What is cash management?

Cash management is the process of forecasting and monitoring cash inflows and outflows to generate sufficient cash inflows to pay all required cash outflows and maintain proper financial health.

The components of cash management are:

• Managing bank deposit accounts: Managing bank account balances and determining the amount of excess cash not needed for company operations.

• Funding investments: Moving excess cash in and out of an investment account to maximize the yield earned on a cash position. Treasury management invests excess cash in short-term investments, including treasury bills.

• Making payments: Monitoring the total dollars needed to meet liabilities, the due dates on invoices, and ensuring that accounts payable balances are paid on time. Bill payments may be processed using ACH, a checking account, a credit card, or other methods.

• Monitoring receivables: Tracking the dollar amounts and due dates of receivable balances and following up on collections when necessary. 

The cash management goal is to maximize excess cash balances and to control cash payments.

Why do businesses need cash management?

Every business needs cash to operate and to fund company growth. Effective cash management helps businesses complete these tasks: 

• Paying obligations: Proper cash flow management ensures the business can pay all obligations on time. This strategy helps the business maintain strong vendor relationships.

• Speed up collections: Businesses need a formal process to evaluate customer payment patterns and follow up on unpaid invoices.

• Accurately forecast cash flows: Improve a company’s proficiency at forecasting and managing cash flows to fund business operations.

• Minimizes need for capital: Cash flow management minimizes the need to raise additional capital for fund operations.

• Yield on excess cash: Managers can accurately forecast the amount of excess cash, make investment decisions, and maximize the yield earned on excess cash.

• Business expansion: The business can accurately forecast cash needed for a business expansion and determine the source of funds for expansion (excess cash inflows, raising more capital, etc.)

• Business valuation: Consistently strong cash inflows are an important metric for a business valuation. Reliable cash inflows demonstrate financial stability and make it easier to raise capital by issuing debt.

• Segregation of duties: Cash is the asset most at risk for theft. Managers must put controls in place to segregate duties to reduce the theft risk.

• Month-end close: Bank accounts must be quickly reconciled after month end so management can identify and follow up on unusual transactions.

What are some benefits of cash management?

Cash management helps a business collect cash faster (by quickly identifying slow-paying customers) and forecast future cash balances to fund operations accurately.

The funds can be invested to earn a higher yield if excess cash is available. Internal controls over cash lower the risk of theft, and bank accounts can be quickly reconciled at month end. Funding all business cash needs may be possible without raising additional capital.

What are cash management solutions?

You can implement an effective cash management system using these solutions:

1. Centralized bank account management

Monitor all bank account balances in a single location so that managers can calculate the total available cash balance.

2. Protect cash using internal controls

You should put internal controls in place to protect assets, including cash, from theft.

There is a higher risk of cash theft than any other asset because of the number of cash transactions in a typical business. A company may have dozens (or hundreds) of debit entries, direct deposit payments, and other online banking transactions.

Segregation of duties is an effective control that protects cash from theft.

To illustrate, assume that Julie owns Standard Logistics, a shipping company. Standard separates these duties between three different people:

• Custody of assets: Julie’s administrative assistant keeps the physical checkbook and is the only person with keys to the petty cash box. 

• Authority to move funds: Julie is responsible for signing all checks after she reviews each invoice and the supporting documentation.

• Recordkeeping: John, the controller, reconciles the cash account at the end of each month. John reconciles the account once the bank statement is emailed to Standard after month end.

Keeping these three duties separate prevents any one person from having too much control over the cash account. For example, John reconciles the cash account but cannot sign checks or have custody of the checkbook.

Every business should have these controls in place to protect cash from theft.

3. Improving the AR process

Accounts receivable (AR) is extending credit to customers who don’t immediately pay in cash. If your AR balance is growing, you’re collecting cash more slowly.

You can take some of the following actions to reduce the average AR balance even as you grow sales.

Credit checks for new customers

New customers do not have a payment history with your business and may become slow-paying clients. 

Many companies perform a credit check before doing business with a new customer to avoid this issue. This is common for B2B firms but may not be practical for B2C companies with hundreds of retail customers.

Ask for deposits

If you sell large ticket items or produce customized products and services, you may ask for an initial deposit on each purchase. Asking for a deposit signals whether or not the customer will pay on time. If you get customer pushback on deposits, view it as a red flag.

Automate the process

Make the payment process as seamless as possible. Send invoices electronically and give customers the option to pay invoices online.

Create a formal collection policy

Successful businesses have a formal process to follow up on late payments. For example, your firm may email customers when an invoice is 30 days old and call clients if an invoice reaches 45 days old. 

The need to follow up with a customer is another red flag. If a client has to be contacted more than once regarding late payments, consider not doing business with them. The time and effort you spend following up on a late payment may not be worth the profit generated by the sale.

If your sales are increasing, check to see if your AR balance is increasing faster than sales. If so, you’re making more sales to customers who are slow to pay. The biggest takeaway is to monitor AR closely.

4. Managing working capital 

Working capital is (current assets less current liabilities) and measures a firm’s ability to generate sufficient cash inflows to pay all current liabilities. In this context, “current” is defined as 12 months or less.

Current assets include cash and assets that will be converted into cash within 12 months. Accounts receivable and inventory are current asset accounts. 

Current liabilities, including accounts payable and other short-term financial obligations, must be paid in cash within 12 months. 

When you closely monitor the components of working capital, you can generate enough cash inflows to operate your business.

What features should cash management software include?

These software features will speed up data collection and analysis and help managers make more informed decisions:

Banking automation

A fully integrated platform ensures that every cash transaction can be tracked and reviewed in real-time.

Transfers between bank and investment accounts are fully automated, and month-end reconciliations are performed electronically. Here are two common transactions that need to be monitored:

• Line of credit (LOC): Accessing the LOC must be limited to a few managers, and businesses must document how the funds are used. The LOC lender will also want to see monthly financial statements to assess business performance.

• Access to assets: If the company has a savings account or owns a certificate of deposit, the business needs clear guidelines on who has custody of these assets.

These controls reduce the risk of fraud, and management can detect unusual transactions immediately and follow up.

Automated accounts receivable and collection process

All invoices can be sent electronically, and customers are provided options to pay invoices online. The software can send automated payment reminders to customers when invoices reach a specific number of days outstanding.

Integration with other financial and accounting systems

A platform like Rho offers cash management and capabilities like AP, banking services, expense, and corporate cards – all in one platform. 

Users can monitor every type of cash transaction in real-time. Financial officers can create reports to monitor cash and calculate excess cash for investments.

• Treasury automation: Whether you are a CFO managing a lean finance team or a 1-person finance org, Rho can simplify and automate most of your treasury processes for you. 
• Investment monitoring: Rho scans the markets and adjusts your portfolio to ensure your investments are structured for safety, liquidity, and yield.
• Bank account monitoring: Rho technology monitors operating account balances and automatically transfers money to your bank account so that you always have enough cash on hand.

With Rho, managers have full control over cash flows and spending.

What's the difference between cash management software vs. cash flow management software?

Cash flow management software is more complex, requires more data, and must fully integrate with your banking and accounting systems to be effective. On the other hand, cash management software is less complex and can be managed using less data.

Cash flow management is managing accounts receivable and cash outflows to pay vendors and other invoices. This includes:

• Forecasting cash inflows and outflows 
• Making collection efforts on accounts receivable balances (automated alerts, emails, phone calls)
• Deciding when to take advantage of discounts on vendor invoices
• Paying invoices on time and managing vendor relationships

On the other hand, cash management refers to decisions made about a specific cash balance at a point in time. Questions for cash management include: How much excess cash can be invested, and how is cash used to fund business operations? 

The 12 best cash management solutions for CFOs

1. Rho

Rho is a financial operating system that helps businesses boost their profitability. The platform helps automate accounts payable and treasury management, helping lean businesses generate yield on their cash reserves while maintaining liquidity and security. 

Features

Rho offers a comprehensive set of solutions built into our platform that make it easy for companies to achieve this:

1. Rho Checking Accounts provided by Webster Bank, N.A., Member FDIC that are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per entity.
2. Rho Treasury, our treasury investment management service, invests your excess cash in short-dated government securities held directly in your company’s name.

Once onboarded to Rho, Rho Treasury clients select a custom investment policy tailored to their business’s unique liquidity and security needs, supported by Rho’s in-house investment team. 

Diversification was important to us. We looked at three to four different platforms but wanted multiple ways to access our capital, and Rho offered the seamless setup, integration, and treasury we were looking for. – Emma Nelson, COO at MUD\WTR

Rho's platform then actively adjusts customers’ portfolios of government securities like U.S. Treasuries to earn market rates while monitoring operating account balances and automatically transferring money as needed.

Pros

• Treasury automation: Whether you are a CFO managing a lean finance team or a 1-person finance org, Rho can simplify and automate most of your treasury processes for you 
• End-to-end finance: Rho offers treasury management and other capabilities like AP, banking services, expense, and corporate cards – all in one platform 
• Compliance with investment policy: Rho makes sure that your policy is tailored to fit your firm’s specific cash flow and security needs
• Investment monitoring: Rho scans the markets and adjusts your portfolio to ensure that your investments are structured for safety, liquidity, and yield
• Bank account monitoring: Rho technology monitors operating account balances and automatically transfers money to your bank account so that you always have enough cash on hand

Cons

• U.S. Treasuries v. money market funds: Rho Prime Treasury gives customers the benefit of investing directly in U.S. Treasuries held in their name. Some may prefer the ease (albeit with some risk) of using money market funds instead 

Integrations

Rho integrates with QuickBooks Online, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Sage Intacct. 

Rho also supports flat-file CSV exporting, so you can automatically tailor transaction categorization to your business needs. Read more about our accounting integrations here.

Pricing & Fees

The Rho platform is free, though the Rho Prime Treasury capability does have a small annual management fee which depends on the amount invested, but caps out at 0.60%. 

2. Causal

Causal provides software to create and build business plans, forecasts, and financial models. The financial planning and analysis tool allows managers to build integrated models that drive revenue and expense projections.

Features

Users can pull data directly from an accounting system and combine it with operational data from your CRM and data warehouse to build fully integrated models. Users can analyze multiple business units in one platform and track budgeted vs. actual results.

Pros

• User interface: The user interface is easy to navigate 
• Real-time data: The platform updates data in real-time 
• Integrations: Causal provides several ERP and other types of software integrations

Cons

• Steep learning curve: Many reviewers mentioned that the learning curve to implement the software fully is steep and time-consuming
• Slow processing speeds: The platform’s processing speed is slow at times, according to some reviewers
• No banking or payment functionality: Causal is strictly an analytical tool and does not offer banking, treasury, or payment services

Integrations

Integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, SAP S/4HANA, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Pricing & Fees 

Causal has a Free version that a single user can access and a Launch pricing level of $250 per month. The Growth pricing level requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Causal vs. Rho

Causal is strictly an analytical tool and does not offer banking, treasury, or payment services. The platform has a steep learning curve, and the software can be expensive.

Rho provides a seamless financial management solution that combines cash management, banking, treasury, payments, and other tools in one integration platform. Rho’s platform is free to use.

3. Tesorio

Tesorio's cash flow performance platform helps businesses make cash flow predictions in real time based on trends and other analyses. The accounts receivable solution allows companies to collect cash faster by automating the collection process.

Features

The cash flow management tool aggregates all bank accounts and provides data on a single platform. Users can forecast cash flows, perform scenario planning, and generate reports. Customers can focus on the most strategic accounts to maximize collections on receivables.

Pros

• Cash flow management: Useful tools to forecast cash collections
• Invoice status: Easy to locate and review the status of a particular invoice
• Report extraction: Simple process to create reports quickly 

Cons

• Adjusting journal entries: When an adjusting journal entry is posted for a particular invoice, the journal entry data is not linked to the invoice screen
• Platform access: Several reviewers mentioned glitches and delays in platform access
• Login issues: The platform will frequently log out users in between tasks, according to several reviews

Integrations

Tesorio has ERP integrations with NetSuite and Sage Intacct.

Pricing & Fees 

Tesorio requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Tesorio vs. Rho

The Tesorio platform has glitches and login issues, which slow down productivity, and Tesorio charges platform fees. Rho provides bank account, cash management, and a reliable treasury management solution in a single platform with no platform fees.

4. Agicap

Agicap offers cash flow forecasting and management tools, and automation to speed up collections on receivables.

Features

Users can forecast and monitor cash flow by entity or in a consolidated view. Managers can compare the cash flow forecast to actual results in real time. The software can synchronize and categorize all banking transactions. 

Businesses can reduce late payments with automated collection practices. Build a dashboard based on your KPIs, and export reports to stakeholders.

Pros

• Scenario planning: Easy to perform scenario planning using the platform
• Learning curve: Minimal learning curve for new users
• Integrations: ERPs work well in the platform, and data syncs correctly

Cons

• Price transparency: Some reviewers feel that pricing is not clearly explained to users
• User interface: The user interface is not streamlined, and could be more intuitive
• VAT calculations: Several reviewers point out that the platform’s VAT calculations are not correct

Integrations

Integrations with Xero, Sage, SAP,  Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, NetSuite, and QuickBooks.

Pricing & Fees 

Agicap requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Agicap vs. Rho

Agicap’s user interface is not streamlined, and could be more intuitive. Rho provides a frictionless user experience, and offers a single platform for cash management, banking, treasury, and other financial services. Agicap charges platform fees, while Rho does not charge platform fees.

5. SAP S/4 HANA Cloud Cash Management

SAP helps businesses optimize working capital and automate operations with integrated treasury management. A real-time, accurate, and business-wide view of cash and cash flows is critical for managing liquidity effectively.

Features

The SAP S/4HANA Cloud solution for cash management enhances decision-making by centralizing bank account and cash flow management. Access cash positions and forecasts based on criteria like currency, company, bank, and account. View global bank balances and liquidity forecasts in real time and improve liquidity and cash visibility.

Pros

• Bank account management: Easy to monitor multiple bank accounts in a single platform 
• Third-party data: Importing third-party data is easy to implement
• Connections to SAP modules: Offers smooth connectivity with other SAP modules

Cons

• Integations: Integrating with a non-SAP ERP system can be difficult, according to some reviewers
• Learning curve: The system may require a great deal of time to learn, given all the functionality
• User interface: According to some reviewers, the interface seems outdated

Integrations

SAP S/4HANA Cloud integrates with other SAP software platforms, such as Financial Accounting and Treasury and Risk Management.

Pricing & Fees 

SAP requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

SAP vs. Rho

SAP is expensive and time-consuming to implement, and SAP may not offer integrations with other ERP providers. The learning curve is very steep, and users must invest much time to use the system.

Rho offers a cash management solution that is integrated with expense management, banking, and treasury within one intuitive platform. Users can implement Rho quickly, and there are no platform fees.

6. Kyriba

Kyriba provides treasury management, risk management, payment processing, and working capital management to maximize company liquidity. The platform integrates with several ERPs.

Features

Kyriba’s cash and liquidity management solution offers cash management, liquidity planning, financial transaction processing, and the ability to manage banking relationships. Users can generate real-time reports and use forecasting tools. Reconciliations are fully automated.

Pros

• Payments and cash processing: Reviewers mentioned a streamlined process for payments and cash processing
• Banking: The platform combines all banking relationships into a single dashboard
• Intuitive platform: The system is intuitive and easy to navigate

Cons

• Implementations: Implementing the Kyriba platform is time consuming and requires an investment of resources, according to several reviewers
• Learning curve: It takes time for staff members to learn the platform and to fully utilize all the features
• Cost: Several reviewers mentioned added costs for new users and to add more functionality

Integrations

Kyriba has ERP integrations with Oracle Fusion, NetSuite, SAP ECC 6.0, SAP S4/Hana, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Pricing & Fees 

Kyriba requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Kyriba vs. Rho

Implementing the Kyriba platform is time consuming, it takes time for staff members to learn the platform and to fully utilize all the features. Rho provides an intuitive platform that is simple to learn and much easier to implement.

Kyriba charges fees, and there are added costs for new users and to add more functionality. Rho does not charge platform fees.

7. Coupa

Coupa provides solutions for procurement, invoicing, expenses, payments, and treasury management. The company also offers travel and expense management, supply chain planning, and contract management.

Features

Coupa cash and liquidity management users gain end-to-end visibility of cash and spend to improve cash forecasting. The platform safeguards liquidity with fraud controls and drives efficiency by automating cash management.

Automatically see your global cash position by entity, bank, and currency, and identify trends with a rule-based categorization of transactions. 

Pros

• User interface: Interface is user friendly and easy to navigate
• Cash analysis: Provides useful reporting to analyze cash positions
• Real-time data: Real-time visibility into all transactions 

Cons

• Integrations: Some users experienced glitches with integrations 
• Data management: Changing and deleting item and supplier data can be difficult  
• Mobile functionality: Mobile functionality was added within the last year, and some reviewers feel that the mobile experience could be improved 

Integrations

Coupa has ERP integrations with SAP, Oracle NetSuite, and others.

Pricing & Fees 

Coupa requires you to book a sales call to get a specific quote.

Coupa vs. Rho

Coupa users may experience glitches with integrations, and there are problems with changing and deleting item and supplier data. Coupa’s mobile solution is fairly new, and the company charges platform fees.

Rho offers a seamless cash management platform, with a number of reliable ERP integrations. The cash management function is integrated with treasury, banking, accounts payable, and expense management.  Rho does not charge platform fees.

8. CashAnalytics

CashAnalytics automates cash forecasting and cash reporting tasks, giving finance teams a single source of reliable cash flow data 

Features

CashAnalytics connects to your ERPs and banks, automating the majority of your cash reporting and forecasting process. Connect to your banks to see all of your cash accounts in one place. Gain deep insight into what's driving short term cash flow with in-depth AP and AR analytics.

Pros

• Cash forecasting: The cash forecasting functionality works well
• User interface: The CashAnalytics user interface is easy to use
• Integrations: ERP and banking integrations are effective

Cons

• Data errors: The platform generates calculation errors, according to several reviewers 
• Slow connectivity: Connecting to the platform can be slow at times, based on some reviews
• Pricing transparency: Some users did not believe that the pricing structure was clearly explained

Integrations

Integrations with ERP systems, data warehouses and banking systems through the company’s API integration.

Pricing & Fees 

CashAnalytics has four pricing levels, with different pricing plans. The company requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

CashAnalytics vs. Rho

CashAnalytics users may experience slow connections, and the system may generate calculation errors. CashAnalytics charges platform fees that increase as the number of users and business needs increase.

Rho offers a fast and reliable cash management solution that is integrated with treasury, banking, accounts payable, and other services. Rho does not charge platform fees.

9. Treasury Intelligence Solutions (TIS)

Treasury Intelligence Solutions (TIS) provides a cloud-based platform for cash flow management, liquidity, and payments. In 2022, TIS acquired Cashforce, which provides cash forecasting and working capital solutions.

Features

The CashOptix solution offers cash forecasting, working capital management, and automates bank statement reconciliations. These capabilities are focused on providing organizations with 360-degree visibility and control over their global cash positions, bank account structures, and working capital metrics.

Pros

• Cash flow analysis: The software provides robust cash flow analysis data
• Risk management: Platform features make it much easier to monitor and control financial risks
• Bank account management: The system effectively combines all banking data into a single platform

Cons

• User interface: The interface is somewhat difficult to navigate and seems outdated, according to some reviews
• Cost: Fees increase as users and additional banking relationships are added
• Implementation: Some reviewers thought that implementing the platform required too much time 

Integrations

TIS has limited ERP connectivity that allows bank statements to be uploaded into an ERP. TIS does not offer fully synced ERP integrations.

Pricing & Fees 

TIS requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

TIS vs. Rho

The TIS user interface is difficult to navigate and is outdated, and implementing the solution can be time consuming. In addition, TIS does not offer full ERP integrations, and platform fees increase as your business grows.

Rho provides cash management, treasury, expense management, banking, and AP within one intuitive platform. Users can implement Rho quickly, and there are no platform fees.

10. CMS-IR

CMS operates as India’s largest cash management company based on number of ATM points and number of retail pick-up points. CMS provides a secure link between banks and other financial institutions, retailers, and corporations who need cash management services. 

Features

CMS provides an integrated retail cash management solution with fast reconciliations, and an on-demand reporting module. Users can track cash transactions in real time. 

CMS vs. Rho

CMS focuses on processing and securing physical cash payments for businesses based in India. The company does not offer all of the components needed for cash management. Users cannot forecast future cash balances, or move cash balances in and out of investment accounts.

Rho provides a complete cash management system that is fully automated, and integrates with banking, treasury, and payment solutions.

11. Finastra

Finastra provides lending and corporate banking services, payment processing, cash management, and investment management services.

Features

Finastra’s cash management platform allows businesses to create a dashboard to monitor all bank account activity. Users can manage liquidity using cash flow forecasting. The software is integrated with receivables, payment, and treasury functionality. 

Finastra provides automated account reconciliations in real-time.

Pros

• User interface: The interface is easy to use and to navigate
• Dashboard metrics: The metrics can be set up quickly and easily
• Bank reconciliations: Automated bank statement reconciliations

Cons

• Security features: Security features and encryption functionality could be improved
• Cash management: The cash management solution is not as useful as other tools 

Integrations

Finastra cash management does not provide any ERP integrations, based on our review.

Pricing & Fees 

Finastra requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Finastra vs. Rho

Very few users have provided reviews for Finastra cash management. Finastra is strong in the lending industry, but far fewer customers use Finastra. Rho cash management, on the other hand, is widely reviewed and is highly ranked by users on G2 and other review sites. 

Rho’s cash management function is integrated with treasury, commercial banking, accounts payable, and expense management.  Fusion charges platform fees, and Rho does not.

12. Nomentia

Nomentia provides bank account management, payments, risk management, and treasury services to customers.

Features

Nomentia offers cash flow forecasting and full transaction visibility. Users can centralize data for all bank accounts and implement workflows customized for the business. Nomentia provides ERP integrations, and users can customize reports or use standardized reports.

Pros

• User interface: The platform is easy to use and intuitive
• Customer support: Responsive customer support
• Strong security controls: Effective tools to protect cash transactions

Cons

• Implementation: Time consuming to implement the platform
• Software bugs: Some users experience occasional software bugs, but they are quickly resolved
• Additional features: Some reviewers mentioned the need for more detailed reports, and for additional features that address related tasks, such as risk management

Integrations

ERP integrations with Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage, SAP, and Oracle.

Pricing & Fees 

Nomentia requires you to book a sales call for a specific quote.

Nomentia vs. Rho

Nomentia can be time consuming to implement, and some users experience occasional software bugs. Rho provides a frictionless cash management solution with reliable software performance. Nomentia charges platform fees, and Rho does not.

Wrap-Up: Choose the best corporate cash management solution 

After reviewing the different cash management solutions on the market, think about the features and tools most important for your business.

And if you still need help choosing the best cash management software, let's make this easy.

If:

• End-to-end functionality to manage liquidity and forecast cash flows
• Ability to invest excess cash in government securities with 2-3 business day liquidity on U.S. Treasuries
• A scalable platform that grows as you grow

All wrapped up in unbeatable pricing and customer support available 24H Mon-Fri, 10-7pm ET on weekends sounds nice to you, 

Then, you should consider Rho. Schedule time with a Rho payments expert today!

Competitive data was collected as of January 14, 2024, and is subject to change or update.

Investment management and advisory services provided by RBB Treasury LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. RBB Treasury LLC facilitates investments in securities: investments are not deposits and are not FDIC Insured • Investments are not bank guaranteed, and may lose value. Investment products involve risk and past performance does not guarantee future results.