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Former Member
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Thack Brown, General Manager of Finance at SAP, will be speaking alongside Royal Philips, Grundfos, Loacker, Turkish Airlines, Nexans, and others at the 8th annual International SAP Conference for Treasury Management (6-8 July, Vienna) to over 200 corporate treasury professionals (http://uk.tacook.com/treasury)

Below is a sneak peek into the key points of his presentation. He will be be discussing solutions to three of the biggest cash flow problems organizations face today.

1. Have real-time cash flow visibility

According to Brown, companies struggle if they don’t have a real-time view of global cash balances across multiple business divisions, regions and time zones.

“Managers should know where their cash balances are in real-time and need the ability to use system information so they can play out working scenarios and update data consistently for visibility into the expected cash flow position in the near, medium and long-term,” he says.

Public companies are especially vulnerable when it comes to events like the recent volatility in global currencies. Real-time cash flow data can be a bulwark against crises in the wake of such massive, unexpected events.

Nevertheless, Brown notes that many financial departments still rely on monthly or quarterly reports that only offer a rear-view mirror into what’s already happened. He describes an alternate approach using SAP Cash Management powered by SAP HANA, the newest component of SAP Simple Finance.

2. Ensure accurate reporting to meet financial objectives

But the challenge is not just about making sure there’s sufficient cash to keep operations going. Brown says companies need real-time information to meet and keep promises to the financial community including stockholders and other stakeholders. “The ability to predict where I’ll be at the end of a quarter for external reporting purposes is very important,” says Brown.

3 Quickly make information actionable

The third challenge cash managers face is understanding the importance of the data at-hand, and having the ability to quickly take action and resolve problems. While this might sound fundamental to financial stewardship, many companies still rely on manual, fragmented systems that provide dated information.

“Consider the latest substantial currency fluctuations,” says Brown. “Knowing where your exposures lie so you can immediately protect your liquidity position is huge. With real-time, global data across systems and operations, managers can head off problems, transferring bank balances or adjusting hedging strategies to reduce an exposure in one geography, bank or subsidiary.”

SAP Cash Management powered by SAP HANA provides financial departments with real-time visibility into an organization’s cash position. The SAP Fiori launch-pad provides easy, immediate access to the information that matters most.

The hyper-connected business world is only getting more complex. However, with the right information and technology, financial decision-makers might just smooth out some of the peaks and valleys that are an inevitable part of the cost of doing business.

Brown will be joined by leading organizations at the event who will share details of how they are adopting innovative approaches to refocus their treasury departments around strategy, execution, and reporting.

For more information on the event and to register your place, visit http://uk.tacook.com/treasury