ALVARA Blog

Every banknote has one. It is unique and consists of two letters and a ten-digit number sequence. We are talking about the serial number, which is located in the upper right corner on the reverse side. Those who know how to read it can determine which central bank commissioned the printing. But it is not only its origin that can be traced this way. The key term is digital inventory. This article provides an initial overview of what this can achieve, what it explicitly does not capture, and which meaningful use cases serial numbers offer as individual identifiers.

The holidays are over, everyday life is slowly returning. And there is time to take a deeper look at the new year. Are new trends emerging? Is swift action required to avoid falling behind the competition right at the start of the year? We have summarized what 2026 has in store for cash management.

Cash Is Changing – and so are all industries involved in the cash cycle. Topics such as digitalization, increasing regulation, and structural shifts are shaping the market. As a result, many cash-in-transit and value service providers are asking themselves how they can remain competitive and, if necessary, reposition themselves. At the turn of the year, we spoke with Dr. Markus Lehnert, Managing Director of BS Beck Sicherheitsdienst GmbH & Co. KG. His outlook for 2026: positive!

“Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how green your branches!” Before we say goodbye to gather beneath the sparkling Christmas tree with family and friends, let’s pause for a moment and look back on the year. After all, 2025 has gifted us many wonderful moments.

Cash-in-transit service providers face various challenges: regulatory requirements are increasing, artificial intelligence and e-mobility are becoming equally important, and cost pressure continues to rise. What is needed are solutions that ensure efficiency, transparency and security while also meeting evolving customer expectations in cash management. For the ZIEMANN GROUP, this means questioning established practices and moving forward with persistence and innovative strength. In this interview with Hans-Jörg Hisam and Heinz Spiegelmacher, we take a look at the year 2026 – which trends are emerging for the industry, what role technologies will play, and how the company is positioning itself strategically.

Trust is good, control is better: this applies especially to cash processes in retail. Wherever large volumes of coins and banknotes are moved, processed, and recorded every day, those responsible must not leave security to chance. With increasing digitalization, new points of attack for criminals are emerging. Therefore, when choosing software, the criterion of “pentests” should always play a role.

Cash has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years. Is it still up to date? Does it have a realistic long-term future? What the next few years will bring is pure speculation. But one thing is certain: here and now, cash remains one of the most important means of payment—especially for the retail sector. That’s why retailers are increasingly urged to explore solutions that make cash management secure, efficient, and transparent. In the podcast Future of Retail, our Managing Director Steven Schwarznau joined host Frank Rehme in the Smart Cash Talk to discuss innovations and insights from the world of cash. Here’s a summary.

“We do not accept cash!” — this statement has become increasingly common in restaurants, cafés, retail stores, and hotels. However, Geneva is now putting a stop to this trend: cash payments must continue to be accepted.

SKO Dienstleistungs GmbH was founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of a savings bank. Initially, it acted solely as a transport company for the savings bank, handling all cash management processes on its behalf. However, it did not stop at providing services for its own savings bank. SKO also offered these services to other financial institutions in the Osnabrück region. Its good reputation for high-quality service quickly spread beyond the region. In order to meet the increased demand, a new cash center was opened in Rastede in 2023.

Digitalization is far from a new topic. However, in recent months, the speed of digital transformation has significantly accelerated – driven primarily by artificial intelligence. This increases the pressure on financial institutions to catch up as quickly as possible, boost productivity, and strengthen their capacity for innovation. Many organizations are therefore focusing on large-scale AI projects, while smaller, equally important and long-overdue digitalization steps are being neglected. Because before new technologies can reach their full potential, the foundations must be in place.