The job of a corporate treasurer has for years been one that can be described as an ongoing process of extracting value (or a continual journey of value discovery). This month iTreasurer takes a look at some of the places where companies are doing so.
Supply-Chain Management. This month’s cover story by John Hintze highlights a report from Deloitte that shows how companies that have their supply chains in the best shape possible actually see better financial results. Better supply chain techniques include taking a more holistic approach to its management, like hiring people who know how to reach across functions, and have global experience, and leveraging the latest technology (sound familiar?). The study shows how both Toyota and McDonalds successfully use these techniques to straighten the line between supplier and end product.
Trade Finance in Latin America. Although slowed somewhat by stimulus tapering of the US Federal Reserve and overall weakness in the region’s economy, Latin America has become a bustling place for trade finance with one of its major partners being Asia, particularly China. Deutsche Bank with a presence in both regions and on the leading edge of trade finance has been able to serve corporates well bolstering finance capabilities there. Not only is it financing Asia-Latin American trade (as well as global-LatAm trade) but it is also helping facilitate intraregional trade, leveraging the bank’s traditional and more sophisticated, cross-border trade finance, including the rapidly developing financial supply chain suite.
Good Model for Fraud Prevention. In the wake of the Target breach last Christmas, many companies are finally realizing the threats that are out there. In this story by Geralyn Frances, we learn how companies are now encouraged to use a variety of techniques to keep outsiders from barging into the mainframe; but what companies face is a seemingly indomitable challenge. It probably doesn’t help that Symantec’s senior vice president for information security recently declared to the Wall Street Journal that antivirus software “is dead.” What’s a company to do? Be vigorous in your vigilance and specifically, go the onion approach: build in many layers to discourage infiltration—the idea being that a fraudster will trundle on to the next, and perhaps easier, mark. Also as noted in the story, the weakest spot for companies is not the computer systems but employees who are often duped into handing over information.
Taxes, the Hardy Perennial. Finally in our look-back piece we describe how tax authorities have reacted to feeling marginalized and cheated out of countless billions by constantly proposing new tax rules—i.e., transfer pricing, foreign tax credits, et cetera. And this may happen again as Pfizer recently highlighted a technique that it and several other companies are exploring: an inversion transaction. This is where companies use an international M&A transaction as an opportunity to re-incorporate in another, low-tax jurisdiction. This type of tax-management policy—or to authorities, tax avoidance policy—was addressed in President Obama’s 2015 budget as something his administration wants to crack down on; however, it’s unlikely as Congress is deadlocked over corporate tax reform. But the more US companies start wandering off, the more likely it is Congress will act.