of the agreed withdrawal agreement. This prevented a no-deal Brexit on that date and led to the transition period until the end of 2020. During this period, EU law will continue to apply to the UK in all areas, including the financial passport rights that are part of the Single European Payment Area.

At the same time there is uncertainty about the situation after the transition period. In the coming period the EU and the UK will negotiate the design of the future relationship, including financial services. The basis for this is the political declaration that the EU and the UK agreed upon as part of the withdrawal agreement. Starting point for financial services is the possibility to make so-called EU-equivalence decisions with regard to third countries.

What is meant by equivalence?

Within the European Union, a single market exists that guarantees the free movement of goods, capital, services and labour. These four freedoms make life easier for international actors on this single market. It allows financial institutions to offer their services to more than 450 million consumers, living in any EU member state.

Although Brexit results in the UK leaving the EU, there might be a last resort. The EU allows companies that are not based in any of its member states to access the single market if the legal regime for a certain sector in a third country is declared to be equivalent.

Act rather than react

It has been agreed that the EU will carry out equivalence assessments with the UK (and vice versa) in the first half of this year. These assessments are aimed to finished in June this year.

However, it is still unclear which UK sectors the EU will (possibly) declare equivalent, and if so, when that happens. Even if UK regulations and supervision were to be declared equivalent in many different sectors, it would not correspond to the high level of market access that UK financial institutions currently have to offer their services in the EU. The scope of the equivalence regime is limited and excludes most of the core banking and financial activities. Deposit-taking, lending, payment services and investment services will not be granted access to the European single market without having an EU license.

Does your business need a DNB license? You need to take these 8 steps

07-02-2020 | treasuryXL | Enigma Consulting

Anyone that provides payment services in the Netherlands must either hold the appropriate licence issued by DNB or be excepted or exempted from the licensing requirement. A payment service provider may start operations only after DNB has issued its licence or after it has entered the provider in the register as an exempt payment service provider, unless it is excepted from the licensing requirement by law.

Do you need help in your DNB License application process?

The consultants at Enigma are highly experienced in license applications. Their clients often have widely divergent reasons for applying for a licence. For example:

  • Innovative companies that wish to utilise the opportunities offered by new payment rules for account information services and payment initiation services, such as fintech businesses and accounting software providers.
  • UK-based businesses that have decided to apply for a license in the Netherlands and to serve Europe from here because of the consequences of Brexit.
  • Asian and American companies that wish to use the Netherlands as a base for setting up their worldwide Payment Gateway.
  • Companies that can no longer utilise exceptions that were possible in PSD1 because of PSD2 and are therefore applying for a license to operate as a payment service provider.

Enigma has a multidisciplinary team, which offers the benefit of us being able to offer all areas of expertise required for license applications. The result is an application of which all elements meet the quality criteria of the supervisory body, which means a quicker assessment and granting of a license by the DNB.

You no longer need to be a bank to offer payment services. The Dutch Act on Financial Supervision applies in the Netherlands for the purpose of increasing competition and protecting consumers. This law makes it possible for payment institutions to offer payment services.

The law differentiates between 8 different types of payment service providers.

There are the classic payment service providers and electronic money institutions, but since the introduction of the PSD2 European payment guideline, there are also newer variants of account information service providers (AISPs) and payment initiation service providers (PISPs). Payment services offered include the administration of bank accounts, the transfer, deposit or receipt of funds, or the issuing or acceptance of payment instruments (such as cards).

So when is a licence required for a service? And what are the criteria that must be met?

A successful licence application for each type of payment institution is a question of thorough preparation and adequate quality assurance.

The steps required for an efficient, successful application at a glance:

1. Check whether a licence is required to offer the service

A payment service does not necessarily require a licence. Exceptions include services in which payment is made with a payment instrument with limited options for use. Neither is a license required if transactions take place in cash only and no bank account is involved.

2. If a licence is required, check whether an exemption applies

If step one indicates that a licence is required, check whether exemptions apply. A number of conditions need to be met in order to make use of that exemption. We have listed 3 below.

  1. Payment services are intended exclusively for people living in the Netherlands
  2. The monthly volume is less than 3 million Euros
  3. Asset segregation is managed by means of a trust account, bank guarantee, or comparable guarantee

If the conditions for an exemption appear to be met, then this also needs to be applied for from DNB. This application is also subject to considerable requirements. If these requirements can be met and the application for a licence has been submitted, the DNB will assess whether an exemption should be granted. If so, they will enter the exempted payment service provider into the public register.

3. Prepare the file and make the necessary organisational changes

Having completed the first 2 steps, it is clear that a licence is required and that the service does not qualify for an exemption. In that case, the payment institution must meet various criteria to be able to offer its services. These include:

  1. Demonstrating the reliability and suitability of policy makers
  2. The integrity of the company’s operations
  3. Controlled governance
  4. Surety of the funds
  5. Evaluation of the day-to-day policy makers
  6. Minimum equity and solvency requirements
  7. No Objection certificate

This is about managing operational processes and business risks, such as safeguarding the funds of the payment institution’s clients. Policy and procedures, such as a client acceptance policy, transaction monitoring, a compliance charter, and a procedure for reporting irregular transactions need to be formulated. In most cases, a ‘risk management’ policy needs to be formulated and a risk & compliance officer needs to be appointed.

4. Submit the application to De Nederlandsche Bank

All the supporting documentation for the application then needs to be submitted to the DNB. The application form that must to be completed and signed serves as the basis. The DNB decides whether to grant a licence within three months of receipt of a license application from a payment institution. Note that the three months only start once all the necessary documentation has been received. There are costs involved in applying for a licence from the DNB.

Enigma Consulting’s experience is that the DNB usually asks various questions and that the lead time for a licence application normally exceeds 3 months.

5. Implement the new policy and corresponding procedures in the organisation

When compiling the file, the implementation of specific policy and corresponding procedures in the payment institution is already a big step. Ensure these activities have actually been implemented by the company before the licence is granted. Do not underestimate this process, because depending on the size of the organisation, this step can be moderately to very resource intensive.

Experience

Thanks to Enigma Consulting’s extensive experience of the application procedure and short lines of communication with DNB, they can advise and support you in each step of the application process, whether it involves an application for an exemption, or a licence for a payment services provider, electronic money institution, account information services provider, or payment initiation services provider.

There is also the option of temporary deployment of a risk & compliance officer to share best practice and train your staff internally. Enigma possesses considerable experience in all stages of the application process. They can assist you in compiling the file and in setting up your organisational processes.
Contact Enigma Consulting with no obligation if you would like to discuss your objectives.

Geert Blom
Senior Consultant at Enigma Consulting

License application for payment services in 5 steps

| 27-9-2019 | treasuryXL | Enigma Consulting

License applications from DNB: Enigma knows what is required!

If a business processes payment transactions or wants to become an account information service provider (AISP) or payment initiation service provider (PISP), it requires a license from De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).

The consultants at Enigma are highly experienced in license applications. Our clients often have widely divergent reasons for applying for a licence. For example:

  • Innovative companies that wish to utilise the opportunities offered by new payment rules for account information services and payment initiation services, such as fintech businesses and accounting software providers.
  • UK-based businesses that have decided to apply for a license in the Netherlands and to serve Europe from here because of the consequences of Brexit.
  • Asian and American companies that wish to use the Netherlands as a base for setting up their worldwide Payment Gateway.
  • Companies that can no longer utilise exceptions that were possible in PSD1 because of PSD2 and are therefore applying for a license to operate as a payment service provider.

We have a multidisciplinary team, which offers the benefit of us being able to offer all areas of expertise required for license applications. The result is an application of which all elements meet the quality criteria of the supervisory body, which means a quicker assessment and granting of a license by the DNB.

You no longer need to be a bank to offer payment services. The Dutch Act on Financial Supervision applies in the Netherlands for the purpose of increasing competition and protecting consumers. This law makes it possible for payment institutions to offer payment services.

The law differentiates between 8 different types of payment service providers.

There are the classic payment service providers and electronic money institutions, but since the introduction of the PSD2 European payment guideline, there are also newer variants of account information service providers (AISPs) and payment initiation service providers (PISPs). Payment services offered include the administration of bank accounts, the transfer, deposit or receipt of funds, or the issuing or acceptance of payment instruments (such as cards).

So when is a licence required for a service? And what are the criteria that must be met?

A successful licence application for each type of payment institution is a question of thorough preparation and adequate quality assurance.

The steps required for an efficient, successful application at a glance:

1. Check whether a licence is required to offer the service

A payment service does not necessarily require a licence. Exceptions include services in which payment is made with a payment instrument with limited options for use. Neither is a license required if transactions take place in cash only and no bank account is involved.

2. If a licence is required, check whether an exemption applies

If step one indicates that a licence is required, check whether exemptions apply. A number of conditions need to be met in order to make use of that exemption. We have listed 3 below.

  1. Payment services are intended exclusively for people living in the Netherlands
  2. The monthly volume is less than 3 million Euros
  3. Asset segregation is managed by means of a trust account, bank guarantee, or comparable guarantee

If the conditions for an exemption appear to be met, then this also needs to be applied for from DNB. This application is also subject to considerable requirements. If these requirements can be met and the application for a licence has been submitted, the DNB will assess whether an exemption should be granted. If so, they will enter the exempted payment service provider into the public register.

3. Prepare the file and make the necessary organisational changes

Having completed the first 2 steps, it is clear that a licence is required and that the service does not qualify for an exemption. In that case, the payment institution must meet various criteria to be able to offer its services. These include:

  1. Demonstrating the reliability and suitability of policy makers
  2. The integrity of the company’s operations
  3. Controlled governance
  4. Surety of the funds
  5. Evaluation of the day-to-day policy makers
  6. Minimum equity and solvency requirements
  7. No Objection certificate

This is about managing operational processes and business risks, such as safeguarding the funds of the payment institution’s clients. Policy and procedures, such as a client acceptance policy, transaction monitoring, a compliance charter, and a procedure for reporting irregular transactions need to be formulated. In most cases, a ‘risk management’ policy needs to be formulated and a risk & compliance officer needs to be appointed.

4. Submit the application to De Nederlandsche Bank

All the supporting documentation for the application then needs to be submitted to the DNB. The application form that must to be completed and signed serves as the basis. The DNB decides whether to grant a licence within three months of receipt of a license application from a payment institution. Note that the three months only start once all the necessary documentation has been received. There are costs involved in applying for a licence from the DNB.

Enigma Consulting’s experience is that the DNB usually asks various questions and that the lead time for a licence application normally exceeds 3 months.

5. Implement the new policy and corresponding procedures in the organisation

When compiling the file, the implementation of specific policy and corresponding procedures in the payment institution is already a big step. Ensure these activities have actually been implemented by the company before the licence is granted. Do not underestimate this process, because depending on the size of the organisation, this step can be moderately to very resource intensive.

Experience

Thanks to Enigma Consulting’s extensive experience of the application procedure and short lines of communication with DNB, they can advise and support you in each step of the application process, whether it involves an application for an exemption, or a licence for a payment services provider, electronic money institution, account information services provider, or payment initiation services provider.

There is also the option of temporary deployment of a risk & compliance officer to share best practice and train your staff internally. Enigma possesses considerable experience in all stages of the application process. They can assist you in compiling the file and in setting up your organisational processes.
Contact Enigma Consulting with no obligation if you would like to discuss your objectives..

Geert Blom
Senior Consultant at Enigma Consulting

IBOR phase out – a serious challenge

| 17-9-2019 | treasuryXL | Enigma Consulting

For the last 40 years IBOR (interbank offered rates, including LIBOR and later also EURIBOR) have been a fact of daily life in the financial services industry. They have been the benchmark for lending, hedge contracts, current accounts, valuation models etc. for a long time till the regulators, central banks and market participants decided to seek alternatives as from 2012.

Besides the switch to new reference rates, it now seems that alternative rates will be fixed afterwards based on a daily fixing component while the LIBOR Rates are now published at the beginning of each interest period.

Transitioning to alternative rates and calculation methods will be challenging, and it will have serious implications for both financial institutions as their customers on how lending and hedge contracts are priced and how treasurers manage risks and their working capital.

Although a lot of about detailed timing and specifications of the new reference rates is still unclear, we strongly recommend our clients  to be pro-active and not to follow the ‘wait and see” approach as the impact is expected to be substantial and the demand for resources to support these changes will increase in the coming months.

Bas Kolenburg: “Although this transition seems to be in the distant future, now is the time to start preparing! The impact can be huge….”

Enigma Consulting support both financial institutions and their clients to adapt to these new market circumstances. For financial institutions, Enigma Consulting provides project management support for the migration activities and client communication. For (corporate) clients, Enigma Consulting is performing impact analyses, that result in an action plan/ heat maps for the short and medium term. These action plans can then be used to prepare the organization for the expected changes and communicate with internal and external stakeholders such as your banks, market data suppliers, TMS & other systems suppliers and accountants.

 

Senior Consultant at Enigma Consulting

Webinar: How to streamline your banking landscape

| 14-5-2019 | BELLIN |

The expert guide on how to streamline your banking landscape with the perfect combination of banks, channels and formats

This webinar sheds light on the complexity of diverse bank connectivity options for each corporation. What channel or combination of channels are you going to use to connect to your banking partners in a process- and cost-efficient way? Will you capitalize on host-to-host connections or will you be taking advantage of SWIFT, get your own BIC code and become bank-agnostic? Find out about various options and multiple ways of combining them to eventually configure the custom-tailored payment setup that perfectly suits your treasury’s needs.

Webinar start: 6 June 2019 | 16:00 CEST
Webinar run time: approx. 20 min

Register here

Presenter
Anton Wahl, Senior Treasury Consultant

Anton Wahl is Senior Treasury Consultant and Payments Specialist at BELLIN and in charge of various projects. He has extensive experience with international SWIFT, H2H and EBICS payment implementation projects. Anton joined the BELLIN team in 2008 and first worked for the Service & Support Team before changing to Consulting & Implementation in 2015. He is a certified SWIFT Specialist for Corporates and obtained the designation Certified Payment Professional from Frankfurt School of Finance.

About BELLIN

BELLIN is the global leader in technology for corporate banking and treasury. We provide solutions for the financial sector, catering to a range of clients from large multinationals to SMEs and banks. Founded by a treasurer, BELLIN has been championing innovation and out-of-the-box thinking since 1998. With the treasury software tm5 as the centerpiece, BELLIN makes a fundamental difference by offering solutions that zero in on the relationship between corporates and banks and cover everything from payments to FX, cash and risk management. BELLIN is an international company with offices on four continents, powered by a trailblazing fintech spirit and yet firmly rooted in the heritage of German craftsmanship and engineering. BELLIN delights 500 clients and over 80,000 users around the globe.

 

 

Masterclass: Ontwikkelingen in het Betalingsverkeer

| 23-04-2019 | ENIGMA Consulting |

In samenwerking met Euroforum organiseert Enigma Consulting op 9 mei 2019 in Driebergen een Verdiepende Masterclass: Nieuwe ontwikkelingen in het Betalingsverkeer.

De veranderingen en innovaties in het betalingsverkeer zijn evident. Allerlei ontwikkelingen grijpen in op het betaaldomein en nieuwe spelers gaan verrassende diensten bieden. Tijdens deze intensieve masterclass krijgt u op 1 dag alle ins & outs van deze veranderingen te horen. En wat voor kansen dit concreet kan bieden voor uw dagelijkse werk! De Masterclass is bestemd voor banken, betalingsverkeer financials vanuit bedrijfleven en overheid, Fintech’s en start-ups.

Onderwerpen Masterclass

Impact Instant Payments

In de loop van 2019 worden betalingen 24/7 binnen 5 seconden afgewikkeld. Instant is het nieuwe “normaal” en klanten verwachten dat dit ook meteen zichtbaar is. Gaan bedrijven dus ook volledig realtime? Dit heeft invloed op alle huidige, vaak batch georiënteerde, betaalprocessen. Hoor hoe u hier effectief op inspeelt!

PSD2 eindelijk geïmplementeerd

De open banking era begint nu echt in volle omvang. Dienstverlening door tientallen Fintech’s en banken die nieuwe services aanbieden op basis van de betaalgegevens van klanten en met toestemming van klanten betalingen initiëren. Accuratere credit-rating wordt mogelijk, blijft iDEAL wel bestaan en wat gebeurt er met de incasso? Wat is de concrete impact nu PSD2 geïmplementeerd is?

Impact Innovaties

Welke impact hebben innovaties als E-signing, big data, Robotics, internet-of-things, open banking en biometrics op het betaaldomein? Gaan de grote Fintech partijen de dienstverlening van banken overnemen?

Services in het betaalproces

Financieel klantbeeld op het “mijn-domein” wordt steeds belangrijker. Welke informatie toont u? En welke self-service mogelijkheden en controles biedt u om het betaalproces te vergemakkelijken? En hoe gaat u om met achterstanden en welke betaalmix biedt u om vorderingen te incasseren?

Aan de hand van concrete klantcases komen alle thema’s aan bod en inventariseren wij hoe u voordeel kunt halen uit bovenstaande onderwerpen!

Meer informatie over de masterclass kunt u vinden op de website van ENIGMA Consulting.

 

 

ENIGMA Consulting

 

 

Masterclass: Nieuwe ontwikkelingen in het Betalingsverkeer

| 04-04-2019 | ENIGMA Consulting |

In samenwerking met Euroforum organiseert Enigma Consulting op 9 mei 2019 in Driebergen een Verdiepende Masterclass: Nieuwe ontwikkelingen in het Betalingsverkeer.

De veranderingen en innovaties in het betalingsverkeer zijn evident. Allerlei ontwikkelingen grijpen in op het betaaldomein en nieuwe spelers gaan verrassende diensten bieden. Tijdens deze intensieve masterclass krijgt u op 1 dag alle ins & outs van deze veranderingen te horen. En wat voor kansen dit concreet kan bieden voor uw dagelijkse werk! De Masterclass is bestemd voor banken, betalingsverkeer financials vanuit bedrijfleven en overheid, Fintech’s en start-ups.

Onderwerpen Masterclass

Impact Instant Payments

In de loop van 2019 worden betalingen 24/7 binnen 5 seconden afgewikkeld. Instant is het nieuwe “normaal” en klanten verwachten dat dit ook meteen zichtbaar is. Gaan bedrijven dus ook volledig realtime? Dit heeft invloed op alle huidige, vaak batch georiënteerde, betaalprocessen. Hoor hoe u hier effectief op inspeelt!

PSD2 eindelijk geïmplementeerd

De open banking era begint nu echt in volle omvang. Dienstverlening door tientallen Fintech’s en banken die nieuwe services aanbieden op basis van de betaalgegevens van klanten en met toestemming van klanten betalingen initiëren. Accuratere credit-rating wordt mogelijk, blijft iDEAL wel bestaan en wat gebeurt er met de incasso? Wat is de concrete impact nu PSD2 geïmplementeerd is?

Impact Innovaties

Welke impact hebben innovaties als E-signing, big data, Robotics, internet-of-things, open banking en biometrics op het betaaldomein? Gaan de grote Fintech partijen de dienstverlening van banken overnemen?

Services in het betaalproces

Financieel klantbeeld op het “mijn-domein” wordt steeds belangrijker. Welke informatie toont u? En welke self-service mogelijkheden en controles biedt u om het betaalproces te vergemakkelijken? En hoe gaat u om met achterstanden en welke betaalmix biedt u om vorderingen te incasseren?

Aan de hand van concrete klantcases komen alle thema’s aan bod en inventariseren wij hoe u voordeel kunt halen uit bovenstaande onderwerpen!

Meer informatie over de masterclass kunt u vinden op de website van ENIGMA Consulting.

 

 

ENIGMA Consulting

 

 

BELLIN wins the award for Best Cash and Treasury Management Solution

| 5-2-2019 | BELLIN | ENIGMA Consulting | treasuryXL

Enigma is proud to share that BELLIN has won the 2018 Awards for Innovation & Excellence in Treasury & Risk Management for “Best Cash & Treasury Management Solution”

BELLIN, a global leader in providing web-based treasury software and services for multinational corporations, has again been recognized as an industry leader, winning the 2018 Awards for Innovation & Excellence in Treasury & Risk Management for Best Cash & Treasury Management Solution.

The Awards for Innovation & Excellence are sponsored by Treasury Management International and were introduced more than a decade ago. Over the years, TMI has entrenched themselves as a quality authority and benchmark for the treasury profession by formally recognizing banks, vendors, consultants and practitioners that are exhibiting elevated innovation and expertise within their fields. BELLIN’s treasury management system, tm5, was recognized as the number-one Cash & Treasury Management Solution, further cementing BELLIN as the leader in treasury technology.

“BELLIN is extremely proud to have maintained our identity as a traditional fintech service provider, while simultaneously shifting our gaze to exciting emerging technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence”, remarked Martin Bellin, CEO and Founder of BELLIN. “We are honored to receive this award from TMI and will strive to continue serving and reshaping the treasury industry as a whole,” Martin added.

Enigma’s Bas Kolenburg is not surprised: “Based on our recent successes as a BELLIN Treasury Management Solution provider we experience an increasing acceptance by the corporate market for the BELLIN technology. In all cases the feedback is very positive both on the technology as well as the implementation process.”

BELLIN’s tm5 is a comprehensive and integrated treasury platform that consolidates typical treasury tasks into one convenient interface. tm5 excels in cash and liquidity management, secure global payments, bank connectivity, FX and interest rate exposure. tm5 steps in as an all-in-one treasury management platform with a heightened focus on security by providing cutting edge in-house modules supplemented with third-party integrations.

About BELLIN

BELLIN is the global leader in technology for corporate banking and treasury. We provide solutions for the financial sector, catering to a range of clients from large multinationals to SMEs and banks. Founded by a treasurer, BELLIN has been championing innovation and out-of-the-box thinking since 1998. With the treasury software tm5 as the centerpiece, BELLIN makes a fundamental difference by offering solutions that zero in on the relationship between corporates and banks and cover everything from payments to FX, cash and risk management. BELLIN is an international company with offices on four continents, powered by a trailblazing fintech spirit and yet firmly rooted in the heritage of German craftsmanship and engineering. BELLIN delights 500 clients and over 80,000 users around the globe.

About Enigma

Enigma Consulting (based in The Netherlands) is a trusted advisor in Payments, Bank connectivity  & Treasury with over 20 years of experience. Enigma Consulting supports all Dutch Financial Institutions, many corporates and several charities. The Enigma Consulting’s core competence is mapping trends, rules / regulations and technology on the current situation of the customer, strategy consultancy and if required assistance with the implementation as team leader or team member.

Enigma is exclusive partner for BELLIN and is fully certified for the BELLIN tm5 system implementations. Enigma has a complete treasury consulting team working from its Driebergen office.  The broad knowledge and unequalled extensive implementation capabilities combined with the BELLIN product suite has already resulted in over 30 Dutch BELLIN TMS implementations in recent years.

 

 

 

ENIGMA Consulting

 




 

 

BELLIN

 

Treasury as a service

| 02-10-2018 | ENIGMA Consulting |

Je zou kunnen denken dat alleen grote bedrijven een liquiditeitsplanning nodig hebben. Dit is echter niet waar. Of je nu een start-up bent, een klein groeiend bedrijf of een middelgrote onderneming op zoek naar innovatie, voor financiering en interactie met kredietverstrekkers is een liquiditeitsplanning erg belangrijk. Als je je nog niet eerder met liquiditeitsplanning hebt bezig gehouden, dan is het verstandig om verder te lezen.

Waarom is er een liquiditeitsplan nodig?

Effectieve liquiditeitsplanning is essentieel voor het succesvol managen van een bedrijf. Het biedt een gestructureerd overzicht van de belangrijkste inkomende en uitgaande geldstromen bij het bedrijf, normaal gesproken over een periode van één tot drie jaar. Er wordt onderscheid gemaakt tussen een liquiditeitsplan dat betrekking heeft op een fiscaal jaar en een liquiditeitsplan dat periodiek wordt aangepast om de laatste ontwikkelingen weer te geven. Een doorlopende planning wordt gebruikt om wijzigingen vast te leggen die bijvoorbeeld kunnen voortvloeien uit verkoop- en kostenvariaties voor de planningsperiode. Jaarlijkse en voortschrijdende plannen worden uiteindelijk vergeleken met werkelijke kasstromen met als doel de verschillen te analyseren en maatregelen te nemen om de liquiditeit te waarborgen.

Wat is het doel van liquiditeitsplanning? Naast het voor de hand liggende antwoord dat het projecties voor de komende maanden en jaren biedt, zijn er andere goede redenen voor liquiditeitsplanning.

  • Basis voor deugdelijke bedrijfsbeslissingen door het management; een van de taken van een directeur is om niet alleen de financiële groei van het bedrijf in de gaten te houden maar ook de solvabiliteit. Een gestructureerd liquiditeitsplan is in dit opzicht een goed uitgangspunt en levert betrouwbare cijfers als basis voor elke strategische beslissing.
  • Bewijs voor geldschieters en aandeelhouders; liquiditeitsplanning speelt ook een belangrijke rol bij het zoeken naar financieringsaanbieders om investeringen te doen, groei te financieren of nieuwe productideeën tot uitvoering te brengen. Een liquiditeitsplan kan de financier (bank or andere kredietverstrekker) aantonen hoe de liquiditeit de komende jaren naar verwachting zal evolueren – bewijsmateriaal dat keer op keer moet worden verstrekt en die voortschrijdende planning kan bieden. Nauwkeurige planning schraagt ​​de reputatie van een bedrijf in de ogen van alle externe partijen – zowel kredietverschaffers als aandeelhouders.

Hoe ingewikkeld is liquiditeitsplanning nou?

Als je zelf op een financiële afdeling werkt en in het verleden te maken hebt gehad met liquiditeitsplanning, bent je waarschijnlijk maar al te bekend met de onderstaande problemen.

Je geeft planningssjablonen aan alle betrokkenen, maar alleen onvolledige informatie – of helemaal niets – wordt geretourneerd. Inzendingen zijn tegenstrijdig of bevatten een verscheidenheid aan eenheden en formaten. Voorgeschreven wisselkoersen worden niet gebruikt, er is geen coördinatie tussen operationeel verbonden eenheden, enzovoort. Als instructies te ingewikkeld zijn of de eisen te zwaar, worden entiteiten vaak overweldigd en gebruiken ze de informatie verkeerd.

Verschillende operationele struikelblokken komen dan snel naar voren. Als instructies niet volledig worden opgevolgd en informatie op verschillende manieren wordt geleverd, is het samenstellen van een plan een moeizame en langdurige exercitie. Gegevens moeten handmatig worden overgedragen, veronderstellingen nauwkeurig onderzocht en indelingen gewijzigd. Een hoge mate van betrokkenheid is vereist als je je aan bepaalde tijdsbestekken wil houden en wil voorkomen dat de gegevens waaraan je werkt worden vervangen door recentere gegevens. Handmatige invoer moet ook door een andere persoon worden gecontroleerd om fouten te voorkomen. Vertragingen worden vaak verwacht en ingebouwd in het schema.

Processen zijn dus ongecontroleerd en inefficiënt en alle partijen verliezen momentum. Het resultaat is vaak een liquiditeitsplan op basis van gegevens die verouderd zijn en dus uiteindelijk onbetrouwbaar.

Hoe kan ik een liquiditeitsplanning eenvoudiger opstellen?

In het tijdperk van digitalisering en globalisering is een voor de hand liggend antwoord op het verbeteren van de efficiëntie en het verbeteren van de onderliggende gegevens het gebruik van software – idealiter een bedrijfsbreed platform waartoe alle relevante werknemers toegang hebben en dat in realtime betrouwbare gegevens levert.

Maar niet alle bedrijven willen dit pad volgen. In plaats daarvan willen vooral kleine en middelgrote ondernemingen een stap verder gaan en herhalende, tijdrovende taken helemaal elimineren.

Ze schrikken terug voor de tijd en moeite die het kost om te investeren in een Treasury implementatie project; ze hebben geen personeel beschikbaar. Ze willen zich gewoon op de business concentreren, zonder een langdurig project te beginnen en nieuwe medewerkers aan te nemen en op te leiden.

Dit zijn allemaal redenen om een ​​deel of de volledige verantwoordelijkheid voor de genoemde problemen over te dragen aan een professionele dienstverlener, bijvoorbeeld door een uitbestedingsoplossing zoals Treasury as a Service (TaaS) van ENIGMA te gebruiken. Vooral als het gaat om liquiditeitsplanning, is er een enorm potentieel om resources te sparen en tegelijkertijd de nauwkeurigheid van gegevens en planningsmogelijkheden te verbeteren.

Kan ik de liquiditeitsplanning outsourcen?

Natuurlijk kunnen wij de liquiditeitsplanning verzorgen. Wij bieden bedrijven een service die liquiditeitsplanning en andere duidelijk omschreven diensten zoals financiële status, betalingen, cash pooling en verrekening op een professionele, veilige en betrouwbare manier verstrekt en ondersteunt. We noemen het Treasury as a Service (TaaS). TaaS biedt een professionele service die het planningsproces bij het bedrijf duidelijk structureert en beheert en daarmee de planningsbetrouwbaarheid binnen het bedrijf verbetert. Transparantie en zichtbaarheid nemen toe, waardoor de reputatie van het bedrijf bij banken wordt versterkt.

Hoe werkt liquiditeitsplanning met TaaS?

ENIGMA zorgt voor alle essentiële vereisten. Wij bieden web based toegang tot een applicatie en wij bieden gecertificeerde hosting- en datacenterprocessen die de nodige beveiliging garanderen. Geen handmatige gegevensverzameling via verschillende communicatiekanalen en de vervelende analyse van gegevens. Verdwenen is ook de onzekerheid over de bron van informatie en de vraag of gegevens wel up-to-date zijn.

ENIGMA biedt een gestandaardiseerd planningsplatform waarop alle bedrijfsonderdelen planningsgegevens kunnen invoeren in overeenstemming met standaard procesinstructies. Het planningsproces is gedocumenteerd door ENIGMA en voldoet daarmee aan essentiële nalevingsvereisten zoals die door het bedrijf zijn opgesteld. Planningssjablonen zijn gestandaardiseerd en gebaseerd op de uitgebreide ervaring van de ENIGMA-consultants. Er worden neutrale categorieën gebruikt die relevant zijn voor elk bedrijf. Planning wordt uitgevoerd op basis van een jaarplan of op maandelijkse basis waarbij wordt uitgesplitst naar valuta. We stellen deadlines voor het hele proces met behulp van onze planningskalender. Nadat de periode voor het invoeren van planningsgegevens is beëindigd en interne coördinatie heeft plaatsgevonden om consistentie te waarborgen, kunnen alle partijen onmiddellijk aan verschillende analyses beginnen. De verschillende plannen kunnen worden vergeleken met de feitelijke situatie of met elkaar en worden onderzocht op verschillen.

Het hoofdkantoor kan geconsolideerde analyses uitvoeren en waardevolle informatie uit de rapporten verkrijgen die nodig is voor financierings- of hedgingbeslissingen. Rolling-planning toont snel veranderingen in de tijd en maakt onmiddellijke interventie mogelijk met gerichte maatregelen. Dit vermindert de blootstelling van het bedrijf aan financiële risico’s.

Wij zorgen voor de handmatige, operationele klussen en het kader; jij houdt je bezig met gegevensinvoer en -analyse. Je hebt een solide basis voor het uitvoeren van verder strategisch werk.

 

 

Frits Touw

Associate at ENIGMA Consulting