Real-time payments help companies move faster, be more efficient and offer a better customer experience, but it takes committed leadership to embed the faster payments culture in your organization.

This article was originally published as part of Real-time payments: The time is now.

The development of real-time payments (RTP) is one of the most significant changes in money movement in the past 40 years. Offering U.S. companies the option of sending and receiving payments instantly – at any time of the day or night, and all year round – the RTP® network is quickly gaining traction with American businesses. 

New research from U.S. Bank shows 38% of U.S. companies are already using it and, in just two years, RTP adopters will be in the majority (56%).

As with all emerging opportunities, it’s essential that companies have the right people in the right places across the organization to truly harness its power. Effective payments leadership is essential.

The research shows that 65% of companies have a dedicated leader for payments transformation, and 37% have a dedicated leader in charge of capturing the RTP opportunity.

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There are three key areas in which having RTP leadership in place can help a company excel:

• Payments transformation: Companies with dedicated RTP leadership are more likely to be further advanced in their payments transformation journeys – 52% of companies with RTP leadership in place believe they’re further along in developing an effective payments strategy, compared to just 24% of those without dedicated RTP leadership.

• Culture: Having a dedicated leader in place helps the entire organization understand the benefits of RTP. Of the companies that have an RTP leader, 45% say the RTP agenda is well understood across the wider business, compared with just 31% of companies that haven’t appointed an RTP leader. 
   
• Customer focus: Businesses that have RTP leadership in place are likely to have a stronger focus on customer experience. The majority (51%) of them say increasing the efficiency of front-office payments transactions is a major initiative for the year ahead, compared to only 46% of companies that don’t have RTP leaders in place. This suggests that companies with dedicated RTP leaders have a stronger understanding of their markets.

Making it happen

The benefits of having a dedicated RTP leader are clear. But how to find one?

Mike Jorgensen, Head of Emerging Solutions at U.S. Bank, highlights the benefits of appointing champions within the existing workforce.

“A good approach for companies is to create a few different levels of RTP champions across the business – at senior and junior levels,” he says. “The senior level should be strategic and visionary.

“For the junior team members, these can be good career-growth opportunities. Their energy and perspective will help get payments transformation under way.”

“Champions should be across multiple functions,” he goes on. “Technology is a key function, as well as Finance, and Operations.”

Act now to meet customer needs

Companies need dedicated leadership to navigate the sea of disruptions facing companies today. It’s no different in payments. Buyers don’t have the patience for long and fragmented experiences.

Payments are something that can make or break the customer experience. It is essential to place the right people in charge to tackle the challenge – and embrace the opportunities.

We surveyed 1,000 senior finance leaders about the rise of real-time payments and found improved business results for the first wave of early adopters. Gain insights into how innovative companies are using RTP to accelerate their digital transformation in Real-time payments: the time is now.

To learn how real-time payments are changing the way companies do business, visit our RTP® resource page or schedule a call with a treasury management expert.