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The Art of Selecting Suitable Treasury Technology
| 21-07-2021 | treasuryXL | Nomentia |
Many Corporate Treasury functions are aware of the importance of utilizing technology to deliver improved efficiency and control in their treasury operations. This is being driven by the increasing pace of regulatory change, continuously evolving business models, volatile economic conditions, and fast-growing technological developments. Also, treasurers are recognizing the benefits of a strategically focused ‘smart treasury’ – one that utilizes the latest technology to be more integrated, automated, and optimized; adding value to the business.
However, as the treasury technology landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, many organizations find it difficult to successfully adopt this technology, either because their entry point is not clear or because they had previously made the leap and are now struggling to keep pace with the evolution. There are a multitude of options and considerations for those looking for the right solutions, which are important to understand before deciding on what is right for an organization.
We have outlined below some key insights and considerations when selecting suitable technology solutions.
Develop a treasury technology roadmap
Your roadmap should consider essential functional requirements that must be satisfied immediately – current hot topics include improved cash visibility, robust and accurate cash forecasting, a more efficient payments and receivables process, and fraud prevention. All of these areas are ‘must-haves’ for many organizations, so the first building block for the roadmap is finding a solution that can satisfy them.
However, alongside considering your immediate needs in your roadmap it is also important to plan for the future. To do this, you must look at the internal and external drivers of change for your business and how the treasury will need to support that.
An example of an internal driver could be where accelerated geographical growth is expected, and therefore treasury will be required to rapidly connect with new banks, set up new accounts, and adopt new currencies. This comes with challenges around dealing with country-specific requirements for payment formats and new types of bank connectivity, so your chosen technology solutions should be capable of adopting these easily.
Similarly, for external drivers you can look at the current markets you operate in and identify any expected developments in payments and banking initiatives. Current examples of external drivers for those operating in the Nordics and Europe include the P27 Nordic payments initiative or PSD2 electronic payments services regulations. Once again, your technology solutions should be chosen to ensure you are able to keep pace with these changes.
Self-hosted versus SaaS solution
We find that a number of treasuries have had historic on-premise solutions which have not always kept up to date with the developments in functionality and the market. As a result, treasurers have had to establish a number of in-house workarounds which are costly and complex to maintain.
To improve upon this, most technology companies now provide a solution that is delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS), a deployment method that comes with several benefits.
SaaS solutions are hosted in the ‘cloud’ and hence there is no need for the organization to manage technical matters such as maintaining appropriate servers, backups, etc. Because the solution is managed in the cloud by the vendor, there is no longer a need for users to manually upgrade their solutions and perform the associated regression testing – upgrades are tested and deployed by the vendor on a regular basis, ensuring all organizations using the solution are using the latest version containing the latest functionality. Over the past years, we have seen an increasing number of solutions being offered as a SaaS solution and can see this as a trend that will continue to dominate in the future. You should also consider your organization’s overall IT strategy as it is critical to ensure you are aligned with this.
All-in-one versus best of breed
Over the years we have seen significant shifts in the treasury technology market with innovative and specialized Fintech solutions driving advancements in the market. These applications are often focused on specific areas of functionality rather than covering the broad set of requirements a treasury function may have. They are often meant to be complemented by other platforms to form a suite of treasury applications that cover all requirements.
Hence, the key consideration for an organization is whether to opt for an ‘all-in-one’ TMS or to deploy a stable of ‘best of breed’ solutions. An all-in-one TMS comes with clear benefits such as a single platform to handle all treasury transactions/processes and fewer interfaces to monitor and maintain.
However, for some organizations the all-in-one TMS comes at a significant initial and ongoing cost commitment when their requirements aren’t as broad compared to the functionality on offer. Although many of the vendors of all-in-one TMSs allow organizations to choose which modules of the platform they utilize for a reduced license fee, it is often not the case that if you are only using 50% of the functionality you will be paying 50% of the price. A much more palatable solution comes in the form of best-of-breed solutions, which deliver a more flexible technology landscape utilizing specialized systems that may address the many unique requirements of a treasury function, at a lower cost than the all-in-one TMS. Previously the use of multiple platforms was not favorable due to difficulties that could be faced such as technical integration and reporting. However, the rising use of digital APIs has improved the way systems interface with each other. Also, data-warehouses coupled with BI solutions has enabled reporting based on data sourced from a variety of platforms.
Typically, when implementing a new system you will sign a license agreement for a minimum 5-year term, so it is important to ensure you have considered the suitability of the technology partner(s) and the functionality to support you in your digitalization over many years. During the selection process, it is important to perform an analysis of partners and vendors focused on their experience, innovation roadmap, development track-record, reliability, and support model. These are attributes that will demonstrate to you that the vendor is able to support your business not only now but also in the future, as your operations and the demands placed upon the treasury function change as your business grows and evolves.
Final comments
One size does not fit all treasury functions, as each organization’s treasury remit and activities will drive the appropriate solution or solutions.
International Treasury Management and Corporate Finance
| 15-7-2021 | François de Witte | treasuryXL |
Registration
In order to be accepted to this certified path it will be asked to complete this application form .
This course will start in October 2021. It includes 9 training modules and 5 intermediary exams. It is necessary to complete this form before your official registration. Registration will be closed on 1st September 2021 .
If you do not wish to be certified but are interested in the topics, almost every course can be purchased independently by clicking on the title in the content below. This certified path is a blended training which contains both physical and virtual classroom, e-mentoring, teamwork, etc.
Description
The treasurer is the custodian of the company’s daily liquidity. He manages, anticipates and secures cash flows by ensuring that financial needs are covered. This cursus will give the ability to assist directly and practically the treasurer of large corporates or to take over the treasury responsibilities in a SME. The various modules will allow acquiring an in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the “Corporate Treasure” profession.
Objectives
At the end of this programme, the participant will able to:
The various modules will allow to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the “Corporate Treasurer” profession.
Programme
Module 0: Introduction to Treasury Management
Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager
Module 1: Financial Maths in Excel (Focus on treasury & corporate finance)
Speaker: Hugues Pirotte / Professor of Finance at Solvay Brussels School
Module 2: Payments, Cash Management and Banking Relations
Speaker François De Witte / Consultant
Module 3: Trade Finance in context of uncertainty
Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager
Module 4: Introduction to Counterparty Credit Risk Management and Cash Collection
Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager
Module 5: Practical Aspects of International Finance Regulation
Speaker: Lievin Tshikali
Module 6: Risk Management applied to treasury
Speaker: François Masquelier / Group Treasurer
Module 7: Technologies applied to treasury
Speaker: François Masquelier/ Group Treasurer
Module 8: Cyberfraud: what you need to know to manage this ever increasing risk
Speaker: Thierry Hamon / Cash management & security expert
Some homework might be proposed for some modules, there will be continuous control in the form of intermediary exams (under the form of QCM) and a final exam will be sanctioned by an attestation delivered by ATEL (The Luxembourg Association of Corporate Treasurers).
There might also be one or two “extra-activity”, such as a visit in a bank trading room or/and a special guest speaker addressing the cursus participants on a specific subject (still to be defined, optional events).
Target Audience
Anyone willing to acquire an in-depth knowledge in corporate treasury and wishing to exercise this knowledge in practice.
Prerequisites
Course Material
The course material can be downloaded free of charge via your portal the day before the start of the course (download the Client Portal User’s Guide here).
Certificate
At the end of the programme, the participants will receive a “Certificate of Attendance” delivered by the House of Training, and an attestation of “Exam Success Pass” delivered by ATEL. In order to get certified, an 80% rate of attendance and a 60% average score on the examinations are required. The participants will also receive a one-year free membership to ATEL (www.atel.lu) giving a number of advantages.
Register Here
François de Witte
How to pay your overseas suppliers quickly, easily and securely
15-07-2021 | treasuryXL | XE |
Having a reliable, easy-to-use payment method can make a world of difference to your company’s bottom line and to the efficiency of your processes.
When you purchase goods from overseas suppliers or pay international invoices—especially if you do so on a regular basis—having a reliable, easy-to-use payment method can make a world of difference to your company’s bottom line and to the efficiency of your processes.
If you do a quick Google search, you’ll see that there are countless options for you to make your international payments. Your bank branch may have their own money transfer services, and there are also online providers that specialize solely in overseas money transfers. But which option is the best for your business’s payments?
International money transfer is the answer
When making an international payment, the payment itself is just one part of the cost. By that we mean that you’ll also need to consider the exchange rate for your money transfer as well as the fees you’ll be charged for the service of converting your currency and moving it to another country.
These costs will not be the same across all providers. If you shop around, you’ll find that each provider sets their own rates, and many will add their own margin atop the current mid-market rate. Additionally, many providers may add numerous fees to your transactions (and may not always disclose them to you before you confirm your payment).
While your bank branch may do a fantastic job of holding and managing your funds, they may not be the best option for transferring it. Rather than utilising your bank and their unfavourable rates and numerous fees, you may instead wish to turn to international money transfer providers that can offer you specialised service at a fair, transparent price.
How to find the right international payments provider
As we’ve discussed previously, you’ll want to begin your search for a provider by assessing your business operations and payment needs. This will tell you what you need from an international payments provider. You may want to consider things such as:
Your business’s FX requirements
How knowledgeable and confident you are about foreign exchange
How frequently you make payments
Where you make payments (and in which currencies)
The types of payments and capabilities you’re looking for
How much assistance you’d want from your provider
We also previously detailed what you’d want to look out for in your search for a trustworthy provider. You’ll want to do your due diligence for things such as:
A provider’s size
How long they’ve been in business
How many businesses they work with
What their online security measures are
If they are registered and authorised with the relevant bodies
The quality of their payment processing
Pay your overseas suppliers with Xe
At Xe, we provide money transfer and risk management solutions for businesses of all sizes, across all industries. Whether you’re a sole trader or a large multinational corporation, our experts will work with you to tailor your payment solutions to your operation and provide you with an FX strategy to best suit your needs. As an authority in the currency world for nearly 30 years, we understand foreign exchange and have the experience and expertise to help you with your FX, so you can focus on your business.
Xe offers numerous money transfer products to suit different payment needs, such as:
Spot transfers for quick, simple transactions
Forward contracts so you can schedule future payments at secured rates
Market orders to target the ideal exchange rate for a future transfer
Rate alerts, so you’ll always know as soon as the market has moved in your favour.
Get in touch with XE.com
About XE.com
XE can help safeguard your profit margins and improve cashflow through quantifying the FX risk you face and implementing unique strategies to mitigate it. XE Business Solutions provides a comprehensive range of currency services and products to help businesses access competitive rates with greater control.
Deciding when to make an international payment and at what rate can be critical. XE Business Solutions work with businesses to protect bottom-line from exchange rate fluctuations, while the currency experts and risk management specialists act as eyes and ears in the market to protect your profits from the world’s volatile currency markets.
Your company money is safe with XE, their NASDAQ listed parent company, Euronet Worldwide Inc., has a multi billion-dollar market capitalization, and an investment grade credit rating. With offices in the UK, Canada, Europe, APAC and North America they have a truly global coverage.
Are you curious to know more about XE?
Maurits Houthoff, senior business development manager at XE.com, is always in for a cup of coffee, mail or call to provide you detailed information.
Visit XE.com
Visit XE partner page