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© 2017 Strategic Treasurer.
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TREASURY UPDATE NEWSLETTER - 2017 Q 2
CONCLUSION
While itmightbedifficult for those in the treasury technologyspace tohear, theviewpoint
held by Peterson and the treasury staff at Chick-fil-A is not an unpopular position for
some corporate practitioners to take. In talking with other treasury professionals, and
given the data we have seen regarding many treasurers’ continued preference for Excel,
it would seem that there is still work to be done by TMS providers along the forecasting
front.
At the same time, however, there is no doubt that treasury technology has progressed
rapidly over the course of the past several years, and adoption of these solutions is
growing fast among global organizations. As these solutions have evolved, the
forecasting functionality contained within them has grown to now offer a number of
unique advantages, such as the ability to have global bank data and capital market
activity automatically integrated into the forecast in near real-time for quick and effective
variance analysis. Given these advancements, itmay be that those corporate practitioners
with negative views of the technology need an update on recent TMS developments, as
their viewpoints may still be based on earlier, less-developed iterations.
For companies that are interested in enhancing their forecasting operations, it would
be prudent to at least explore what today’s TMS solutions have to offer, especially if they
have not seen any recent demonstrations. Even if a company decides a TMS is not the
right choice, it would be worth their while to see firsthand what could be accomplished
with a leading forecasting tool, especially one that offers added benefits in the areas of
cash management, bank connectivity, and system integration. As most practitioners are
already familiar with Excel and usually have some experiencewith other BI tools, receiving
a high-level demonstration of a leading TMS will provide them with an understanding of
an all-encompassing view of forecasting options. With a complete picture, they can then
make an accurate, well-guided decision as to which solution best fits their needs.
Editor’s Note:
Many thanks to Steven Peterson and the treasury staff at Chick-fil-A, as
well as Greg Person and the staff at Kyriba, for their willingness to participate in this
piece. It is this openness that allows us to generate meaningful content that covers real
and current industry challenges, viewpoints, and concerns.
-Isaac Zaubi, Publications Manager, Strategic Treasurer