Strategy for Working Capital Management

We worked with the senior management team of a major North American bank to create a strategy for integrating trade, cash management and FX into a coherent working capital management program. Acting as both advisor and facilitator, our work included identification of best practices, advising on client buying behaviour, competitive positioning, product integration, identification of appropriate strategies and oversight on strategy proposals. The scope of the work included domestic, Americas and international markets for both commercial and large corporate clients.

Global Assessment of Credit Default Insurance

This study began with a detailed review of the websites of major competitors in the business including both ECA and private trade insurers.  This was combined with interviews with suppliers and senior bankers to develop a clear view of future trends in the market, as well as identifying gaps in needed products.

Setting Service Standards for a Trade Services Organization

Thousands of pages have been written on what matters to trade clients but most is just a re-hash of well-known principles from industrial psychology.  There is little proof of what aspects of service make the most difference to client loyalty and spending.  In addition to interviewing benchmark competitors, our work reviewed existing research (including our own) to identify what changes client behaviour for better or worse.  In cooperation with our client, we then developed a framework for comprehensive service standards for the very few things that really matter to clients.  The standards are tested with clients for appropriateness and impact.  A strategy for implementation is the final element of the project.
 

Trade Satisfaction, Loyalty & New Product Development

On behalf of a major bank, we evaluated client satisfaction and use of trade products, as well as client loyalty. We also identified how well current trade products meet underlying needs and what new products should be developed to meet future needs.

Global Trade Outsourcing

The study deals with the current state of outsourcing, changes over the past two years and likely changes over the next two years.  Topics covered include: services outsourced, market size and volume, impact of outsourcing, service delivery and the image of major insourcing banks.  Link to previous Overview of Findings. 

Competitive Intelligence on a Global Scale

On behalf of a major global bank, The Brondesbury Group analyzed the competitive position of the top five international banks in each of four global regions. The analysis focused on management structure, deployment of sales staff, handling of front and back office, product differentiation, and electronic delivery capabilities. It relied on sophisticated intelligence-gathering from banks, internet and commercial databases. The competitive analysis presented to the bank’s vice-chairman was the basis for the bank’s global strategy for international business.


Future of the Public Sector in Canada (5 Studies)

How will the public sector build the capacity it needs?  What new sources of revenue will government tap?  How will Shared Service Organizations and outsourcing change delivery?  How will economic sustainability, environmental concerns and labour shortages change the future?  These topics and more are addressed in this opinion leader study based on in-depth personal interviews with the most influential people shaping the future of the public sector, as nominated by their peers. Participants include deputy ministers, mayors, executives, association heads, think tank leaders, academics, and other selected experts. The aim is to identify how the public sector will develop over the next 5-10 years and why this will happen. Royal Bank of Canada is the sponsor for the work. The study includes a special section on banking needs that addresses working capital management, collection and payment services. That section identifies key services that a bank can develop or provide to help its public sector clients prepare for the future. A brief overview of each sector is available by clicking the link below, but the section on banking needs is not included.

           Federal & Provincial Government
           Municipalities
           Healthcare
           Public Education (K-12)
           Post-Secondary Education (PSE)


The Market for ASP Treasury Workstations

An in-depth look at the market for an ASP Treasury Workstation highlighted the functionality and the value that this product could provide. Our report identified pricing and packaging strategies, targets for the product and what features would be most likely to make a difference to mid-sized corporations already familiar with treasury software.

Outsourcing Banks Find Client Service Improved

According to our recent global study of trade outsourcing for ABN-AMRO, well over half of banks that are outsourcing their trade services find that the service to their clients improved as a result of outsourcing. Profitability and expense ratio improvements also exceeded expectations. With over 20% of small-mid size banks (assets of $6-100 billion) planning to outsource some of their trade services to an insourcing bank over the next two years, quality improvement should be the reason for their choice rather than just the cost savings they think about initially.

Growing Barriers to New Technology

Getting buy-in to new treasury technology is increasingly difficult. Large corporations are less willing to disrupt their companies with new systems and have certainly concluded that only fully operational systems are worth evaluating. Several recent studies point to the same conclusions, too many promises and too few concrete results have left the market wary about new services. It will take a big impact at a reasonable price to break through large corporate defenses.


Selected Studies:

- Cash Management
- Trade