Businesses around the globe are slowly but surely transforming from operations with expensive and business-limiting manual processes to digitally connected enterprises, according to a new research report from Mercator Advisory Group. Banks and technology vendors are helping them to achieve this by providing the latest-generation technologies. This “digitalization” is not occurring at the speed at which technology is advancing, for a number of reasons. However, with a growth environment expected and inevitable rising rates, along with competitive pressures related to the interconnected world, working capital effectiveness will become a primary focus and drive faster adoption of business cash cycle technology, from procurement through financial reconciliation. In a new research report, Digitizing the Business Cash Cycle: Advancements and Partnerships, Mercator Advisory Group discusses the latest technology solutions supporting the procure-to-pay space and methods for connecting the various tools continually being added. Procurement, e-invoicing, payments, and alternative financing are being digitized and integrated for optimal performance in managing working capital. The report explains why this is a critical need as companies move further into the era of a high-tech, global economy.

1. Digitizing the Business Cash Cycle:
Advancements and Partnerships
January 2017

2. 2017 Mercator Advisory Group
Businesses around the globe are slowly but surely transforming from operations
with expensive and business-limiting manual processes to digitally connected
enterprises, according to a new research report from Mercator Advisory Group.
Banks and technology vendors are helping them to achieve this by providing the
latest-generation technologies. This “digitalization” is not occurring at the speed
at which technology is advancing, for a number of reasons. However, with a
growth environment expected and inevitable rising rates, along with competitive
pressures related to the interconnected world, working capital effectiveness will
become a primary focus and drive faster adoption of business cash cycle
technology, from procurement through financial reconciliation.
New Mercator Advisory Group research examines business
cash cycle and advancements in procure-to-pay technology

3. 2017 Mercator Advisory Group
In a new research report, Digitizing the Business Cash Cycle:
Advancements and Partnerships, Mercator Advisory Group discusses the
latest technology solutions supporting the procure-to-pay space and methods
for connecting the various tools continually being added. Procurement, e-
invoicing, payments, and alternative financing are being digitized and integrated
for optimal performance in managing working capital. The report explains why
this is a critical need as companies move further into the era of a high-tech,
global economy.
There is more technology flexibility than ever before to digitize
business cash cycle processes

4. 2017 Mercator Advisory Group
"As we have consistently advised during the past years, effective working capital
management is a key to financial performance and company decision flexibility moving
forward. This holds true in both slow-growth developed economies as well as
developing economies, where high growth can mask control issues that are later
uncovered as industries and systems mature,” commented Steve Murphy, Director of
Mercator Advisory Group’s Commercial and Enterprise Payments Advisory
Service and author of the report. “Industry-leading solution-providers are recognizing
that providing a product with end-to-end capabilities requiring fewer client company
resources to launch and support can increase customer stickiness.”
Steve Murphy
Director,
Commercial and Enterprise Payments Advisory Service
Mercator Advisory Group

5. 2017 Mercator Advisory Group
Highlights of the research report:
• A discussion of the reasons that working capital efficiency is paramount
in a potentially higher-growth era with changing fiscal and monetary
policies
• Drivers of the increasing visibility and adoption of digital processes
• A review of the technology domains that are being digitally connected
across the business cash cycle
• A view of the vendor landscape with its often evolving solution providers
• A discussion of how digital transformation occurs

6. ©2017 Mercator Advisory Group
One of the 7 exhibits in this research report:
Figure 1: Economic Growth Is Uneven and Projections
Remain Tepid in Developed Markets
2
© 2017 Mercator Advisory Group
3.1%
1.6%
6.5%
3.4%
1.8%
6.3%
3.7%
1.7%
6.4%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
Projected 2016
Projected 2017
Projected 2020
$46 T $53.7 T
17% Nominal Increase in
GDP ($ trillions)
$16.3 T $23.4 T
44% Nominal Increase in GDP
($ trillions)
World Advanced
Economies
Emerging and
Developing Asia
If the U.S. economy heats up,
demand for capital will drive higher rates.
A change in U.S. GDP from current 2%
projections to 3.5% could add more than
$3 trillion of new growth.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (WEO) Database, WEO October 2016 Update

7. About the research report:
2017 Mercator Advisory Group
The research note is 16 pages long and contains 7 exhibits.
Companies mentioned in this document include ACI, Basware, Bill.com, Bottomline
Technologies, Broadridge, Coupa, Demica, Esker, GCSF, Infor, Orbian, Prime Revenue,
SAP Ariba, SciQuest, SunGard, Taulia, Tieto, Tradeshift, Transcepta, Traxpay, Tungsten,
and Zycus.
Members of Mercator Advisory Group's Commercial and Enterprise Payments
Advisory Service have access to this research report as well as the upcoming research
for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership benefits.
Please visit us online at www.mercatoradvisorygroup.com.
For more information and media inquiries, please call Mercator Advisory Group's main
line: 1-78-419-1700; send email to media@mercatoradvisorygroup.
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www.PaymentsJournal.com.
Follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/MercatorAdvisor.

8. About Mercator Advisory Group
Mercator Advisory Group is the leading independent research and advisory
services firm exclusively focused on the payments and banking industries. We
deliver pragmatic and timely research and advice designed to help our clients
uncover the most lucrative opportunities to maximize revenue growth and
contain costs.
Our clients range from the world's largest payment issuers, acquirers,
processors, merchants and associations to leading technology providers and
investors. Mercator Advisory Group is also the publisher of the online payments
and banking news and information portal PaymentsJournal.com.
2017 Mercator Advisory Group