Implementing a Best-Practice Treasury Infrastructure

by Kurt Loeffler, Manager of Corporate Finance and Acquisition Strategy, A. Schulman, Inc. and Andy Johnson, President, Drewcorp, Inc.

In March 2009 (edition 174) we published a case study by Kurt Loeffler, Treasury Manager of A. Schulman Inc. on the selection of a treasury management system (TMS). Now that the implementation of the system is complete, this article recaps on the objectives and selection process that the company undertook, and discusses the implementation experience.

Technology needs at A. Schulman

Visibility and auditability

A. Schulman’s treasury function is a small, highly focused team with two people at the corporate headquarters in Ohio, two in Belgium, managing the European treasury and cash management requirements, and two people in Mexico, responsible for domestic cash management. Until 2009, we were using spreadsheets to manage all aspects of our global treasury activities. However, with an increasing focus on cash visibility across the business, and greater management attention on issues such as liquidity and risk, we recognised that spreadsheets did not provide the level of control which we were seeking over our cash flow, including visibility and auditability.

Banking requirements

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