Trending treasury topics from the Treasury Barometer 2019

| 29-11-2019 | Enigma Consulting | Bas Kolenburg

While the treasury has always managed changes in both financial markets as in the businesses, the pace at which changes now need to be managed is accelerating. In a time of increased digitalisation, payments acceleration and new business models in the whole value chain of payments processes and bank connectivity, treasurers are becoming increasingly keen to leverage on the opportunities.

Treasury Barometer – the report

In the 6th edition of the Treasury Barometer, developed by Enigma Consulting and Rabobank, the trending topics that are shaping the treasury in 2019 and beyond have been explored drawing on feedback from the survey held in mid-2019. This report presents the latest trends and developments and provides a unique and representative understanding of the Dutch corporate treasury landscape.

The Editor Panel consisting of 6 members of the Dutch treasury community,  set the direction of this year’s Treasury Barometer and to monitor the quality and relevance of the content. The 4 content-interviews were again a great added value to the results of the survey, as they gave more insight into the subjects.

Trending treasury topics

This year’s edition walked readers through many of the hot topics that the treasury face nowadays.

Fraud & Cybercrime

Fraud & Cybercrime are actual trending topics as the treasurers are still trying to find the right responses to the increased cyber and (payment) fraud activity, advanced technology techniques and social engineering that is being used nowadays. Although an astonishing 82% treasury departments have been a victim of attempted or actual payment fraud/cybercrime, only 5% of the fraud (attempts) are being reported to the police. People seem to be afraid to be open about the fact that this happened to them so that it will be difficult for the police to solve fraud cases committed by large scale operating gangs.

KYC requirements

Because of the focus on anti-money laundering (“AML”) and the financing of terrorism (“CFT”), there is a lot of pressure on financial institutions to meet their compliance expectations, being forwarded to their clients in the form of increased KYC requirements and more intensive transactions screening.
From all respondent , 91% see that the increased KYC requirements are hindering operational efficiency, the growth and the management of its business and even 24% of all respondents has considered changing banks due to bank-specific KYC processes.

LIBOR phase out

The LIBOR phase out effect will be temporary but will lead to a total rebuilding of the bank’s infrastructure which will be pushed through to their corporate clients, who are just beginning to become aware what is ahead of them. The Barometer reported that only 42% have performed an impact analysis and even 15% was not aware of the LIBOR phase out at all. Industry experts recommend that corporates perform an impact analysis and become operationally ready for the IBOR phase out as soon as possible.

Technology/Innovation

The instant payments schemes and new technology around the world are transforming treasury departments into a world of real time 24/7 liquidity, based on a shift towards more centralised control with local empowerment. With new business models in the whole value chain of payments processes and bank connectivity, banks are rapidly embracing innovations and developing fintechs. The adoption in treasury departments is a mixed bag with an increasing group of early adopters, but also a large group that has difficulties to steer away from current older technology and interfaces.

Treasury Barometer results

Sustainability seems to be established as a core value and has moved beyond the initial hype, but the results of the Barometer showed no increased activity.

Bas Kolenburg from Enigma Consulting concluded: “From this year’s Treasury Barometer, the Fraud, KYC, LIBOR and Technology/Innovation themes are clearly very much on the radar of Dutch corporate treasurers and we are confident that this year’s report is motivating and inspiring for treasury departments. We aim with the Treasury Barometer not to provide an one-way publication but that this will be part of a multi-stakeholder conversation with the Dutch treasury community. The invitation is therefore open for persons to be engaged in future editions of the Treasury Barometer”

The full report is available for download here.