Introduction

In today's post-crisis world, liquidity solutions are more critical than ever to corporations. Liquidity is considered king — it keeps a company solvent and provides it with the flexibility to seize business opportunities. However, the scope of liquidity management has increased in recent years to include:

• Visibility of cash through the entire cash cycle — both for liquidity and risk purposes
• Evaluation of risks to liquidity among counterparties, suppliers and customers
• Maximizing liquidity across the supply chain
• Improvement in exposure forecasts for purposes of hedging risk and identifying working capital challenges

In light of the more intensive emphasis on liquidity management, the role of the treasurer has expanded to encompass not only transactional functions, but also a constant, clear view of corporate liquidity and the provision of key input into senior-level strategic decisions. Small and midsize companies are looking to leverage business opportunities around the globe, particularly in emerging markets. The net result is that firms are increasing the rigor of liquidity management — evaluating and monitoring liquidity faster, more broadly, and with greater intelligence — and providers are stepping up to give corporations the data, tools, and analytics they need to excel at these activities.