The Role of Treasury Management in Commercial Growth
Commercial banking success is built on relationships, but relationships alone won’t drive deposit growth. Financial institutions looking to expand their commercial portfolio must offer more than traditional transaction services — such as wires, automated clearing house (ACH) payments and lockbox processing — that simply move money.
Businesses today need a smarter treasury management strategy that automates receivables, streamlines cash flow and reduces operational burdens. At the heart of this is a virtual office of the CFO — a centralized treasury hub that gives businesses full visibility and control over incoming payments, cash flow and reconciliation.
By eliminating the need to log into multiple platforms for different payment channels, businesses gain the same level of efficiency, automation and financial oversight that a corporate CFO expects from a fully integrated treasury operation. Financial institutions that provide this level of integration become essential financial partners, deepening client relationships and increasing deposits.
The Missing Link Between Payments, Liquidity, and Receivables Management
Financial institutions have long provided payments and liquidity solutions to help businesses move money efficiently. Treasury teams rely on ACH, wires and card processing for transactions, while cash concentration, sweeps and zero balance accounts ensure liquidity.
However, many businesses still lack a streamlined receivables process that ensures payments are applied quickly and accurately without manual intervention. Payments arrive through different channels, reconciliation is performed manually and working capital is tied up in unpaid invoices. An integrated receivables solution fills this gap by consolidating the management of lockbox, electronic lockbox, ACH, card and remote deposit capture (RDC) payments into one streamlined platform.
By embedding receivables automation into treasury services, they enable commercial clients to optimize cash flow, reduce inefficiencies and gain greater financial control, all while capturing a larger share of deposits.
Why Receivables Automation is a Critical Treasury Offering
Despite advances in treasury services, receivables remain a pain point for businesses. In fact, a recent PYMNTS study found that 35% of mid-market firms still operate a fully manual accounts receivable process, highlighting the need for automation.
Common challenges include:
• Delayed payments.
• Manual reconciliation.
• Disjointed payment channels.
Without automation, businesses face longer collection cycles, inefficiencies and reduced cash flow visibility, making it harder to manage working capital and optimize deposits.
By eliminating friction in receivables management, financial institutions can help clients get paid faster, streamline operations and strengthen financial oversight, all while increasing deposit retention and enhancing treasury relationships.
How Integrated Receivables Supports FI Growth
Receivables management has traditionally been fragmented for commercial clients across multiple systems, requiring them to separately track checks, ACH, card transactions and electronic lockbox payments. This lack of integration creates inefficiencies for finance teams that can delay cash application and complicate financial reporting.
An integrated receivables solution consolidates all payment types into a single portal, allowing businesses to automate reconciliation, accelerate cash application and gain real-time financial insights.
For financial institutions, the benefits extend far beyond operational efficiency. Receivables automation directly supports treasury growth by:
• Increasing commercial deposits.
• Strengthening client retention.
• Expanding treasury revenue.
The Virtual Office of the CFO: A Competitive Advantage for FIs
Modern businesses require real-time financial oversight to make data-driven decisions. A virtual office of the CFO gives them a single place to see, manage and reconcile all receivables — speeding up cash application, improving forecasting and reducing operational friction. By embedding receivables automation into treasury services, financial institutions provide commercial clients with:
• Real-time cash flow visibility.
• Automated reconciliation.
• Seamless treasury integration.
• Enhanced security and compliance.
With this level of automation and visibility, banks and credit unions go beyond transactional services, becoming true strategic partners in their clients’ financial success.
Implementing Integrated Receivables for Treasury Growth
To successfully integrate receivables automation into treasury services, financial institutions should focus on:
• Technology partnerships.
• Seamless enterprise resource planning enterprise resource planning and core banking integration.
• White-labeled treasury platforms.
• Security and compliance priorities.
Treasury Growth Starts with Integrated Receivables
Banks and credit unions looking to expand their commercial portfolio and drive deposit growth must align their treasury strategy with real business needs. An integrated receivables solution bridges the gap between payments, liquidity and cash flow management.
By embedding receivables automation alongside lockbox, electronic lockbox, ACH, card, and RDC payments, institutions can position themselves as indispensable financial partners — helping businesses improve cash flow, accelerate payments and manage receivables more efficiently — while also growing deposits and strengthening treasury relationships.
Those who view treasury management as a growth opportunity — not just an operational necessity — will be the ones who win the commercial clients of tomorrow.
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