By Ted Howard
Banks may have gotten too fancy in cash management, making upgrades hard, systems outdated.
Banks are learning that getting fancy when it comes to cash management platforms actually works against them in the long run, according to an Aite study. That’s because cash management systems that have been overly customized by banks cannot be as easily upgraded. As a result, they fall behind.
Many banks are now beginning to do something about that, with 86% of corporate banks upgrading to new systems, according to Aite. “Most banks are committing increased investment dollars to their treasury management and cash management platforms,” says Erika Baumann, senior analyst at Aite Group. “The ones that are not investing are at greater risk of falling behind their competitors.”
One of the driving forces behind the investment is the demand by corporate treasuries and others in corporate finance for faster, more seamless interfaces, something that has been lacking in available bank platforms. “The outdated systems, clunky user interfaces, siloed infrastructures, and paper-based processes that are commonly found within most corporate banks are no longer acceptable to bank clients,” the Aite report says. Investing in new technology has become “table stakes for banks” to stay competitive, “grow their business, meet new customer expectations, and remain viable players in this potentially lucrative space.”
Ms. Baumann says corporate finance departments currently have “consumer expectations” when it comes to cash management. That is, banking technology in the consumer sector is way better than in the commercial sector. Corporates want that same ease of use. “[T]hey expect that a bank’s cash management platform is intuitive, is easy to use, and provides a single point of entry for all bank functionality,” the Aite report says. “Because of this, banks are replacing their cash management platforms at a more accelerated rate than previously seen in the market.”
How much they spend will vary by bank size, Aite says. According to the report:
- Banks with $10 billion to $49 billion in assets will spend an average of $7 million.
- Banks with $50 billion to $99 billion in assets will spend an average of $11 million.
- Banks with $100 billion to $299 billion in assets will spend an average of $11 million.
- Banks with greater than $300 billion in assets will spend an average of $30 million.
Aite says the trend of replacing cash-management solutions “is expected to continue in a steady flow over the next few years, with 37% of the top six to 70 US banks (ranked by total assets) forecast to sign a new cash management vendor contract between 2018 and 2020.”
And the trend will likely continue as the tech improves and as banks continue the never-ending quest of building deeper relationships and becoming a client’s primary bank. “Establishing the bank as the primary bank provides more stable and predictable noninterest income,” Aite says, and it also makes it harder for customers to leave if there is the follow-on cross-selling. Investing in technology for “a modern look and feel” according to Aite will keep customers happy and in the family.