BB&T Corp. is offering a new integrated financial supply chain management service that, it says, provides real-time visibility into invoice and payment processes so that corporate clients can manage cash flow in a timely fashion with a minimum of risk and expense. Partnering with business-to-business e-commerce provider GXS Managed Services, BB&T says it can connect buyers and suppliers around the world using GSX's Trading Grid in a move to ensure that funding and payments are allocated appropriately and efficiently. The Trading Grid allows integration between client enterprise resource planning systems and the bank's product applications. As a result, BB&T has moved beyond offering simple financing or payment services to help clients improve working capital and manage liquidity and risk, says Bennett Bradley, manager of BB&T's payment solutions division. "Corporations are continuing to look to their banking partners for help aligning their financial and physical supply chains," says Steve Keifer, senior vice president of industry and product marketing at GXS.

Supply chain finance and trade visibility are hot industry trends, with technology consultants TowerGroup noting that banks have identified business-to-bank integration as a top priority and a space where collaboration with solutions providers can yield significant benefits.