Next-genclientintegrationservices

Akeytoincreasingcorporatecashmanagementclient

satisfactionandgrowth

Inbrief

?Today,corporatecashmanagementclientsdemandthe

samelevelofdigital,?exible,andreal-timepayments

servicesasdoretailclients.Bankscanleadwithworld-

classclientintegrationservicesthatcanplayakeyrolein

meetingheightenedproductandserviceexpectationsof

corporateclients.

?Adiscussionofcomprehensiveande?ectiveclient

integrationservicesisaccompaniedbyalistof

strategicrequirements.

?Aroadmapfortransformingclientintegrationservices

isproposed,includingsixpriorityareasandpossible

actionsteps.

Capturingthecorporatecash

managementopportunity

Corporatepaymentsnowrepresentabiggerbusiness

opportunitythandoestheretailpaymentsarena.

AccordingtoCapgemini’sWorldPaymentsReport

2023research,commercialpaymentsnowmakeup

nearly56%oftotalpaymentsindustryvalue,whilethe

retailpaymentssectoraccountsforonly44%.Globally,

morethanoneintwopaymentexecutivesagreedthat

commercialpaymentso?erbetterpro?tpotentialthan

retailpayments.

Inresponse,banksandprovidersneedtoshifttheir

viewofcorporatecashmanagementclientrelationships

fromaproductlenstoamoremeaningfulrelationship

lens.Today,truecustomercentricityisasimportanton

thecommercialsideofthepaymentsbusinessasitison

theretailside.Imperativesinclude:

?Developcustomerintimacywithcorporateclients

withtailoredproductsandservices

Butwiththebiggeropportunitycomebigger

challengesforbanksandothertraditionalpayment

servicesproviders.Corporatetreasurershave

newandincreasingexpectationsbecauseofthe

digitalizationof?nancialservicesaswellastheirown

businesspressures:enterpriseclientsrealizethey

mustelevatetheir?nance/treasurycapabilitiesto

helpbuildresilienceandnavigatevolatility.Andwhen

itcomestoavailingcashmanagementandother

treasurymanagementsolutions,theywantwhat

theycangetintheirpersonal?nanciallivestobetrue

intheirbusinessrelationships,too–includingreal-

timeaccesstoaccountinformation,bundledaccount

views,transactionspeedand?exibility,personalized

o?ersandspecialservices–andsothedemandsand

expectationsfromtheirpaymentprovidershavebeen

ontheriseandareavisibleandpersistentgap.

?Streamlineandsmoothentheclientonboarding

journeyandensureconsistencyinallclient

interactions,across?nance/treasuryroles,

thatfollow

?Enablemorecontrolbyincreasing

self-servicecapabilities

?Simplifybank-to-enterpriseconnectivity

?Betteraddresscorporateclients’needsincluding

makingreal-timemoneymovementandcash

reportingareality,acrossdimensionssuchasAR/AP,

markets,currenciesandbusinessmodels

Clientintegrationisanintegralpartofrealizingallof

thesepriorities.

2

What’smeantbyclient

integrationservices?

Simplyput,clientintegrationservicesforcorporatecash

managementrefertospecializedservicesandsolutions

thatstreamlineallinteractionsbetweencorporate

clientsandtheirbanksorpaymentsproviders:delivered

correctly,theyhelpensurefrictionlessdeliveryofall

bankingtransactionsandservices,andsigni?cantly

elevateeverycorporateclient’sexperienceandvalue.

Theyenableseamlessintegrationofacompany’s?nance

processesandsystemswiththebank’sinfrastructure,

facilitatinge?cienttransactionprocessing,real-

timecash?owmonitoring,andautomated?nancial

reporting;bene?tsincludeenhancedoperational

e?ciency,reducedmanualintervention,andimproved

accuracyincashmanagementtasks.

Byleveragingtheseservices,businessescanachieve

betterliquiditymanagement,compliance,and

strategic?nancialplanning,ultimatelyoptimizing

theiroverall?nancialoperations.Onthe?ipside,

superiordeliveryofthesecapabilities,integrated

e?ectivelyintooverallclientexperienceandservice

delivery,canbeacompetitivedi?erentiatorforbanks

orpaymentsprovidersinservingtheircorporatecash

managementclients.

Deliveringnext-gen

clientintegrationservices:

what’srequired?

Whenapproachingclientintegrationservicestransformation,businessleadersshouldkeepinmind

thefollowingprinciples–which,notsurprisingly,all

centeronclientneeds,expectations,andexperience:

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2

3

Deliverseamlessclientexperience,fromonboarding

throughintegrationandduringbusinessasusual.

Tailorperclientsizeandscale.

Allowclientcontroloftheintegrationprocess,

throughacombinationofself-serviceoptionsand

tailoredsupport,toensuretheirbusinessneedsare

beingmet.

Includespeci?ctestingservicesaspartoftheservice

cataloguetoprovide?exibilityforindividualneeds.

6

7

Createconsistencyacrosstestprocedures,

documentation,andsupport–leadingtoa

predictableclientexperienceevenwhenscoping

servicesarerequired.

Providecontinuousintegration-relatedadvisory

servicesaschangesinintegrationmechanisms,

channels,andpayment-servicepropositionsdevelop

overtime.

4

5

Maketheend-to-endintegrationjourney

transparentbysharingpredesignedtestand

acceptancescenarios.

Ensureclientsupportisfullyresponsiveandasclose

torealtimeaspossible,leveragingrelevantand

preferredcommunicationtools.

Together,theseprinciplesshouldhelpsteerfocustoward

anumberofstrategicprioritiesaimedatdelivering

thenextgenerationofclientintegrationservicesfor

corporateclients,discussedbelow.Asamplingof

possibleactionsforeachofthesixpriorityareasisalso

summarized.

Figure1.Prioritiesfornext-genclientintegrationservices

Boostbrandingtoshowcase

valueaddtoourclients

Communicatethebene?tsoftheteam

internallyandexternallytodemonstrate

thevitalroleofteamsindrivingrevenue

realization.

Clientexcellence

Provideagreatclientonboarding

experiencethatisstructuredina

transparentway,encouragesself-service

andprovidesproactiveglobaladvisoryto

empowerclientstoachievetheirgoals.

Partnerforsuccess

Formalizeandstrengthen

externalpartnershipswith

ERPprovidersandtechnology

vendorstodeliverdigital-?rst

experiencesforclients.

Highlyskilledtalentwithstrong

capabilities

Ensuringcolleagueshavethe

rightenablingcapabilities

acrosstoolingandknowledge

tobecometrustedadvisorsto

clients.

Collaborationiskey

Bringtogetherkeyinternalstakeholders

andbuildfeedbackloopstodeliverthe

bestclient-centricsolutions.

Buildinnovativetoolstoenhance

capabilities

Deliverfuture-prooftoolsandtechnology

thatenhancestheclientintegration

team’sabilitytosupporttheircustomers

inatransparentandgloballyconsistent

manner,withtheabilityfor?exibility.

4

Movingclientintegration

transformationforward

Clientexcellence

Provideaclientonboardingexperiencethatis

structuredinatransparentway,encouragesself-

servicewhendesired,andprovidesproactiveglobal

advisorytoempowerclientstoachievetheirgoals.

Keyinitiativestoensureclientexcellenceobjectives

aremetmightincludethecreationofaclient

integrationservicecatalog,todocumentandraise

clientawarenessofvalue-addedservices;theregular

publishingofupdatedintegrationguidesprovidingclear

communicationsandstep-by-stepguidancetoclientson

theirintegrationjourney,alleviatingtheneedforlow-

valueinteractionswithclientintegrationmanagers;and

thealignmentofregionaloperatingmodelstoprovide

consistencyinclientsupportandbettercustomer

service.

Fromthereal

world:measuring

clientsatisfaction

toimproveclient

excellence

Highlyskilledtalent

Ensurecolleagueshavetherightenablingcapabilities

acrosstoolingandknowledgetobecometrusted

clientadvisors.

Priorityemphasisshouldbegiventothere?nementof

rolesandresponsibilitiesacrosstheclientintegration

teamtoensuretherightcomplementofcurrentand

futureskillsets.Createandleverageglobaltraining

andknowledgesharingprogramstoup-skilltalentand

improveproblem-solvingbasedonlessonslearned

acrosstheorganizationandclientbase.Inaddition,apply

appropriatefocusontherightcomplementoftoolsfor

advisorsandvalue-addedservicesforclients.

Alargeglobalbanksecuresregularfeedback

relatedtoitstreasurybusinessthroughanonline

survey.Thecompany’streasurycapabilitiesare

alsobenchmarkedagainstindustrypeersand

best-in-classcompanies.Beyondliquidityand

cashmanagementservicecapabilities,these

con?dentialresultsincludefeedbackonand

in?uenceareasofgovernance,riskmanagement

andtechnologyuse,therebyde?ningcontinuous

transformationagenda/plan.1

5

Fromtherealworld:building

outseamlessERP

integrationoptions

Aglobal?nancialservicesinstitutionworks

withindustrypartnerstodevelopinnovative

solutionsthatsimplifyandspeedERPintegration.

Itscomprehensivecapabilitiesreducethe

implementationtimeframe,complexity,and

costsofERPintegrationbyleveragingexisting

functionalitytoeliminatetheneedforcostly

specializeddevelopment;adynamicsolution,the

?nancialinstitution’sERPintegratorcansupport

aglobalfootprint.Toberesponsivetovarying

customerneeds,thebanknowo?ersa?exibleand

e?cientERPIntegratorforbothSAPandOracle

ERPCloud.2

Innovativetechnologyand

enhancedselfservicecapabilities

Externalpartnerships

Formalizeandstrengthenexternalpartnershipswith

ERPprovidersandtechnologyvendorstodeliver

digital-?rstclientexperiences.

Activitymightbeginwithconductingbuild/buy/partner

assessmentsforkeyinitiatives,buildingaholistic

high-levelviewofrequirementsneededtosupport

identi?cationofsuitablepartners;theinitiationof

speci?cpartnershipdiscoveryexercisesincludinggoal

setting;andthede?nitionoftheexternalpartner

onboardingprocesses.

Value-focusedbrandbuilding

Betterorchestratepaymentsproductsand

servicestominimizefrictionforthecustomer,and

enhanceabilitiestosupportclientsatscaleandina

transparent,globallyconsistentmanner–withroom

for?exibilitywhenneeded.

DevelopmentprioritiesshouldincludeAPInative

integrationandaggregationtechnologythatenables

bankstoo?ertrueomnichannelexperiencesto

theircorporateclients.Bankscouldalsobringready

adaptersforERP/TMS/bookkeepingsystemsand

wrapthemwiththeirownbouquetofsolutionsand

services.Goodpracticehereincludestheconsideration

ofanorchestrationlayerthato?ersadvanceddigital

experienceandpreventscorporateclientsfromhaving

tofacethecomplexityofbanks’legacysystems.The

introductionofasandboxenvironmentalsoaddresses

thecontinuouschallengecorporatetreasurersfacein

havingtoadapttonewregulationsandindustrychanges

whilegivingthemmoreautonomyandcontrol.

Internalcollaboration

Bringtogetherkeyinternalstakeholders;build

feedbackloopstodeliverthebestclient-centric

solutions.

Establishwaysofworkingacrossfunctionsandteams,

includingthedesignofanoperatingmodelthatincludes

aformalfeedbacklooptoproductanddigitalteamsfor

considerationofnewand/orimprovedclientintegration

servicesando?erings.Thisassumesgreatervaluefor

clientswhooperateacrossmarketsandhaveglobal/

regional/national?nance.

Communicatethebene?tsofsuccessfulclient

integration,internallyandexternally,todemonstrate

revenuerealization.

Contributingactionsmightincludethede?nitionofan

internalandexternalmarketingplantocommunicate

theexpertise,bene?ts,andvalueofclientintegrationto

importantconstituenciesandstakeholders;thecreation

ofaclientintegrationplaybooktoarticulateservicesand

value,andtohelpguaranteeconsistentdelivery;andthe

craftingofcasestudiesandsuccessstoriesshowcasing

valuedeliveredandrevenueenhancementachieved.

Fromthereal

world:anexternal

partnershipdrives

improvedefficiency

Alargetraditionalpaymentsproviderusesa

partnershipwithCashforcetodelivermoree?cient

operationsandbetterinformeddecision-making

forthecorporatetreasurerandteamatalarge

consumerproductscompanywithaself-driving

treasurysolution.Thepaymentproviderreceives

forecastedcurrencypositionsfromtheclient

company,generatedbyCashforceonarolling

weeklybasis.Thepaymentsproviderthenauto-

adjuststheclient’smonthlyFXhedge,thereby

automaticallypreservingdesiredhedgeratios.

ProvidereFXsolutionsaredevelopingboththeAPI

forthedataexchangeandthelogicneededfor

determiningandexecutingthenecessaryFX.3

6

Inconclusion

Takeclientcentricitytothe

nextlevel

Deliveringfullye?ective,enterprise-widecash

managementsolutionstocorporateclientsisakey

challengeforbanksandtraditionalpaymentservices

providers:asreportedinourWorldPaymentsReport

2023,70%ofcorporatetreasurersagreedthatcurrent

bankcashmanagementservicesareunderwhelming;

asbutoneexample,70%citedpoorbank-to-corporate

ERP/TMSconnectivityasamajorbarriertoservice

excellenceandtheirowne?ortsattreasuryinnovation.

Transformingclientintegrationservicesistherefore

animperative–helpinglargepaymentsprovidersto

remainrelevant,bettersatisfyclientexpectationsand

needs,andsucceed.

Movingforward,bankpaymentsexecutivesshould

keepthefollowingtopofmind:

?Liketheprovidersthemselves,corporateclientsare

complexorganizationsthatmustreacttoconstantly

changingmarketplaceandregulatoryenvironments.

Asclientneedsevolve,paymentprovidersneedto

evolveo?eringsandservicestohelpthemadapt.

?Providersneeddoabetterjobofachievingtrue

understandingoftheirclients–andnotjustthe

needsandpreferencesofthecorporatetreasurers

theydirectlyserve.Banksneedtodevelopmuch

deeperknowledgeoftheircorporateclients’

industries,sections,andcompetitivemarkets,in

ordertoensureo?eringsareasrelevantandas

e?cientlyintegratedaspossible.

?Asmadeclearthroughoutthisarticle,client

integrationismuchmorethanonboarding:itneeds

tobeconsideredasacriticalcomponentofoverall

customerexperienceandnotjustasaone-o?event.

Clientintegrationservicesneedtobedeliveredwith

continuityandconsistency,whilealsobeing?exible

enoughtoreacttoandsupportthecontinuous?ow

ofchangethatclientsface.

?Investinginpaymentsorchestrationandautomation

technologytoacceleratedigitization,streamline

clientinteraction,andminimizethefrictioncreated

byb