The Group Treasurers Exchange has conducted research with more than 80 Heads of Treasury. They have summarised the focus areas, challenges and what solutions Group Treasurers are looking for under 12 topic sub-headers, all of which will be addressed at the Exchange in September. Read on to discover where group treasurers are focusing their attention and their resources in 2015 to 2016 to help you work out where your services or solutions can help.
Financial Risk Management
Management of FX exposure and managing / minimising risk; FX trading platforms; managing FX risk and making sure that it’s correctly hedged.
Financing in Emerging Markets
Supply chain solutions; strategies for setting free trapped cash; liquidity challenges; cash management problems operating in various markets; banking partners and relationships with banks locally; ways to effectively manage foreign exchange; visibility -liquidity statuses; optimal method of transferring cash to these countries - trapped cash as a way around this by using dividends.
Centralised Treasury Management
Implementing a TMS – looking to improve cash forecasting systems - systems integration; centralization of payment factions – improving payment process; centralising of treasury operations; cash reporting and system integration; centralising cash management for companies operating in a number of jurisdictions; centralised vs decentralised; looking at a shared service centre - shared centre concept for payment processing is a more centralised procedure; do treasurers need so many systems - can they be more automated and centralised?; centralised payment factory intra group loan reporting to create more visibility; using dividends.
Funding Strategies
Re-financing projects; funding diversification; counterparty risk; debt funding; multilateral netting and intra-group reconciliation; acquisition financing; ensure hedging is correct; establishing an automation process for M&A; access to capital - issuing bonds; implementing a diversified funding strategy with a mix of bilateral loans as well as capital market funding; capital management and M&A; intra-company loans and dividends.
Technology
Integration with multiple ERP systems interface to generate automated payments; systems integration with SWIFT and treasury software - optimising payment process; integration of SAP into treasury department; insufficient technology infrastructure to support the department; evaluating TMS functioning; improving implementation when have existing legacy systems.
How To Structure Cash Management And Liquidity Management In A Modern Way
Looking at better ways to structure cash management and how to improve multinational currency pooling; cash flow challenges – short and long term; reviewing cash management set up and procedures; managing liquidity changes and implementing a cash forecasting model / system - improving working capital and helping operate more efficiently; cash pooling structures – centralized cash pool; cash management = good forecasting in the group for cash visibility worldwide.
Bank Relationships
SEPA and in-house banking - progress and implementation; payment-on behalf-of (POBO); integration of payment systems with banks (Swift banking); benefits of establishing European Payment Factory; collection reconciliation; payment system solutions - streamlined efficient setup; increased payment security - one portal solution; enabler for a centralized payment factory - ‘security issue’; compliance, global bank communication and standard harmonisation in global payment processing.
Strategy
More focus on team management in treasury; building a treasury department; the role of the Group Treasurer; having a transparent and cohesive treasury department that is in sync with other offices - aligning structure with the operating model; how a treasury department can support the change processes of an organisation; treasury becoming a strategic business partner and working with CFO; stakeholder management; how to improve the workforce and get employees on board, on the ‘leadership side’; what treasury functions can be delegated to shared service centres; introducing treasury KPIs; communication and motivation of colleagues.
Supply Chain Finance
Banks and regulations are geographically restricted – GTs have to have parallel systems and processes (increased cost); supply chain financing with the front end of the business; moving from a bilateral solution with 1 bank to a multi banking approach for flexibility in SCF by using several banks; reduce working capital with supply chain finance.
Regulation
Ensure compliance with various regulations; corporate concerns over further financial regulation & reform - MMF Regulation, MiFID II proposals, Basel III, EU FTT, FACTA, post EMIR; how can GTs adapt to a change in the way they access money market funds. Reporting synergies between requirements of EMIR, Dodd Frank and MiFIR; EMIR - what has it done for GTs to date, what was the point of it?; trade repositories update; FTT – tax on intercompany hedging activities ‘group internal act’ and the financial market crisis.
Introducing An In-House Finance Structure
Potential for payment factory and in-house banking structures; streamlining banking partners / systems and creating an in-house bank; multi bank relationships – how to consolidate / communicate; financing outside of banks - central financing of subsidiaries; ease transactional costs i.e. with 1 or 2 banks rather than 20 accounts.; want to reduce the number of accounts down to 1 because it’s a/ more efficient, b/ cheaper, c/ more control.
Working Capital
How to maximise cash flow operations and optimise working capital; working capital management and maximising the efficiency of working capital; working capital financing solution options for the business; working capital initiatives off balance sheet financing - trade finance, invoice discounting, credit lines; managing working capital tightly and efficiently.
This article was taken from research compiled in the Group Treasurers’ Exchange Pre-Event Report, you can download the full report here.
These topics will be discussed at the Group Treasurers’ Exchange taking place 8th-9th September Dolce Munich Hotel, Germany. If you have a service or solution that lies in the above categories then please take a look at your information pack to find out you can help 70 Heads of Treasury.
If you’re the Head of Treasury in your company and are interested in attending the Group Treasurers’ Exchange then take a look at the agenda to find out more about the topics covered or request your invitation and one of the team will be in touch.
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