With expectations calling for an uptick in economic activity in 2013 many businesses are looking forward to moving back to some normalcy. But company treasuries won’t be moving back anytime soon. That’s because the post-crisis treasury department is taking an increasingly central role in corporate organizations, charged with tackling a new regulatory landscape and growing global exposures.Are You Ready?
In the treasurer’s expanded role, full data visibility and control from an enterprise-wide perspective is imperative. The new look of treasury is one of strategic advisor, now responsible for just about all business risks and centrally managing those exposures. In order to be successful, treasury will need flexible and integrated systems, adequate capacity and continued support of key internal and external partners.
In moving to a more central role in the organization, it is also imperative that treasury be internally connected; the days of existing in a “silo” are long gone. By connecting end-to-end, treasury can add value at various points along the “business flow,” looking at market risk and financial exposures across the organization. As consultancy Treasury Strategies highlighted in a recent webinar, being connected with the business from end-to-end is critical for the new generation of treasury.
For instance, a heightened awareness of counterparty, country and sovereign risks has supported the need for treasury to work closely with their export businesses early on in the sales process. This provides valuable insight into company exposures and allows for mitigation or alternative settlement arrangements to be considered.
Big Data is Key.
Another of treasury’s bigger challenges is effective decision making in terms of data flow; achieving full transparency of company data and processes through the integration of both internal and external systems, including outsourced processes. As was noted in a previous story, “strategic management and effective decision-making rest on the precept that data is current and all inclusive.” (See related story here.)
In addition, as noted in the Treasury Strategies webinar, systems need both flexibility and scalability to ensure key information remains fluid and accessible now and in the future.
Show Me the Money.
Enabling treasury to add business value and approach risk from a total company standpoint takes additional resources; i.e., subject expertise, system integration and support, and staff development. However, as we have seen in the post-crisis period, treasury budgets have not expanded as fast as the treasury role has.
Budgetary constraints can hold back best practices as well as treasury’s ability to spread its wings. However, according to Greenwich Associates research, there are expectations for a slight relaxing of these constraints as they relate to treasury as we approach 2014 (see related story here). Therefore, treasury groups that can justify their growing added value may see increases in budget allocations.
Another challenge is the need to retool the treasury team, either through rotational assignments or training, to ensure they have the know-how and ability to act decisively and think strategically. As treasury moves away from day-to-day process concerns and into business advisory, the staff needs to be equipped with other skills, ones that are conducive to partnering with other departments. These may also include communications, project management, or team building. Any training resources will also cost money which may not have been budgeted.
As we look forward to the new generation of treasury management, it is time to assess the progress treasury has made in becoming the brain trust of the corporation. Challenges do exist and budgets remain lean, but the momentum is there. Have you been able to capitalize on the renewed focus on treasury created by the crisis? What action you will take this year to get your company closer to being treasury-centric?