Why it’s not too late to become a strategic partner for treasurers

By 2025, 40% of corporations plan to rationalize their banking partners. For corporate banks, this is both a warning and an opportunity. An opportunity that starts with the role of corporate treasurers. While this role once focused largely on operational cash management, nine in ten treasury and finance professionals are now involved in shaping strategic decisions. 

This will require a new approach from the banks that service these businesses. Those that can provide the flexibility, insight and data-quality that modern business requires have a chance to win new business, expand mandates and grow their revenue, while others fall behind.  

Let’s examine the stakes to learn how corporate banks can adapt to meet these needs and succeed. 

The new demands of corporate treasury

Today, treasurers sit at the intersection of financial strategy and operational execution. They are expected to drive efficiency, control risk, and inform C-suite decisions. This has put more pressure on the cash management systems they use, with a clear need for:

• Real-time cash visibility: Instant access to cash positions across multiple accounts. 
• Liquidity optimization: Structures that maximize fund utilization while minimizing costs. 
• Predictive cash forecasting: Accurate projections to plan for investments, repayments, or market disruptions. 
• Risk management and compliance: Tools to mitigate risks and meet regulatory demands seamlessly. 
• Automation and self-service: Streamlined reconciliation and faster responses without heavy manual effort. 
• Integrated systems: Connectivity with ERP and treasury systems to centralize operations. 
• Flexibility and control: Solutions that adapt to dynamic, multi-entity business environments. 

In short, treasurers don’t just want banking services—they need technology-driven solutions that empower them to deliver value to their organizations at multiple levels and while managing their costs.  

Banks that fail to adapt to these changing needs face three significant risks: 

1. Client loss: Treasurers will move to agile competitors that can provide tailored, real-time solutions. 
2. Revenue decline: A loss of deposits and reduced service utilization erodes financial performance. 
3. Diminished market relevance: In a landscape of fewer, more streamlined partnerships, less valuable partners face irrelevance.  

Don’t forget, treasurers are rationalizing banking relationships to focus on fewer, better-performing providers. So how can banks keep up? 

The opportunity to transform 

While traditional physical banking infrastructure creates barriers for cash management – think data silos, manual reconciliation and disconnected reporting – modern, digital tools such as Virtual Account Management (VAM) enable banks to create a connected, scalable cash management solution that can adapt with the needs of customers. 

With VAM, treasurers can consolidate accounts, automate processes, and optimize liquidity across entities. Connected data also enables proactive AI-powered insights that move banks from an operational partner to a source of strategic insight, strengthening your relationships. 

To reinforce their position, banks should focus on solving the immediate pain points of their audiences, such as: 

• Implementing automated reconciliation to address key pain points 
• Provide centralized cash visibility to give treasurers full control over liquidity 
• Creating a stable data foundation to offer AI-powered insights in the future 

Become indispensable for your clients 

The corporate banking opportunity will go to those that can move quickly and address the needs of their customers. In just three months, banks can implement solutions like VAM, providing the tools treasurers need to succeed – and the capabilities to win more business in future. 

The treasurers you serve today will decide your relevance tomorrow. By acting now, you can position your bank as the trusted partner treasurers rely on for growth, efficiency, and strategic value.

Discover how SAP Fioneer’s Virtual Account Management can future-proof your cash management offerings – watch our on-demand demo.