Global Crisis Monitor Week 1: A Survey Digest Highlighting The Impact Of COVID-19 On Treasury
What you’ll learn
- More than 90% of the organizations from cited organizational liquidity and accounts receivables to be the top concern for Treasury departments
- Financial Normalcy can be expected to be seen 6 months from now.
- Current Business Continuity Programs may not be built to withstand extended periods of remote operations.
- Central banks through the use of financial instruments such as MMF are inducing liquidity into the economic system, which is expected to improve liquidity within the US economy.
Introduction to the Survey:
Highradius along with Strategic Treasurer initiated weekly surveys called the Global Crisis Monitor with an aim to understand the Impact COVID-19 has had on organizations globally, and also to understand: Top concerns surrounding Corporate Treasury during the pandemic Estimated timelines as to when the US economy might pick up How well equipped are enterprises operationally during these difficult times Who was part of the Survey:- 200+ enterprises that have a strong global presence, with operations in Africa (17.5%), Mid-East (20%), LATAM (30%), APAC (40%), EU (50%), NAMER (75%).
Key Takeaways from the First Survey:
- More than 90% of the organizations from cited organizational liquidity and accounts receivables to be the top concern for Treasury departments
- Financial Normalcy can be expected to be seen 6 months from now.
- Current Business Continuity Programs may not be built to withstand extended periods of remote operations.
- Central banks through the use of financial instruments such as MMF are inducing liquidity into the economic system, which is expected to improve liquidity within the US economy.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Treasury:
A majority of the enterprises (90%+) that participated in the survey had a very negative outlook about their Organizational liquidity and Accounts Receivable. And these opinions stem from the facts that are:
1. Limitations on the short-term debt availability within the economy, that can be consumed by
companies
2. Increased uncertainties in their accounts receivables due to collapses in incomes
What’s more – companies may not be able to issue/utilize commercial papers in the coming months due to the lack of liquid assets present within the company, since most of the funds are being utilized for their working capital management.
A representation of the outlook that the respondents had against the various aspects of Treasury
- Accounts Receivable had the most negative outlook that was lesser than -6X during the survey period
- Commercial paper issuance and covenant requirements had a very negative outlook as well
The only positive element however within this entire outlook is the federal reserve’s initiative to induce liquidity by pumping in money market funds, which are claimed to bring in relief amidst the crisis.
The Lasting Effect of COVID-19: When can Treasury Expect a Change
The respondents surveyed have also cited that the possibility of COVID’s inflection point can be reached within 1-2 months, and the state of financial normalcy can be expected 6 months from now.
Suggesting that companies will not readily have access to lines of credit from banks and may not be ready to make any newer investments until the beginning of the last financial quarter, because practically that will be the time for markets to pick up.
A Projected Timeline of Health & Financial Inflection
- The expected point where no newer cases will be recorded can be possibly seen in the next 1-2 months
- Financial Normalcy & end of the COVID-19 pandemic can be expected in 4-6 months
Conclusion: How have organizations handled the Impact COVID-19 so far
Enterprises so far have been operationally able to withstand the impact of COVID-19. They did so by having strong business continuity plans set in place, and by adhering to staff safety protocols through remote working.
However, how lasting can BCP models remain is the question since most of them have been only designed to sustain a 2 week remote operation period. What’s more, less than 20% of the respondents cited that their current Business Continuity Plans are also less adapted to their payment security processes, thereby showcasing the first of many challenges that will eventually spring up as the BCPs continue.
This concludes the key findings from the first survey conducted and is also a beginning to many survey insights that are due to be released. The next set of insights is available Visit our Blog
The HighRadius™ Treasury Management Applications consist of AI-powered Cash Forecasting Cloud and Cash Management Cloud designed to support treasury teams from companies of all sizes and industries. Delivered as SaaS, our solutions seamlessly integrate with multiple systems including ERPs, TMS, accounting systems, and banks using sFTP or API. They help treasuries around the world achieve end-to-end automation in their forecasting and cash management processes to deliver accurate and insightful results with lesser manual effort.
