Working Capital

Best Practices

Real-Time Payments: What to Know, and What to Do

Michael Bellacosa & Carl Slabicki | April 19, 2018

RTP is poised to reshape how U.S. businesses make and receive payments. Here’s what you should be doing now to prepare.

Analysis

Real-Time Payments Have Arrived

Russ Banham | April 06, 2018

Real-time payments—and receivables—are a reality, already benefiting some treasurers’ supply chain and reconciliation processes.

Best Practices

Receivables Financing in a Challenging Locale

Meg Waters | April 05, 2018

Congratulations to Microsoft, winner of the Alexander Hamilton Gold Award in Working Capital Management!

Best Practices

Opening the Credit Umbrella in China

Meg Waters | February 15, 2018

Honeywell wins the 2017 Gold Alexander Hamilton Award for Best Practices in Restricted/Emerging Markets.

Best Practices

The New Sanctions Compliance Challenge

Bill North | February 01, 2018

How the right processes and systems can help corporate treasury mitigate risk.

Best Practices

Evaluating Treasury Management Systems

Chad Wekelo | December 28, 2017

Best practices for obtaining deeper clarity on, and confidence in, treasury software decisions.

Analysis

Treasury Software Trends in 2018

Susan Kelly | December 20, 2017

As technology continues to evolve, treasury teams focus on payments and transparency.

Best Practices

Innovation in Operational Risk Management

Meg Waters | December 06, 2017

The 2017 Alexander Hamilton Awards in Operational Risk Management & Insurance recognize three initiatives that raised the bar in creative thinking—and reaped the benefits.

Best Practices

Building a Socially Responsible Supply Chain

Mark Ward | November 30, 2017

How, and why, should a company improve sustainability and social responsibility throughout its supply chain?

Best Practices

Raising the Bar for Treasury Technology Initiatives

Meg Waters | November 09, 2017

How the winners of the 2017 Alexander Hamilton Awards in Technology Excellence succeeded when they aimed high.

Best Practices

From ZBB to ZBx

Kris Timmermans | October 25, 2017

How a zero-based mentality enables companies to zero in on agility and growth.

Analysis

Same-Day ACH Debits

Rick Burke | September 14, 2017

Getting ahead of the next phase of same-day ACH.

Best Practices

Reaping the Gains from Rising Interest Rates

Bob Stark | August 17, 2017

Five factors corporate treasurers need to consider as central banks around the world look to increase rates.

Analysis

Key Points about Supply Chain Finance

Susan Kelly | August 09, 2017

Companies considering putting a program in place should think about access to capital, the extent of the network, and the capabilities of the provider.

Best Practices

Managing Risk in the Cloud: A Guide for Corporate Treasurers

Andrew Bateman | July 20, 2017

What treasury managers need to know about cybersecurity, and how they can help guard their treasury management systems against threats.

News

Wal-Mart To Punish Suppliers for Delivering Early

Matthew Boyle, Bloomberg | July 12, 2017

Retailer warns that disputes will not be tolerated.

Best Practices

Invoicing, Accounting, and Tax Compliance in Mexico

Hillary Levun & Steven Neuman | June 08, 2017

How Mexico has embraced technology to combat tax evasion and corruption.

Best Practices

Shining a Light on Payments Fraud

Eric E. Wilson | January 26, 2017

5 steps to protect your company against both internal and external threats.

Best Practices

Transformational Treasuries

Meg Waters | December 21, 2016

Winners of the Alexander Hamilton Awards in Treasury Transformation demonstrate how big projects in the treasury function can make a business more competitive.

Analysis

Electronifying B2B Payments

Susan Kelly | November 15, 2016

Giving suppliers access to supply chain finance is helping persuade them to accept payments in electronic formats.

Analysis

Blockchain Experiment Could Change Trade Finance

Emily Cadman, Bloomberg | October 24, 2016

Digital ledger replaces long-winded paper trail for 88 bales of cotton sailing to China.

Best Practices

Taming the Dragon

Meg Waters | October 06, 2016

Alexander Hamilton Award winners in the category Best Practices in Restricted/Emerging Markets find that building solid relationships is the key to successfully running a corporate treasury in China.

Research

Give Them Credit

Meg Waters | September 27, 2016

Original research project explores how companies are managing the credit risk posed by their trading partners and financial counterpartiesand how they could be managing it better.

Best Practices

4 Trends in Supply Chain Finance

Susan Kelly | September 14, 2016

As the practice continues to grow, some companies are self-funding, and others are using it for payables or with distributors.

Best Practices

Working Capital Programs That Work Exceptionally Well

Meg Waters | August 24, 2016

Alexander Hamilton Award winners in Working Capital Management used technology and cross-functional collaboration to dramatically improve the cash conversion cycle.

Best Practices

How to Combat Deterioration in Working Capital Performance

Treasury & Risk Staff | August 18, 2016

With interest rates at record lows, companies have been meeting funding needs through borrowing. Now's the time to boost working capital performance, before debt becomes more expensive.

Best Practices

Consolidated vs. Segregated Payment Files: Which Should You Use?

Adam Kruis | April 01, 2016

Most companies today make payments in several different payment formats. In many cases, it makes sense to consolidate all payment types into a single payment file.

Best Practices

The Evolution of Supply Chain Finance

Sebastian Hölker | March 24, 2016

How to leverage trendsfrom growing liquidity stores to new technologiesto improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your supply chain.

Best Practices

How to Audit Your Supply Chain for Performance, Risk, and Fraud

Norman Katz | December 17, 2015

Leverage technology you already haveor join operations improvement projectsto gain optimal benefit from the data youre collecting on every transaction.

Analysis

Managing Risk in the Digital Era with Payment Networks

Drew Hofler | November 17, 2015

New technologies have made it easier than ever for consumers to securely make purchases. Now businesses are beginning to follow suit.

Case Study

How Credit Insurance Works

Treasury & Risk Staff | October 29, 2015

Salt Lake City metal recycler Utah Metal Works uses trade credit insurance to get a handle on the risks inherent in doing business with customers around the world.

Best Practices

Alternatives for Monetizing Trade Payables (or Receivables)

Massimo Capretta | October 22, 2015

Heres how to distinguish between the three primary approaches to supply chain financeand when to leverage each one.

Best Practices

How To Find the Right Cash Management Platform

Henner Schliebs | August 25, 2015

11 key considerations in determining which system will best support cash management in your organization.

Best Practices

Treasury and Procurement: Allies in the War on Risk

Julian Eyre | July 22, 2015

Why companies need to manage commodity risks in the same way they manage currency and interest rate exposures.

Best Practices

How to Build Solid Cash Flow Relationships

Jeffrey Gillis | June 23, 2015

An approachable collections function is equivalent to money in the bank. Incorporating sales best practices into collections can significantly shorten the order-to-cash cycle.

Best Practices

A Clear Path to A/P and A/R Automation

Erin McCart | June 18, 2015

Consider these best practices when implementing software to automate key stages of the order-to-cash process.

Best Practices

Partner with Procurement to Build Business Resilience

Rose Kelly-Falls | May 27, 2015

Why finance needs to work closely with procurement to manage and mitigate supply chain risks, and how to accomplish the culture change this shift may require.

Analysis

Shining a Light on Receivables

Susan Kelly | March 23, 2015

With higher interest rates approaching, treasurers will continue their efforts to improve working capital management. At this point, the biggest opportunities are on the receivables side.

Best Practices

Road Map out of the A/P Silo

Sandra Larin | October 01, 2014

How companies can use objective data and cross-functional collaboration to transform treasury and payments strategies.

Best Practices

The A/R Risk Balancing Act

Kevin McCann | August 05, 2014

How external risk management tools, such as trade credit insurance, can help companies extend more credit to more customers.

Best Practices

Staying Upright on a Sea of Change

Diane S. Reyes, Michael Cummins | April 22, 2014

Three ways to leverage the tumultuous external environment to enhance the position of corporate treasury in the organization.

Case Study

More Certainty in Credit and Collections

Treasury & Risk Staff | February 06, 2014

CertainTeed used predictive analytics to transform A/R, freeing up working capital and enhancing customer service.

Best Practices

Harnessing Predictive Analytics for Increased Cash Flow

C. J. Wimley | February 04, 2014

How statistical modeling technologies are helping companies revamp their credit and collections functions.

Best Practices

Getting a Handle on T&E

Susan Kelly | September 04, 2013

Companies want better visibility into travel and entertainment spending so they can bargain with suppliers and check on compliance with travel policies.

Case Study

Unlocking the Power of Receivables Data

Treasury & Risk Staff | August 27, 2013

How Siemens is improving business decisions and saving money by centralizing commercial customers credit data.

Analysis

Bank Backing for Open Account Trade Payments

Paul Johnson | August 07, 2013

The bank payment obligation (BPO) provides similar protection for sellers as an L/C does, but far more efficiently.

Best Practices

A Primer on Payment Fraud in 2013

Linda Coven | June 18, 2013

Mitigating risk requires adoption of best practices, both in managing paper checks and in confronting digital threats.

Back to the Grindstone on Working Capital Management

Susan Kelly | June 13, 2013

Gains companies made a few years ago have stalled, reflecting the difficulty of improving processes throughout the company.

Analysis

Supply Chain Finance Takes Off

Susan Kelly | June 13, 2013

Companies aim to give their suppliers a boost at the same time they extend payment terms.

Analysis

Working Capital Management: There Goes the Rigor

Russ Banham | June 13, 2013

Improved working capital provides sunshine during recessions rain showers.