TOMATO CATCH-UP: Newsletter Issue 154 – Nov. 2012

Your monthly resource on working capital, process optimization and issues relating to the world of bankers, corporate treasurers and IT professionals.

Introduction:

As I’m writing this newsletter, you’ve had snow in Switzerland and hurricane Sandy has caused enormous damage in the U.S., especially in New Jersey and New York, but also in the North Carolina Mountains and West Virginia. Those affected face life-altering consequences with the only consolation that life goes on and people are willing to help.

All of us in business deal with difficult issues as well, but they are less dramatic and can, to a large extent, be solved. The tips below may point to one of the problems you’re dealing with. However, remember that you can give us a call and we’ll help you with our expertise and experience (see pt. 3).

Enjoy this month’s selection of news and views!

Regula Spottl

In Today's Issue:

TOMATO UPDATES

FINANCE, BANKING AND IT

MANAGEMENT AND CAREER

Martin Schneider’s Teilnahme an Veranstaltungen im Oktober

Auch dieses Jahr erteilte Martin Schneider an der Hochschule Luzern Lektionen zu Tomato's Thema ‚Financial Flow Management.‘ 20 Teilnehmer lernten wertvolle Einsichten über das Optimieren der Finanzflüsse von Lieferanten- und Kunden-Zahlungen und wie das Treasury bei deren Mismanagement agiert. (Blog Post…)

Am 18. Oktober nahm Martin an der Incentage Präsentation ‘Ethik in der Finanzwirtschaft – eine Utopie?‘ von Antoinette Hunziker-Ebneter, CEO von Forma Futura Invest AG teil.

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Geplante Veranstaltungen im November

Structured Finance Veranstaltung in Karlsruhe, 14./15.11.2012

Die Structured Finance Leitveranstaltung für CFOs und Treasurer findet dieses Jahr vom 14.-15. November 2012 in Karlsruhe statt. Tomato wird anstelle von Martin Schneider und seinem Team mit unseren Tassen “Keep your Liquidity High” teilnehmen.

Weisse Tassen, vom Caterer pyramidenförmig aufgestellt, stehen Besuchern in Karlsruhe für deren Kaffee bereit. Wie Martin letztes Jahr beobachtete, nehmen Teilnehmer eine Tasse, füllen sie mit Kaffee, und mit der Tasse in der Hand gehen sie von Stand zu Stand.

Das gab ihm eine Idee: Dieses Jahr wird ca. jede 10. Tasse eine Tomato Tasse sein. Eine neue Art von Messaging! Wir sind auf den Effekt gespannt Wir sind auf den Effekt gespannt und freuen uns auf Ihre Handy-Fotos. (Details zur Veranstaltung…)

Tomato Weihnachtsapéro Dienstag 27. November

Unser alljährlicher Apéro mit Aussicht auf den Flughafen findet diesmal schon am 27. November ab 16 Uhr statt und steht im Zeichen unseres 20-jährigen Jubiläums. Geniessen Sie auch in diesem Jahr wieder das afrikanische Catering. Über weitere Anmeldungen freuen wir uns sehr!

Tomato an der Treasury Convention in Rust Südwest-Deutschland

Am 29. und 30. November werden wir an der Treasury Convention in Rust im Europapark teilnehmen.

Interessiert Sie das Thema von treasuryspezifischen Inhalten und möchten Sie auch die Firma Bellin mit ihren Treasury Produkten kennenlernen? Dann freuen wir uns sehr, Sie in Rust zu treffen. Der Europa Park Rust eröffnet dann exklusiv für die Messe den Park in weihnachtlicher Stimmung. (Aussteller Liste…)

Für Informationen und Tickets kontaktieren Sie uns via kloten@tomato.ch oder rufen Sie uns an: 0041 44 814 2001.

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Clients Praise On-going Relationships with Us

A frequent comment from our clients is that they can fall back on us to get support and save time whenever they need it. What they are referring to is that they can approach us any time and we offer the kind of advice they need to proceed.

For example, you may want to get in touch with us when…

You need to verify that you’re on the right track
You have to make a difficult decision and need affirmation
You have a personnel issue such as a temporary vacancy or
You have heard of a solution but don’t know if it would be right for you.

We may be able to help in an hour, a day, or a number of days!

Our strength is to take complex problems, simplify them and figure out the best path to a solution.

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AFP Guide to Strategic Global Cash Position Forecasting

The first issue of this quarterly guide offers insights on forecasting cash positions. It highlights the reasons why many organizations examine their risk management approach and the transformations that need to take place. It also explains the stages involved in creating a forecast.

The AFP guide is based on case studies and underwritten by Reval. pdf, 29 pgs. (registration required)

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News on SEPA from European Payment Council

In a first blog post, Javier Santamaría, chairman of the European Payments Council (EPC) talked about the transition towards SEPA. The overall result was SEPA is kicking in and it is working.

In the second blog post Santamaría explained the key advantages of SEPA to consumers and companies and the importance of communicating the SEPA objectives. He responded to such questions as

The role of banks and companies to educate their clients on the SEPA transition
How high SEPA is on the agenda of national governments andWhat the worst-case scenario is if banks or payments providers don’t prepare in time for the transition.

(Details…)

The most recent post proclaims “Report reveals: ‘Crisis could alter pace of SEPA migration’ This is just one of the findings of the latest edition of the World Payments Report by Capgemini, RBS and the European Financial Management Association. (Summary of the Report…)

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SEPA: High Cost of Errors

The information services company Experian has evaluated more than half a million sets of account data and a quarter of a million sets of IBAN data. They found that more than 12% of the errors of the e-payments denominated in euro contain incorrect data. 30% of the errors are caused by an indicated bank or branch code not being in use for various reasons.

The European Commission estimates that the cost per failed transaction amounts to EUR 50 on average. It also has negative effects related to customer and supplier relationships.

The article lists typical errors, reasons for them, and offers advice to big companies. It appeared in the Eurotreasurer, issue 18|2012 on page 2.

Check the SEPA pages on our website for technical data and updates! SEPA Schedule, SEPA-Fahrplan

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GTNews: Various Articles on RFPs (Request for Proposal)

We published “Questions to include in a RFP (Request for Proposal) at least eight years ago. Year after year, the RFP page is the most visited page on our website, which shows how pertinent this topic is.

GTNews recently focused on RFPs. Their articles included for example:

Treasury Systems Selection: Maximise Your Return on the RFP
By Patrick Coleman, IT2 Treasury Solutions

Martin’s Comment: If you need a broad overview of questions, feel free to use the 100 questions for choosing a TMS in our RFP webpage. It is free. If you use it, we suggest you name the source of the questions. Thank you. Or contact Andreas at andreas.carl@tomato.ch for fine tuning yours. We are glad to help.

In the article Bank Selection: The Cash Management RFP, Didier Vandenhaute, PwC, suggests that “anticipating and addressing the cash management issues and services a corporation needs when releasing a request for proposal (RFP) will save treasurers’ time and money during the implementation phrase and deliver a better banking relationship. (Registration required, free)

In the article How to Approach a Bank Selection RFP: The 'Do and Don't' Points Neil Daswani, Standard Chartered Bank, suggests that a corporation must be clear what it is trying to achieve, i.e. what its objectives are. Daswani elaborates on typical building blocks in RFPs. (Registration required, free)

Martin’s tip: Both articles make good points and will give you a start for what you want to achieve. Please consider that banks receive many RFPs; some are tedious and not much fun to complete. Make sure your RFP reflects a high professional level. Raise only really important issues, be concise and give your banks room and time to discuss issues with you. Written material can invite misunderstandings.

If you need a coach or would like a review of your RFP before submitting it, contact Martin at martin.schneider@tomato.ch or call 044 814 2001. We regularly submit RFPs to banks on behalf of our clients; and several banks have told us what a pleasure it is to complete RFPs from Tomato because the questions are to the point, pertinent and tailor made for each client.

(The complete list of GTNews articles on RFP…) registration required, free

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Tips for CIOs on Intelligent Risk Management

Whenever I see an article on risk management, I wonder if it’s just a variation of all the previous articles. Well, the CIO.com article “5 Things You Need to Know About Risk Management” by Elizabeth Heichler, CIO, goes beyond the usual tips and CIOs can learn from them.

Eichler’s main point is that trying to minimize risk within IT equals taking an additional risk. Her most important tips include:

Look beyond risk that directly encroaches on IT's field and examine more broadly where in the organization technology can play a role in protecting or exposing assets.
Risk management goes beyond compliance. It requires the right kind of people and technology to stay ahead in your market.
Look at multiple frameworks and standards that can put you on the road to good practices.
The bad guys in- and outside the company really know your business! They do….

(Full story...)

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Kommunikationsfehler die CIOs vermeiden sollten

Simon Hülsbömer ist Redakteur bei Computerwoche, eine Zeitschrift aus der wir immer wieder News für Sie filtern. Hülsbömer schreibt in diesem Bericht wie man besser informiert, und Konflikte und Imageschäden gar nicht entstehen lässt.

Er mahnt CIOs, die folgenden 8 Kommunkationsfehler zu vermeiden:

Fachjargon. Löst Missverständnisse aus!
Über technische Problem klagen. Löst Unsicherheit aus!
Mit “aufgeblasenen Ton” reden. Tönt wie ein Verkäufer und sorgt für rollende Augen!
Fragenstellen unterlassen. Vermisst Chance, gute Antworten zu kriegen.
Niemanden in Entscheidungen konsultieren. Verärgert kompetente Abteilung und Vorstand.
Ängste schüren. Business-Entscheider fühlen sich in die Ecke gedrängt und IT-Abteilung verliert Respekt.
Den Wertbeitrag nicht klarmachen. Die Vorstände müssen überzeugt werden.
Zu ausführliche PowerPoint Präsentationen. Wichtigste Infos gehen unter.

(Erläuterungen zu diesen Punkten...)

Und nun lesen Sie den folgenden Artikel, wie man kommunizieren kann...

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How to Get People to Really Listen to You

When you give a speech, you want your audience to truly connect with you. You want them to get your message!

If you’ve been told to communicate your thoughts and the facts quickly and concisely and anyone will understand, you’ve been misled. To get people to listen, “touch them on an emotional level.”

In the article “5 Ways to Get People to Actually Listen to You” in INC.com Marla Tabaka explains five strategies from H.E. Garcia’s book The Power of Communication.

As a corporate communication professional, I recommend these strategies to anyone who needs to persuade with speeches.

(Full story…)

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From the Desk of Regula Spottl, Greensboro, North Carolina

I have just returned from a week in Tuscany. The trip was part of the class Sustainable Living on a Tuscan Farm that I’m taking at UNCG, our local university. This particular Farm, Spannocchia, is one of the least restored “Tenutos” in Tuscany so it wasn’t luxurious, but full of history, heart and soul. It’s located about 15 km south west of Siena.

We were 7 students and one professor. Staff at Spannocchia taught in part hands-on classes about their history, the gardens, heirloom pigs and prosciutto/salami etc production, vineyard and wine production, beekeeping, olive groves and olive oil production, cooking, pasta etc.

On some evenings we took trips to nearby villages for gelato etc. We also went on a tour of a bakery, an old convent, a museo agrario, a couple of small towns and Siena.

I met the best and most inspiring people. What a different world!

Your Tomato

Regula Spottl

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