Our Services
Our advisory capabilities help Transaction Banking businesses identify and act on the growth opportunities most relevant to their franchise, from new markets and improved products to sales execution, revenue realisation, and internal alignment and support.
We provide support in the following areas:
Business Growth Strategy
We review Transaction Banking businesses to identify where growth can be generated and what needs to change to deliver it.
We normally start with the existing franchise — clients, revenues, products, technology, market position, organisation, and sales approach.
We look at what is working, where the gaps are, and where the bank has a realistic opportunity to compete and grow. If there is an opportunity to expand into new client sectors, products or markets, we can help define the revenue potential and how to capture it.
The output is a clear set of priorities, supported by revenue opportunities, investment requirements, and an implementation plan.
One of the most immediate sources of growth is often the existing client base. Banks can have strong lending and corporate relationships while capturing only a small share of a client’s Transaction Banking wallet.
We work with Relationship Managers and product teams to identify those gaps and determine which opportunities are worth pursuing.
This can include:
Portfolio reviews
Client prioritisation
Wallet sizing
Product penetration
Cross-sell opportunities
Priority calling programs
Pipeline management
Revenue tracking
Where relevant information is available, we put a value against the opportunity at both a portfolio and individual client level.
This gives management a practical basis for deciding which clients to call, which opportunities to pursue and what revenue can be expected.
Client Portfolio & Revenue Growth
Industry Sector Reviews
Transaction Banking requirements vary significantly by industry. Sector reviews help identify the payment flows, liquidity needs, trade finance requirements, supply chains and trading relationships that matter most when deciding where a bank should focus.
We undertake sector reviews across industries that are important to the bank’s existing franchise and growth strategy.
The review can cover:
Industry structure and key participants
The bank’s existing relationships and client penetration
Domestic and cross-border payment flows
Cash Management and liquidity requirements
Trade Finance and Working Capital needs
Supply chain and ecosystem opportunities
Transaction FX flows
Project, Escrow, and account opportunities where relevant
Product and technology requirements
Addressable wallet and revenue potential
Priority clients and calling opportunities
The aim is to turn an industry view into a practical client plan.
Rather than treating every corporate relationship in the same way, we identify the Transaction Banking products and flows that matter most within the sector, determine where the bank is best placed to compete, and then establish which clients should be prioritised.
Where appropriate, the work can extend across regional and global operations, particularly where clients have significant suppliers, customers, operations or treasury activity that extend across the Asia Pacific and other international markets.
The result is a sector-based growth plan linking the industry opportunity to priority clients, relevant products, and potential revenue.
Product capability remains central to Transaction Banking. We work with banks looking to build, improve or broaden their Cash Management and Trade Finance offering.
In Cash Management, this can include payments, collections, accounts, liquidity management, deposits, escrow, cash concentration and pooling, digital banking, client connectivity, and related treasury services.
In Trade Finance, it can include Letters of Credit, Documentary Collections, Guarantees and Standby Letters of Credit, Supply Chain Finance, Receivables Finance and Working Capital.
We can also advise on transactional FX opportunities arising from payments, collections and trade finance.
Depending on the assignment, our role can cover:
Client and market requirements
Competitor review
Gaps in the existing product set
Product priorities
Revenue potential
Business case
Product design
Pricing
Technology requirements
Operating model
Implementation
Go-to-market
Our approach is to start with the client requirement and the revenue opportunity. From there, we determine whether the investment required to build or improve the product makes commercial sense.
Product Innovation & Development
Technology & Platform Strategy
Product and technology should be evaluated together because Transaction Banking products are only as strong as the platforms and client journeys that support them.
A bank may identify an attractive Cash Management or Trade opportunity but still need to determine whether its existing platforms can deliver the products and client experience required to compete.
We assess technology requirements from a Transaction Banking business and product perspective.
This can cover Cash Management and Payments platforms, Trade Finance systems, digital banking, host-to-host and API connectivity, liquidity functionality, transaction processing, workflow, data and reporting, and integration with existing bank systems.
Where a new platform is needed, we can help define the business requirements, assess potential solutions and providers, and prepare the business case.
We can also remain involved through implementation, working with Product, Technology and Operations to ensure the solution remains aligned with the original client and business requirements.
Our role is not to act as a systems integrator or developer. It is to ensure that technology decisions are grounded in what the Transaction Banking business needs to deliver and the commercial return expected from the investment.
Deposits are an important part of the Transaction Banking relationship and an increasingly important self-funding source for banks.
We review corporate and financial institution portfolios to determine where additional operating and institutional deposits can be captured.
This can include current and operating accounts, term deposits, institutional deposits, cash concentration, pooling, and broader liquidity management opportunities.
The work typically covers the size of the potential deposit pool, priority clients, existing wallet share, and the approach required to win the business.
Where relevant, we also look at how deposit origination is managed across Transaction Banking, Relationship Management and Treasury, including pricing, ownership, and pipeline management.
Liquidity & Deposit Growth
Trade Finance and Working Capital can provide significant opportunities within existing corporate relationships.
We review client portfolios, trade flows and supply chains to identify opportunities across traditional Trade Finance, Guarantees, Supply Chain Finance, Receivables Finance and Working Capital.
We also look beyond the individual Trade product.
Trade activity can generate cross-sell into Cash Management, Payments, Liquidity and Transactional FX. Understanding these flows provides a clearer view of the overall Transaction Banking wallet and where the bank should focus its effort.
Trade Finance & Working Capital
Project Banking & Escrow
Project Finance, infrastructure, and corporate transactions can generate substantial Transaction Banking flows over many years.
The opportunity is to identify and position for those flows early.
We work with banks to determine how Transaction Banking can be positioned alongside Project Finance, lending, advisory and relationship coverage.
Depending on the transaction, the opportunity can include project and operating accounts, Escrow and controlled accounts, Cash Management, deposits, Guarantees, Trade Finance, Working Capital and Foreign Exchange.
Securing the operating and control accounts at the outset can establish a broader, longer-term banking and more profitable relationship than the financing alone.
Operating Model & Sales Execution
A good strategy and strong products do not automatically produce revenues.
The business also needs clear ownership, specialist resources, and a disciplined approach to client coverage and sales execution.
We review how Transaction Banking is organised, and how it works with Relationship Management, Product, Technology, Operations, and other parts of the bank.
This can include the organisational structure, roles and responsibilities, product ownership, specialist sales coverage, Relationship Manager engagement, client calling, pipeline management, revenue targets, and management reporting.
The objective is straightforward – clear accountability and more time focused on the clients and opportunities that matter.
Retained Advisory
Banks sometimes need experienced senior support without creating another permanent management position.
Ascend Partners can provide that support for a defined period or on an ongoing part-time advisory basis.
This can cover strategy, industry reviews, product development, technology decisions, client opportunities, major transactions, organisational changes, and specific growth initiatives.
The scope is agreed with management and can range from independent advice on a particular issue through to active involvement in delivering a program of work.