Diejana van der Wal
The answer is to automate
Changing market
Access to the financial world
Risk scan launch
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The foundation was laid two years ago with the realisation that
Rabobank was focused too much on selling products and not
enough on clients' needs,' says Ruud Nijs, Head of Financial
Logistics. 'Since then we've been developing products to service
changing customer needs that take into account that Europe is
moving towards an integrated market, and that the control of
central organisations is becoming more important.'
This has made the role of a finance director (e.g. Chief Financial
Officer orTreasurer) more and more complicated, and as
technology advances and becomes an integrated part of
business, the answer is to automate and simplify the job where
possible, focusing on high-end tailored services where needed.
'Of course we work in close cooperation with relationship
management to achieve this, and by working across business
units we also add significant value for our cliënt,' adds Nijs.
Nowadays, a financial manager has to manage topics like BIS II,
IFRS/IAS, Sarbanes Oxley, Pension Fund on or off balance, SEPA,
Operational Risk Management etc. In short the new role is
divided into Liquidity Management and Risk Management.
'Liquidity Management is perceived more and more as a
commodity and therefore easy access (Internet) and low cost is
required. Professional advice on how to mitigate the biggest and
most critical risks is needed for Risk Management,' explains Nijs.
By combining theTrade, Cash, short-term Treasury and short
term Risk products, and using state-of-the-art Internet and
security technologies, Rabobank has been able to develop a
portal that gives clients access to the financial world. 'Our FL-
portal will provide a single, integrated entry point to meet the
needs of our clients,' says Nijs. 'It's a state-of-the-art web-
enabling application that incorporates the strengths of our
existing online platforms. The release in the first quarter of 2006
already encompasses our Cash and Trade capabilities,' he says.
Risk management is a challenge, requiring a new set of
competencies and Rabobank has thus developed a risk scan that
will be introduced into the market in the first quarter of 2006.
The Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) scan will be the
bridge between working capital and risk management,'
comments Diejana van der Wal, Product Manager Rabobank
International Cash Management. The scan is strongly client-
focusedand integral.We can provide a total picture of the risk
28 The Word
