The volatility of global currency markets requires organizations that engage in international trade to adopt comprehensive risk management strategies. Fortunately, full automation is now possible when identifying, measuring, and mitigating the risk of financial losses due to currency-rate fluctuations.

This shift away from traditional, manual-led approaches to currency risk management relies on data-driven insights. Through this, organizations can minimize human error and be able to make swift, informed decisions. Going the full automation route is crucial in the ever-changing landscape of global currency markets that are driven by advanced technologies.

But despite the opportunities that full automation brings, business leaders must first understand how best to overcome existing regulatory and structural hurdles.

Regulatory obstacles

Regulatory obstacles present a significant challenge in the journey toward full automation of currency risk management. A holistic approach depends on risk management being addressed on the analytical and treasury-side simultaneously.  However, the finance sector, that delivers the necessary services which allow risk management in practice, is characterized by a complex regulatory framework that fragments key services. This fragmentation spans across liquidity and hedging providers, online payment processing, and risk management policy formulation and oversight. Each of these is regulated under their own specific set of rules. Such a diverse structure poses a challenge in creating a cohesive approach to automation.

Moreover, the global nature of currency trading introduces another layer of complexity. Operating across different countries means navigating a myriad of regulatory environments. This diversity also makes it difficult to apply automated risk management strategies uniformly, given how each jurisdiction invariably has its own unique rules and compliance requirements.

A third regulatory hurdle is the cumbersome Know Your Business (KYB) processes required by financial vendors. Each vendor's distinct KYB process adds to the time and resource burden for businesses. This not only slows down the implementation of automated systems but also increases operational complexities, making it challenging for companies to efficiently manage currency risks in a timely and compliant manner.

Rethinking the structural landscape

Beyond the regulatory environment, the structure of currency risk management must also be approached differently.

One of the main concerns is the inherent system fragmentation within the financial sector. This fragmentation is evident in the separation of critical components required for comprehensive risk management. Banks, ERP systems, advisory services, market data providers, and risk assessment tools often operate in silos, impeding the development of a unified, automated approach. Such separation complicates the flow of information and the implementation of cohesive strategies, making it challenging to leverage the full benefits of automation. This complexity stands to reason, given the myriad sources of currency liquidity, internal financial data, currency market data, risk assessment and policy formulation, and advisory and best practice considerations to remain conscious of.

Compounding this issue is the reliance on legacy banking systems. Often built on outdated technologies, these systems pose significant barriers to integrating external modern, automated solutions. The entrenched nature of these traditional processes hampers flexibility and adaptability, restricting the capacity to incorporate advanced technologies that are essential for effective currency risk management. Overcoming these structural barriers is crucial for organizations to fully embrace and benefit from the advancements in automation and technology in the financial sector.

Managing the road ahead

Addressing the structural and regulatory challenges in automating currency risk management requires innovative solutions. A key structural solution is reducing the reliance on traditional banking systems. Shifting towards Banking as a Service (BaaS) solutions and modern banking platforms presents more adaptive options for managing liquidity in an automated environment. These platforms are designed for greater flexibility and integration, enabling smoother adoption of automated processes in currency risk management.

From a regulatory perspective, embracing fintech solutions is crucial. Using fintech infrastructure can amalgamate services from various regulated vendors. This will result in a more cohesive approach to automation across different regions and specialties. Fintech platforms, known for their agility and technological capabilities, can bridge the gaps created by the fragmented regulatory environment, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient automation process.

Another important component is to streamline KYB processes. Consolidating these time-consuming processes under a single vendor can significantly alleviate the administrative burdens that are often associated with compliance. It will also result in speeding up the implementation of automated systems and empower organizations to adapt to the modern demands of currency risk management across global markets.

Fully automating currency risk management consists of many challenges. It requires organizations to think differently about how they overcome regulatory and structural barriers. What is critical is to adopt a collaborative approach where companies, financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers work together to harness the full potential of automation across the global financial environment.