Deutsche Delivers a Differentiated Client Experience
in Asia's Competitive Cash Management Landscape

By Mahesh Kini Regional Head of Cash Management Corporates for Asia Pacific [email protected]

And Lee-Jee Leong Head of Implementation and Service for Asia [email protected]

With change being the only constant in Asia's competitive cash management landscape, client servicing distinguishes the premium player from the rest.

What accounts for the emergence of this new differentiator? First of all, treasury management for corporates has grown more complex with the increasing globalisation of business, regulatory changes and proliferation of new business activities. This has contributed to a rethinking of treasury strategy. A distinct trend of organisations rationalising their treasury functions emerged as corporates sought centralised management control and visibility over their funds. Corporates are also rationalising their business relationships, including their banking relationships, with a view to diversifying their counterparty exposure and deriving maximum benefits from consolidated business relationships.

Secondly, Asia demonstrated great resilience in the face of the recent global downturn and stands to become more important to the global economy. According to the World Trade Organisation, the 2010 pan-Asian GDP is set to grow by 7% compared to 2.7% globally. This is largely driven by the boom in intra-Asian trade, even as exports to the EU and the US are diminishing in their relative importance to the region.

Treasurers are taking a closer look at managing exposures in multiple Asian currencies and need banking providers who are able to support them. For example, as the RMB becomes increasingly used as an international business currency, it is imperative for banks to support their clients worldwide with RMB services both offshore and onshore in China. We have responded with a comprehensive suite of solutions, including RMB services, to enable clients to maximise their opportunities in Asia and worldwide.

Meanwhile, even as Asia undergoes fundamental shifts and gains prominence in the global marketplace, the characteristics that make effective cash management in Asia such a challenging proposition — such as the fragmented and shifting business and regulatory landscape — remain relatively unchanged.

Against this backdrop, corporates' expectations and demands of their cash management providers have grown. A solid financial standing, an established presence in key Asian markets and familiarity with local market practices are just par for the course, as are a comprehensive suite of products and services. The entire banking experience and customer service quality have risen up the ranks on the treasurer's agenda.

Client Service – Deutsche Bank's approach

For Deutsche Bank, this has been an opportunity to pull even further ahead of the pack with a differentiated product and service offering. As a best-in-class cash management provider, the Bank has already established a customisable and comprehensive product suite and state-of-the-art technology, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to customer service excellence.

Client service at Deutsche Bank extends beyond addressing our clients' day-to-day needs to the entire lifecycle of a bank-client relationship, beginning with the onboarding process. This entails maximising the usability of online platforms, ensuring documentation is as straightforward as possible and having in-country teams of skilled and knowledgeable implementation and service staff who understand our clients' business in the local context.

A snapshot of some key initiatives undertaken to enhance our client service:

• Developing intuitive user interfaces for our product and electronic infrastructure based on analysis of client behavioural trends and preferences. This helps our clients onboard without needing intensive training or reference to how-to manuals.
   
• Adopting social media and new communication channels to facilitate more interaction with our clients, especially as we develop products designed with our clients' needs in mind.
   
• Alignment and closer partnership of different business units within the Bank to facilitate the design, development and enhanced delivery of holistic solutions for clients.

Market Recognition from Clients and in the Industry

We were named "Quality Leader for Cash Management in Asia" in the 2010 Greenwich Associates industry benchmark survey of cash management services and quality.

Deutsche has continued to reflect consistent improvement in client service excellence over the last four years, according to our annual online survey involving over 900 clients across 14 markets in Asia-Pacific. The survey measures client satisfaction at each stage of the Bank-Client relationship in five key dimensions: services & accessibility, service delivery, competence, efficiency and quality of the response, and our proprietary platform queries.

Clearly, all indicators show that Deutsche Bank is able to support our clients' business aspirations in a fast-changing economy with solutions and services that enable them to grow faster and go further. For Deutsche Bank, this is the essence of an enduring partnership.