TOMATO CATCH-UP - Newsletter Issue 184 – Mai 2015
Your monthly resource on working capital, process optimization and issues relating to the world of corporate treasurers, IT professionals and bankers!
This newsletter is multi-lingual, English, German and French depending on the source.
This month’s topics focus new ways of funding- and payments systems in banking and resources that help in choosing a TMS, creating an RFP and planning for a complete ERP system.
Enjoy the variety!
Regula Spottl
Topics
- Search for a TMS? Check your Cash Management First
- Internes Controlling- und Forecast-Tool
- Anforderungen an eine ERP Software
- RFP: Complete Process
- Blockchain - Revolution im Bankensektor?
- Crowdfunding in der Schweiz
- Vidéo éducative à propos de l’impact des taux d’intérêts négatifs
- Next Banking Crisis: Outlook
- The Global Landscape of Real-Time Payments Systems
- How to Phrase Constructive Questions
- Five Habits of Effective Professionals
Search for a TMS? Check your Cash Management First
In June 2010, we posted our first videocast, venturing into a new way of bringing you information! It dealt with a fundamental consideration for treasury optimizations. Just the other day, Martin counseled a client on this issue.
In this videocast, Martin emphasizes that CFO and treasury steer company liquidity as well as financial risks (e.g. FX and loans via a treasury management system (TMS). A TMS does not automatically include your overall cash status of all of your subsidiaries and bank accounts.
TMS for FX, loans and MT940 for financial status are easy to explore and evaluate. We suggest including also account payables in your TMS. A TMS with this inclusion is more complex and requires a thorough analysis and special expertise. We at Tomato have successfully implemented TMS systems that include worldwide supply payments. With Tomato’s assistance, your TMS project will be inclusive, comprehensive and executed effectively and efficiently.
Listen here to what you need if you want to steer cash, liquidity and financial risks. Videocast: Time 2.28 in English
Der April Newsletter Beitrag “Themen in Gesprächen mit Kunden und Prospects” bespricht dieses Thema in deutsch!
Internes Controlling- und Forecast-Tool
Sind Sie ein Kleinbetrieb, bei dem das Übertragen von Mitarbeiter-Einsatzzeiten in die Kunden-Rechnungen und Lohnabrechnungen Handarbeit? Suchen Sie während des laufenden Monats den Überblick über bereits geleistete Projekt-Arbeitszeit? Möchten Sie jederzeit Ihren Return on Investment (ROI) bei laufenden Projekten sehen?
Tomato hat die Lösung: Wir bieten nun auch Ihnen unser einfach zu bedienendes und bewährtes internes Controlling- und Forecast-Tool an. Es basiert auf Excel und ist individuell an jede Unternehmung anpassbar. Sehen Sie hier die Details zu dieser Lösung mit Screenshot-Beispielen. Fragen Sie uns an um mehr zu erfahren!
Leiten Sie diesen Artikel bitte auch an Freunde und Bekannte in Kleinbetrieben weiter.
Anforderungen and eine ERP Software
Die Einführung eines ERP is complex. Bereits in der Vorprojektphase müssen alle Anforderungen an das ganzheitliche ERP System erfasst werden. Dies beinhaltet die Kernfunktionalitäten und Kernkomponenten des geplanten Systems.
Im Blog Anforderungen an eine komplette ERP Software in myfactoryschweiz.ch listet David Lauchenauer, Unternehmer im Bereich Business Software für KMU, die Kernfunktionalitäten und beschreibt die Funktion und Vorteile von Kernkomponenten eines ERP Systems. Details…
Mehr Details finden Sie im Buch ERP als Erfolgsfaktor im Unternehmen, in dem Dr. Marcel Siegenthaler Grundlagen, innerbetriebliche Funktionen, Kennzahlen und Auswahlmethoden erklärt.
110 Seiten. Website des Authors - mit Beschreibung und Inhaltsverzeichnis.
In den Januar News berichteten wir über die Einführung von konzernweiten ERP und verwiesen auf den Beitrag unserer Gastautorin Siglinde Chies über ihre Erfahrungen. Der Bericht ist lesenswert auf unserer Site „Fachberichte“. Details... mit Link zu Siglinde Chies‘ Artikel „Für die Einführung neuer ERP-Systeme braucht es Manager aus der Linie."
Our RFP webpage on tomato.ch has been the most visited page for years. It lists 100 questions to include in a RFP (Request for Proposal). Many times we have been asked for permission from treasurers and IT persons to use it. The answer is Yes! However, when planning an RFP, let us know before you use the free online version. We can consult you for the optimal use of this list. We do RFPs daily while you do this less often. Our own internal RFP for paying clients shows common hurdles and is more comprehensive and case specific.
The planning of an RFP and the evaluation of offers process are extremely important. The treasurytoday.com article How to issue the perfect RFP explains that treasury needs to have a thorough understanding of what it currently has so it can specify a list of key requirements. Once it has received various answers, it is also important to compare them in a standardized format. The article offers detailed information of the process.
Blockchain - Revolution im Bankensektor?
Blockchain ist noch ein relativ abstraktes Konzept. Es handelt sich dabei um eine dezentralisierte Architektur zur Abwicklung von Transaktionen jeglicher Art. Mit Blockchain werden zentrale Clearinghauses eliminiert. Das bedeutet eine komplett neue Marktarchitektur, die sich grundlegend von den existierenden Finanzmärkten unterscheidet.
Im IFZ Blog Blockchain – die nächste grosse Revolution im Bankensektor? präsentieren Prof. Dr. Andreas Dietrich, Reto Wernli und Christoph Duss von der Hochschule Luzern eine Evaluierung von Blockchain. Sie erklären, “die sogenannte Blockchain könnte eine der grössten Revolutionen für Finanzintermediäre mit sich bringen und die Banken als Vermittler resp. Finanzintermediäre in vielen Bereichen obsolet machen.” Mehr…
Der Schweizer Crowdfunding Markt ist stark am wachsen. Crowdfunding involviert besondere Internetplattflormen die Kreditgeber und –Nehmer direkt verbinden.
Im Artikel “Alternatives Kreditgeschäft boomt” berichtet die Finanz und Wirtschaft, der Grund sei vor allem die beiden Plattformen LendingClub und Prosper und in der Schweiz cashare. Der Artikel informiert über die Marktentwicklungen und bezieht sich auf die Swiss Crowdfunding Monitoring Studie von Prof. Dr. Andreas Dietrich und Simon Amrein von Hochschule Luzern.
Sie können die Swiss Crowdfunding Monitoring Studie mittels Formular kostenlos in Deutscher oder Englischer Sprache herunterladen.
The first Swiss Crowdfunding Monitoring study by Prof. Dr. Andreas Dietrich and Simon Amrein, HSLU, is available for download…
News 1.5.2015: PostFinance wird Hauptpartnerin der Crowdfunding-Plattform «I believe in you». Details...
Vidéo éducative à propos de l’impact des taux d’intérêts négatifs
We are happy to point our French-speaking community to an excellent video on negative interests. A few years ago, Tomato and Kerius Finance met and stayed in touch to exchange business ideas and developments. Their latest news:
«Nous venons de poster une vidéo éducative sur le Blog de KERIUS Finance, à propos de l’impact des taux d’intérêts négatifs (Libor ou Euribor) sur les swaps.» Details…
As part of J.P. Morgan’s Annual Report 2014, the company’s chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon speculates on the next crisis in the banking sector.
Mr. Dimon first reassures that “Most important, we will enter the next crisis with a banking system that is stronger than it has ever been.” He then lists what’s similar to the previous crisis and the many things that will be different including for example that more risk will be located in the central clearinghouses and that “non–bank competitors will have become bigger lenders in the marketplace.”
For Chairman and CEO’s letter to shareholders: download PDF (38 pgs, pg 29+30)
The Global Landscape of Real-Time Payments Systems
The paper ‘The Global Adoption of Real-Time Retail Payments Systems' draws attention to two key interlinked topics: the different adoption speeds and “the relationship with core drivers which are leading to the adoption of such systems.”
Adoption Speed:
Rapid adoption is usually due to (1) countries where regulators encourage the market to migrate; (2) they use relatively new technology and (3) enjoy attractive pricing or incentives. The opposite results from a lack of these three indicators.
Key Drivers:
- The key driver behind increased adoption of real-time payments systems is regulatory reforms including “consumer protection, reduced credit risk, transparency, financial inclusion, fostering of competition, and wider macroeconomic impacts”.
- The secondary driver involves “the impact of banks' commercial needs in responding to customers' expectations, and/or responding to competitive threats from new entrants.”
The Swift paper underlines its findings with various graphs and country-to-country details. Download a full copy of the research paper. (pdf 16 pages)
How to Phrase Constructive Questions
We all ask questions that don’t lead to useful answers. For example, we may ask leading questions (Don't you think we should…); or we ask either/or questions, which limit the choice of answers. Also, we may ask questions that assume a certain answer; or we don’t fully understand an answer but don’t ask for clarification because we think that we should understand.
In an article in Inc, Jeff Haden, an Inc. Magazine contributing editor, lists in addition to the wrong questions and examples, suggestions for asking great questions. They include:
- Limit the actual question to one sentence.
- Provide options in the question only if those truly are the only options.
- Make your questions and follow-up answer-neutral and open-ended.
- Talk as little as possible, listen and encourage elaborations.
Five Habits of Effective Professionals
Even though Peter Drucker’s five habits are specific to executives, anybody in the company should focus on them. If they don’t see the habit happening, then they have a good question to raise in the next meeting or discussion with the team. The five habits included in the article stem from Drucker’s The Effective Executive written in 1967. They include:
- Effective executives know where their time goes. Managing time may in fact be one of the biggest challenges in today’s connected world. Poor time management can leave you exhausted and disillusioned.
- Effective executives focus on results, not work. What if you are made to do work that seems beside the point and a time waster? Question it!
- Effective executives build on strengths, on what they CAN do, not on weakness. This shouldn’t just apply to the executive’s strength but to the strength of every single person in the team. The collective strength makes all the difference.
- Effective executives focus on priorities, on the few activities that will produce superior results. The executive who clearly spells this out gets results from the team. However, too many priorities dilute effectiveness.
- Effective executives make effective decisions. Fewer fundamental decisions that are clearly explained are key. Too many decisions are simply a different spin on something old.
From the Desk of Regula Spottl, Greensboro, NC
The Art of Stillness in the Digital Age
Pico Iyer is an acclaimed travel writer who has been documenting a neglected aspect of travel -- the sometimes surreal disconnect between local tradition and imported global pop culture. His latest focus is on how we can regain our sense of stillness and focus in a world where technology and digital networks distract us and makes us overdosing on information.
His book “The Art of Stillness in the Digital Age” is mandatory reading at many tech companies. Most recently, he took part in the latest Wisdom 2.0 Conference.
I reported on the first Wisdom 2.0 Conference in the March 2013 newsletter. It’s a conference attended by executives and managers from Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and others who come to listen to or participate in conversations with experts on mindfulness.
Watch the interview with Pico Iyer in this 16 minute video. Or visit TED Talks and blogs for a number of his short presentations. It’s truly inspiring!