Treasury transformation drives competitive advantage

Corporate treasurers demand modern digital banking experiences—and they'll switch providers to get them. Traditional treasury management systems fail to meet evolving expectations for unified workspaces, real-time payments, and AI-powered insights. This article explores Datos Insights research on treasurer behavior, emerging payment preferences, GenAI adoption patterns, and the strategic moves banks must make to capture and retain corporate relationships.

What the research says

Corporate treasurers are actively seeking modern digital banking experiences and will switch providers to get them. Datos Insights research reveals key behavioral shifts:

• 36% would switch banks for more modern, user-friendly digital experiences
• Closed portals are failing: Treasurers want central hubs with seamless navigation and personalized access
• User experience drives loyalty: Intuitive interfaces directly impact bank selection decisions

Payment speed drives decision-making across all generations:

• 28% of younger decision makers already use real-time payments
• 86% prioritize speed: Fast payment processing is important or very important

Banks recognize the strategic value but hesitate on execution:

• Over 900 U.S. banks join RTP network but stay in receive-only mode
• 88% view faster payments as strategic yet remain cautious
• Common barriers: Fraud concerns, demand questions, revenue fears, legacy tech constraints

GenAI adoption shifts from experimentation to targeted implementation. Banks identify specific cash-management use cases with highest impact potential:

• Receivables matching: Automated reconciliation with explanations
• Fraud detection: Real-time anomaly identification during transactions
• Cash flow forecasting: Predictive analytics for position optimization
• Payment routing: Intelligent channel selection for efficiency
• Exception handling: Automated resolution of transaction issues

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The consensus from the panel

Corporate treasurers demand unified experiences

Central command centers replace fragmented tools. Treasurers expect single workspaces integrating balances, payments, entitlements, approvals, and analytics.

Banks must evolve from tool providers to growth partners. Success requires orchestrating intuitive journeys that eliminate complexity.

Faster payments unlock new revenue streams

Full send-and-request capabilities create opportunity. Moving beyond receive-only enables automated payment routing, instant exception handling, and richer notifications for CFOs and AP teams.

Banks that operationalize this shift earn primacy and grow fee revenue. The key is embedding intelligence and controls around real-time rails.

GenAI belongs inside customer journeys

Agentic assistants transform treasury operations. The conversation highlighted use cases that help users and bank teams resolve tasks in seconds.

Think receivables matching with explanations, real-time anomaly flags during payment initiation, and forecasting that helps RMs and clients make better cash-position decisions.

"I find that this is a great use case for AI to actually say, let me look at the data, and let me figure out what is the most efficient way of processing that. Why can't you leverage the Instant Pay network to actually affect that transfer much faster and much quicker?"

— Arun Ramamoorthy, Head of Commercial Banking, Backbase

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How Backbase helps banks activate this growth

Backbase delivers unified AI-powered banking through three integrated layers:

• Engagement Fabric: Consistent experiences across all touchpoints
• Intelligence Fabric: Agentic AI with real-time decisioning capabilities
• Integration Fabric: Seamless connections to core, payments, and fintech partners

Banks using Backbase achieve measurable results:

• Higher conversions through intelligent journey orchestration
• Increased cross-sell with embedded recommendations
• Better retention via real-time engagement
• Lower costs using employee assist tools
• Faster launches with pre-built workflows

The path to Growth Mode requires three strategic moves:

• Replace static portals with intelligent central hubs
• Embed AI capabilities in receivables, payments, and forecasting
• Empower proactive banking that transforms customers into advocates

Banks that execute this strategy become growth engines, not just service providers.

Key takeaways for bank leaders

• Reimagine treasury as a central hub. Win share by simplifying navigation and tailoring entitlements and experiences by role.
• Treat faster payments as a growth lever. Move beyond receive-only and package intelligence, controls, and alerts around RTP and instant rails.
• Operationalize GenAI inside the journeys. Start with receivables matching, fraud detection, and cash-flow forecasting, then scale to a virtual treasury assistant.
• Unify your tech so each step compounds. Start where it matters, then expand across onboarding, digital banking, activation and expansion, and human assist on one platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of treasurers would switch banks for better digital experiences?

36% of corporate treasurers would switch financial institutions for more modern, user-friendly digital experiences according to Datos Insights research.

How many banks currently use the RTP network for faster payments?

Over 900 U.S. banks participate in the RTP network, though most operate in receive-only mode rather than full send-and-request capabilities.

What are the top GenAI use cases for treasury management?

Banks prioritize receivables matching, fraud detection, cash flow forecasting, automated payment routing, and instant exception handling for GenAI implementation.

Keep the momentum

Backbase exists to empower bankers with the tools to unlock growth through AI, unified data, and proactive servicing and selling. Let's reimagine, build, and grow together.

If you'd like to book a strategy session tailored to your treasury roadmap, our team can help you map use cases, quantify impact, and plan the sequence to deliver results.