Over the last decade, corporate treasurers’ focus has moved from transaction efficiency to a focus on overall business efficiency. The key drivers in optimising the overall cash flow efficiency of the business, are to:

1.  minimise tax paid globally in all cash and treasury management, and business structures which requires:

• understanding what is required from current and changing tax regimes, e.g. new OECD transfer tax instruments,  new UK GAAP rules
• systems and services to minimise tax paid

2.   maximise regulatory compliance with minimum administrative overhead by:

• understanding what is required EMIR, Dodd-Frank, SOX, etc.
• using systems/ support to minimise administratio

 3.  minimise overall risks from:

• country risk
• regulatory compliance risk
• counter-party risk
• fraud risk
• investment risk
• FX, commodity, etc. risk

 4.  simplify and automate all processes to improve the effectiveness of the business overall not just treasury. This requires:

• deeper understanding of the dynamics of all processes and positions
• increased focus on business strategy
• complete solutions, not partial solutions. So corporate treasurers welcome their banks and other suppliers partnering to provide complete solutions.

Obviously, these drivers are inter-twined, but the general focus of corporate treasury is to minimise tax paid, maximise regulatory compliance, and simply and automate all processes to improve the effectiveness of the business overall. (See: What business corporate treasurers are in.)