Digitalisation

The capability to link all systems, including procurement processing and travel management, to a centralised ERP platform can significantly help streamline finance operations, according to Giselle Arellano Geronimo, the firm's local head of finance.

The system, which encompasses forecasting tools and a large language model, is available globally, except for mainland China.

Bankers spoke to CT about key trends observed across Apac treasury teams, at Bank of America’s Treasury Leaders Summit in Singapore.

Toll Group’s executive chairman Thomas Knudsen told CT about the freight firm's plans to step up investment in Asia, where shifting trade corridors, rising middle-class consumption, and a push toward decarbonisation are rewriting the rules of logistics.

Experiments have proved availability of direct payments from bank accounts to digital wallets.

Postal services across Asia Pacific are dealing with the fallout from the removal of so-called US ‘de minimis’ tariff exemption from small packages below the value of $800 sent to the US; also this week, 50% tariffs on many goods being sent from India to the US have started.

Ebanx sees opportunities in a young, tech savvy population in Southeast Asia; it is also the first Brazilian company to receive a Major Payment Institution licence in Singapore.

Annapoorna Venkataramanan, head of treasury, risk, insurance and capex investments, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, revealed to CT the firm's strategy towards capital investments and treasury transformation in the fast-changing steel sector.

Corporate treasurers in the region are increasingly leaning on technology to improve their predictive capabilities, including interacting with other departments, utilising ERP and AI.

Before riding the AI wave, a treasurer needs to identify use cases, goals, resources, and tools to maximise performance and returns, according to Bojan Belejkovski.

Kelvin Li, general manager of platform tech at Ant International, discussed with CT the fintech’s digital assets strategy to support large-volume, intragroup, cross-border fund moves.

69% of finance leaders surveyed in the SAR are exploring AI applications to transform and enhance treasury operations.