On Wednesday, February 15, Aite Group’s Wholesale Banking team will host a webinar discussion about key trends featured in our analysis of top 10 wholesale banking expectations in this Year of the Dragon. Ambition and innovation are two components often associated with the year in astrology, and Aite Group sees these as strong themes for planned wholesale banking initiatives in the year to come. Our team’s goal for this webinar is to to engage participants in a discussion about the trends and initiatives that are emerging in 2012, and to provide actionable advice on what these trends mean and how … Continue Reading →

In Europe alone, a recent estimate (the PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009 Annual European Working Capital Study) puts the amount of working capital that could be released through better management of the financial supply chain at EUR 475 billion. Supply chain finance (SCF) is seen by many as an underexploited way to tap into that potential. As a result, corporations large and small around the world have become increasingly interested in exploring and applying SCF solutions. Supply chain financing opportunities often hinge on flexibility and speed. For larger corporations for which credit is readily available, mechanisms can be set up that allow SCF solutions … Continue Reading →

The many definitions of supply chain finance (SCF) are standing in the way of corporations receiving the solutions they need from their banking partners. Very large associations of banks and treasurers have recently taken a stab at clarifying what SCF really means. The following are some works on SCF from international associations: In December 2010, the Bankers’ Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) and International Financial Services Association (IFSA)  published the document, “Product Definitions for Open Account Trade Processing and Open Account Trade Finance.” In September 2009, the Bank of England (BoE) asked U.K. stakeholders to form a working group, … Continue Reading →