ALVARA Blog

Protection and promotion: focus on cash Cash stands for freedom as well as social resilience and is the means of payment with the highest level of data protection - which is why it plays an important role for many. Various initiatives are also committed to the preservation and promotion of cash.

The upcoming holidays serve as an opportunity for us, as they do every year, to pause briefly. We reflect on the past twelve months as a company and as a team. We review challenges to draw valuable conclusions for our future work. However, the focus in 2024 is also on the successes we have achieved together.

Long queues at the bank counter, missed or incomplete deliveries from the cash-in-transit company - obtaining change is increasingly demanding in an already hectic everyday life. However, a convenient solution is in sight.

Checking, counting, sorting, and picking: Cash centers are the heart of the cash cycle. Those responsible increasingly face the challenge of efficiently managing complex processes, handling numerous interfaces, and ensuring a smooth workflow. An intelligent solution is offered by Pecunia.

Starting January 1, 2025, receiving electronic invoices will become mandatory for many companies in Germany. Read here about the requirements, who is affected by the regulations, and where exceptions still exist.

Software development is the heart of ALVARA | Digital Solutions. Here, not only are the technological foundations for our solutions laid, but also innovations are driven forward that bring our customers a step ahead in the dynamic world of cash management. Our experienced and passionate team works daily to develop customized and future-proof applications—from the first idea to the final product.

Many people wish they could look into a crystal ball. Retailers, too, would certainly like to ask this occult object a question or two: How will consumer behavior change? Will brick-and-mortar retail remain important? And what role will digital services play? A reliable tool to get answers to these questions is available.

From Old to New: It all began with the generational shift from Pecunia 6 to Pecunia 7—our cloud-based cash center software solution. The idea was quickly followed by the next steps. Among them was the design of the user interface (UI) for our users with a mix of the tried and tested and the new.

Leipzig, 07.10.2024. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has been providing the opportunity to streamline the entire billing process for valuables service providers and cash service companies of financial institutions with Fakturio for years. The focus is on automatic invoicing, which, in addition to efficiency gains, error reduction, and increased security, primarily ensures an overview of all services rendered. Recognizing the advantages, Bargeld – Logistik Allgäu GmbH switched to fully automated invoicing this year by implementing the Fakturio tool. The collaboration with the software manufacturer from Leipzig was particularly convincing due to the simple, transparent, and rapid transition to e-invoices.

A more modern, intuitively usable platform that relies on accessible interfaces and says goodbye to media discontinuities – the switch to NExt, the new conception of ExtraNet, the previous e-business platform, is intended to open these advantages to the Deutsche Bundesbank in the future. The article shows what changes with it and how customers benefit from optimized business processes via NExt.

Leipzig, 23.09.2024. Since 1991, BS Beck Security Services GmbH, which has been part of the Gregor Lehnert Group (UGL) since 2009, has stood for security with tradition and future. In addition to classic cash and valuables logistics, the company specializes in technical cash services in the form of digital track-and-trace, safe, and deposit solutions as well as CashEDI. Banks, retailers, municipalities, gastronomy businesses, museums, and others can rely on BS Beck as a reliable partner – providing relief in all matters related to cash handling. To further reduce time spent on tours and at customer sites, the security service provider has been using logistics apps from ALVARA | Digital Solutions since 2023.

Modernize, consolidate, rebuild: This is the Deutsche Bank's motto for a future-proof branch network. The focus is on more efficient processes and a long-term secure cash supply.

The accurate prediction of cash demand has always been crucial. However, fluctuating demand makes it difficult for banks and cash-in-transit companies to act proactively. Modern technologies for cash demand forecasting provide valuable support here, enabling them to continue reacting flexibly and quickly.

Our solutions around Pecunia are growing. A few weeks ago, we were able to report about the new one. Today, we are introducing another work simplification for cash-in-transit companies: the Pecunia App.

With the approval of the Federal Council for the Growth Opportunities Act, it was decided: Companies must be able to issue and receive electronic invoices starting January 1, 2025. To ensure a successful transition from paper invoices and the seemingly simpler PDF invoices to the e-invoice format, several aspects need to be considered.

The situation is well known: When depositing or withdrawing cash, citizens sometimes have to accept long distances to the nearest bank branch. Cashback offers at the checkout provide a useful alternative. But who helps the retailers? Because bank closures also pose challenges for retailers.

The turning point has long been reached. There is hardly any way around Artificial Intelligence (AI). The initially only slightly noticeable pressure on companies and institutions to quickly identify and utilize application possibilities for their industry is increasing. Opportunities must be seized, risks avoided. Banks are also recognizing the necessary change and are taking the first steps.

People have a shorter attention span than goldfish. This is a study result that doesn't really do justice to either the vertebrates or us, and in the end is somewhat doubtful (The Myth of 8 Seconds). Yet there is a grain of truth in the thesis. The daily flood of information challenges us. We quickly decide whether we want to pause and give more time to the content. The same applies at the point of sale. It's a challenge for retailers that they can no longer successfully meet with just posters and flyers.

Whether shopping, dining in a restaurant, or going to the cinema – consumers today often have the choice between cash or card payments. At the same time, the debate is gaining momentum on whether cash still seems up-to-date in our society or if digital payment methods could completely replace it. This raises questions to be discussed: How can cash supply be ensured and what impact would a cashless world have on consumer protection and thus on our society?

Get out of the work routine, into the conversation with representatives from the retail sector. On April 25, 2024, our 17th CashDialog Retail took place, providing space once again for discussions on current developments in cash management. This time, we talked with our customers and prospects about topics including the Bundesbank's discrepancy reports, the Digital Euro, and cashback at the point of sale. Our presentations on the evergreen topic of Artificial Intelligence were also well received and led to intensive discussions.

Whether it's a cozy afternoon at the café with coffee and cake, an evening at your favorite restaurant around the corner, or Sunday brunch at the bistro with friends, there is always one question that arises at the end: cash or card? In the background, restaurateurs are divided into two camps. Some focus on time savings and reduced error rates through card payments. Others see them as a financial burden and want to stick to cash, especially in the context of tipping.

An attentive look when entering a store, snack bar, or restaurant is worthwhile. Otherwise, you might find that you want to pay and your counterpart surprisingly does not accept cash. This is because signs indicating limited payment options are increasingly found on entrance doors: “No cash accepted,” “Credit or debit cards only,” “Cash only.” A situation that has recently shocked consumer advocates and led to a demand for the eurozone.

The IWS Group already looks back on a company history of over 100 years. Starting as the Aschaffenburg Watch and Lock Company at the beginning of the 20th century, the organization continuously expanded its range of services. Today, these also include cash and valuables services offered by IWS Industry Security GmbH. For continued success, the responsible parties rely on a proven recipe: a mix of traditional values and modern everyday helpers.

Paper production, transportation, electricity consumption for authenticity checks and ATM operations, or waste products generated during processing by cash handling services and financial institutions: This list suggests an immense ecological footprint for banknotes. However, when considering the somewhat worn-looking bills in one's own wallet, a counterargument is quickly found. Banknotes can boast a long lifespan. A study by the European Central Bank shows how they fare environmentally in the end.

On June 21, 1948, the D-Mark replaced the then Reichsmark and Rentenmark. Over 50 years later - on January 1, 2002 - it met the same fate and had to relinquish its role as the sole legal tender. That was the birth of the Euro. However, the Germans do not want to let the currency disappear completely.

Last year, the Deutsche Bundesbank launched the "National Cash Forum" initiative. The participants aim to find answers to a question that has been pressing for various cash stakeholders for a long time: How can easy access to cash be maintained for everyone? For this, a conception of what the future of cash could look like is needed. Three scenarios provide insights.

Leipzig, March 5, 2024. ALVARA | Digital Solutions is hosting the Cash Dialogue Retail on April 25, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For several years now, the leading European provider of track-and-trace software solutions for the cash cycle has been offering a platform with the event that focuses on exchanging new opportunities in retail. Therefore, the workshop character will also be retained this year. However, one thing has changed: for the first time, the Cash Dialogue Retail will not take place in Leipzig. The meeting point in 2024: the dm-dialogicum, the company headquarters of dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG in Karlsruhe. Participation is free of charge. Registration deadline is April 11, 2024.

Whether it's sportswear, DIY supplies, or furniture purchases at the well-known Swedish furniture store – many businesses today offer their customers alternatives to the traditional checkout. In Germany, the spread of self-checkout counters and mobile self-scanning systems is continuing to increase. The grocery retail sector is also expanding in this area – demonstrating that the already familiar solutions are just the beginning.

Cash is on the brink of its end. Far from it! Especially for Germany, it can be said: coins and banknotes have a future. However, to ensure this future is bright, there needs to be a change in thinking among cash players towards modern cash management. In this context, the CashCon has again invited participants this year to look at current challenges, tangible developments, and profitable solutions together.

They mostly come at night, cause significant damage to buildings and equipment, and steal millions in total. The subject is criminals who carry out attacks on ATMs. That these are not isolated cases is shown by the figures from the last two years.

Leipzig, 01/15/2024. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has been offering Interactive Cash Control (ICC) for over 17 years, a software that is one of the leading and established industry solutions for managing the cash cycle between retail, financial, and cash-in-transit companies. The special feature: The modular ICC structure allows for individually tailored solutions for customers. In this way, the software provider for track-and-trace and POS software solutions also provides a suitable application for the Transgourmet Group with over 30,000 employees in seven countries.

When it comes to the question of whether cash will continue to exist or not, most studies focus on consumers. So far, with a clear result: coins and banknotes remain important – especially in Germany. Regularly observing the population and their preferences is certainly interesting, but it only reflects one side of many. The European Central Bank (ECB) has also taken this into account, turned the tables on surveys, and shifted its focus to companies.

Resolutions are always a tricky thing. As soon as the first days of the new year have passed, they are often already thrown overboard. Considering the hard-to-reach evergreen goals like healthier eating and regular exercise, we can relate all too well. According to experience, we tend to be a bit more resolute with our professional resolutions and strive all year to achieve our set goals. Our ALVARA team has therefore planned some product innovations, project completions, and exciting trade show visits. Let's see what else 2024 has in store for us.

Blink once and the year is already coming to an end. Do you feel the same way? Days, weeks, and months fly by—especially when you have a lot to do and you look forward to new challenges every day. That's how it was for us again this year. We were able to celebrate successes, dive into new projects together, and experience many highlights as a team. A year we like to look back on.

Then again, almost simultaneously, a turnaround: The headlines that have appeared in the press in recent months and years on this topic almost make the reader dizzy. Nevertheless, it is clear: Cash will remain a part of our society for a long time. A new restaurant trend is now also ensuring this.

Digital processes are now almost indispensable in cash and value handling. They help, among other things, to meet customer requirements and to assert oneself against the competition. The Cash Center Software Pecunia as a digital tool brings these and other reliefs for value service providers and banks. ALVARA | Digital Solutions continuously extends the various additional functions. Automated bookings, audit-supportive management of stocks, and easier communication are part of the "Safe Mirror" feature.

"The one saves, the other needs money that they don’t have yet. This needs to be organized. This is called a bank. It's that simple." In four sentences, Wolfgang Schäuble described the banking system in a Stern interview (No. 48/2008 from November 20, 2008) over 15 years ago. Accurate, but not entirely comprehensive. Because there is much more involved in financial institutions. This is shown in a position paper by the Association of German Banks from this year.

Leipzig, 30.10.2023. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has been offering the proven Pecunia Cash Center Software for over 25 years for security service companies and banks. The modular structure of the cash management tool enables customers to optimally manage all areas of cash and valuables handling – tailored to their processes and needs. HDS GmbH has now also been convinced by the associated benefits around secure coin and valuables transport, easy coin processing, or more efficient coin machine services.

ALVARA Interactive Cash Control regulates the cash cycle between financial, commercial, and value service companies. The focus is on efficient processes and secure documentation. And this has been ongoing for a good 17 years. In 2006 and 2007, we developed the idea of a platform that transparently controls the entire cash journey from deposit at any cash point to account assignment at the Bundesbank - and immediately set out to implement it. The result was our ICC solution for modern and digital cash management.

Our colleague Susanne Torpus has been part of our Hamburg-based ALVARA subsidiary IT Kompetenz since June 2005. Initially, it was hardly foreseeable that IT would one day determine her professional routine, as her studies in musicology initially suggested a completely different career path. However, once she set foot in the company, it became clear: her heart beats for practical software solutions. Thus, Susanne has dedicated herself entirely to information and communication technology and now supports the ALVARA | Digital Solutions Team as a project manager.

Forward-looking planning, time-consuming preparatory work, commissioning, shipping, and ultimately placement each time anew: Print posters cost time, money, and require strong nerves. Because, should a mistake creep into the classic advertising medium, there is hardly any chance to make adjustments. It’s hardly surprising, then, that for some time now, a more advanced alternative has been claiming the title of a more efficient advertising measure compared to print formats in retail: Digital signage solutions. This opens up entirely new possibilities for retailers.

A secure and efficient cash logistics — many cash industry players still dream of this today. Complex processes and manual efforts around counting, sorting, authenticity verification, or the documentation of cash transactions burst this vision like a bubble. The fact that digital processes and automatically exchanged data can provide relief has often gone unnoticed. Not so with Götz Geld- und Wertedienste GmbH. For many years, they have been relying on digital solutions that optimize cash logistics processes. With a new cash center and suitable software, the company aims to further expand these advantages in the future.

Leipzig, 12.09.2023. ALVARA | Digital Solutions, as a leading European provider of track & trace and POS software solutions, focuses on efficiency, transparency, and security with its products. However, smart alternatives must also consider another aspect today: sustainability. With the ICC App, the addition to the proven and widely used Interactive Cash Control platform, the company meets this requirement and creates a win-win situation. Because besides benefiting the environment, it also benefits the involved cash players, especially the retail sector and cash-in-transit companies (CIT).

Whether online banking, payments via smartphone, or with the debit card – cashless payment methods have long been commonplace. The European Central Bank (ECB) has also been considering for some time how to transfer the euro into the digital world. The result of these considerations: a digital euro. This virtual counterpart is intended to serve as a stability anchor for tried-and-true coins and banknotes. The current status.

Efficient cash logistics: For many retailers and financial institutions, these terms are still incompatible today. The reason: Numerous processes related to counting, sorting, and depositing cash are largely manual – requiring financial and personnel resources. DWSI Geld- und Wert-Logistik GmbH & Co has now impressively demonstrated that cash and valuables transport companies can make their collaboration with retailers, as well as banks and savings banks, more sustainable and time-saving through digital solutions during cash handover.

Leipzig, 07.08.2023. For over 30 years, ALVARA | Digital Solutions has been a leading European provider of track & trace and POS software solutions, offering products to make cash management, logistics, and point-of-sale systems more efficient, transparent, and secure. This extensive experience has now prompted the company, with locations in Leipzig, Hamburg, and Marseille, to review its success story so far. A strong customer base in retail, cash-in-transit companies, and financial institutions was just the first positive outcome.

Whether or not cash has a future has been much debated in recent years. However, it remains indisputable that coins and banknotes are still hugely popular in Germany. With the closure of bank branches and the elimination of numerous ATMs, one question has increasingly arisen in recent months: Is the cash supply adequately ensured? In 2023, the Bundesbank made a clear commitment to this: Yes, it is!

The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for digitalization in most companies. Important groundwork has now been laid almost everywhere. It is important not to let up in these efforts, as new tasks are already waiting. Based on a survey of around 1,000 managers, challenges have been identified that banks will increasingly face in the future: including changed frameworks, new customer demands, and the insufficient conviction of employees. However, it is also worthwhile in the retail sector to take a closer look at these challenges in order to make informed decisions in a timely manner.

Leipzig, 07/10/2023. Increasing competition, changing customer requirements, and time and cost pressures have been burdening cash-in-transit service providers for some time. To counter these challenges and remain competitive, secure, transparent, and efficient logistics are indispensable. It is no secret that digitalization can significantly contribute to process optimization. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has been relying on two apps for several years: MobiTick, which enhances responsiveness in case of ATM breakdowns, and MobiTour, which uses mobile scanner software to establish a direct connection to the cash center, enabling tour processing anytime and anywhere. As both topics are equally relevant for cash-in-transit service providers, the provider of track & trace software solutions has now combined both apps—providing maximum value for users.

Leipzig, 22.06.2023. Interactive Cash Control, or ICC for short, has long been the leading and established industry solution for the effective and transparent management of the cash cycle between financial, trading, and value service companies. This summer, the success story continues. The ICC app—serving as a mobile complement or alternative to the web-based platform solution—will soon be available not only for Android devices but also for Apple iOS. In doing so, ALVARA | Digital Solutions has also considered functional development with two new features.

On average, a German went to a brick-and-mortar retail store 215 times in 2022 to shop. Considering the entire population, this amounts to 17.9 billion transactions. The crisis year of 2021 is slowly being left behind by the economy, which is continuing to recover. The main question it is concerned with is: Which payment systems dominated retail in the past year?

A smooth cash supply in Germany is hardly conceivable without cash-in-transit companies (WTU). Essential for this: regular exchange between customers and cash service providers. However, this currently takes a lot of time and requires a high level of manual effort on both sides. Automation and system-supported communication provide a remedy here.

A world without cash – hard to imagine for many. To prevent cash from disappearing for now, a popular initiative for the preservation of coins and banknotes has even been founded in Switzerland. The concern seems too great that cash will be abolished and, with it, a part of personal freedom will be lost. At the ESTA conference, speakers and participants did not share this concern at all. Because the motto this year is "Cash is competitive".

On May 4th and 5th, it was that time again: We at ALVARA invited participants to the Cash Dialogue Retail in the spring. Together with interested representatives from retail companies, we dedicated ourselves to the topic of cash and the associated challenges in Leipzig. The result of the productive exchange: current insights, many great suggestions, and exciting digital future ideas.

Whether in private life or in the workplace, data is playing an increasingly important role. Retailers also want to benefit from the existing data treasure, strengthen customer loyalty, and make processes more efficient. This brings one question into focus: How can large amounts of data be systematically managed and utilized? It is only when this sub-goal is achieved that valuable information can be obtained and trends identified. Artificial intelligence has been establishing itself as a reliable pioneer for some years now. Some even go further and propose the thesis: AI is revolutionizing the field of Big Data.

Inefficient cash processing and supply, immense cost pressure, and regulatory requirements—banks and savings banks, as well as cash service providers, have long been struggling with these challenges. Software solutions like our Cash Center Software Pecunia provide relief. With this tool, cash actors have been efficiently tackling all areas of cash handling for years. The development toward webPecunia continues this success story. The software-as-a-service solution skillfully counteracts the increasingly complex cash management economically.

It's no secret: Relying solely on gut feeling in business is hardly effective. Meaningful reporting, on the other hand, helps retailers make important decisions based on data. Aspects such as store revenue, access to real-time company data, as well as various comparisons, are essential. Only when all information is available do retailers gain a comprehensive overview and can more easily identify new options for their business. Point of sale software solutions enable retailers to perform these data analyses at the push of a button.

Greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, resource consumption, and the destruction of ecosystems – the impact of our actions on nature is immense. This is also true for the cash cycle. The production and disposal of receipt paper, energy consumption in the processing of coins and bills, and transportation routes also have negative consequences. Raising awareness of these consequences is the first step for companies. This is followed by the logical action of integrating sustainable practices into organizations. In this, software solutions help on the path to greater sustainability.

Security risk, time waster, or cost driver: Cash often has a bad reputation among retailers, banks, savings banks, and value service providers. However, non-cash alternatives are not yet advanced enough to simply dethrone coins and bills from the payment method throne. Companies and financial institutions should therefore look for modern solutions to efficiently manage cash management and thus save costs and time. They will find success with a true all-rounder in the cash cycle: the ICC App.

Leipzig, 06.03.2023. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has long been offering Fakturio, a solution that facilitates automatic invoicing for retailers, financial institutions, and cash-in-transit companies. The software's added value: managers maintain an overview of all services rendered. To ensure its customers remain capable in the future, the software provider has also addressed the topic of e-invoices. The result: Fakturio users can easily and securely create and send e-invoices in the common XRechnung format with the new module.

For years, politicians, financial institutions, businesses, and society have been discussing the future of cash. The forecasts have often been bleak. In particular, the younger generations are said to be enamored with mobile payments via PayPal or Apple Pay. In predictions, banknotes and coins are increasingly disappearing from view. A current trend shows: cash has been prematurely declared dead in this regard as well.

Cash service providers face various obstacles: the amount of coins is steadily increasing, customers have more specific demands, and competition is rising. Additionally, there is immense cost pressure on those responsible. However, cash and valuables transport companies can confront these challenges with a modern and above all future-proof cash management system. Reliable software solutions for cash management offer an approach. Security Service USS GmbH relies on a strong duo for this purpose: the Pecunia Cash Center and Fakturio.

Leipzig, 14.02.2023. More and more retail companies are aiming to digitalize processes in their stores and implement a PC- and paperless back office. An important prerequisite here is digital collaboration and such interfaces with cash-in-transit companies (WDL). ZIEMANN SICHERHEIT Holding GmbH has recognized this necessity for a long time and has been using a proven solution for their cash centers for many years: the Pecunia Software from ALVARA | Digital Solutions. Newly added is the ALVARA ICC-Connector. With tangible results: Customers are already benefiting from more efficiency, flexibility, and above all, security for their own cash logistics.

Increasing competitive pressure, a rich online offering, and changing customer needs – direct producers today must find new ways to stand up to competitors and better meet the desires of their clientele. The first step: By integrating a comprehensive ERP system, they automate and optimize office work, package shipping, inventory management, supplier communication, and all sales channels. Software solutions for cash register products can also be profitably integrated in this process.

Whether retail, financial service providers, banks, or the IT and security industry - from February 28 to March 2, 2023, EuroShop in Düsseldorf will once again open its doors to professionals from various industries. EuroCIS is a part of this event. As Europe's leading trade fair for retail technology, it focuses this year on the theme "Tomorrow is the new today!". Included: Us, ALVARA.

The electronics retailer Gravis is making a clear decision for now: The approximately 40 branches of the German retail chain will no longer accept cash. This move has surprised many, as coins and notes are still popular in Germany. For most retailers, the question of for or against cash has not yet arisen. What concerns them much more: How can the costly handling of cash be optimized?

Contrary to many predictions, cash continues not to lose significance. It also remains a top topic in commerce. However, this is associated with several hurdles: increasing cost pressure, rising complexity, and labor-intensive coin procurement. Overcoming these in a timely manner to maintain market presence is one of the major challenges for retailers. Therefore, ALVARA has created the Cash Dialog as an exchange platform. The goal: to identify sustainable solutions for the future together with the retail sector.

With the best wishes for a successful and hopefully peaceful new year, we return to this channel. We hope you were able to enjoy the holidays and find a bit of peace before everyday life resumes. In the meantime, most employees at ALVARA are back in action for you and are already diligently starting the first projects of the new year.

For several years now, numerous savings banks have been relying on digital solutions for their cash management. Among other things, the institutions handle the coin disposal process using the Pecunia Cash Center Software from ALVARA | Digital Solutions – and thus benefit from increased efficiency. This is because the machine counting of coin safebags is done without media discontinuity through the software, and employees no longer have to manually create booking data. Pecunia offers many more possibilities. For example, the Cash Center Software can also be used to optimize the supply process of ATMs. These possibilities of the software solution are currently particularly interesting in the context of many institutions examining the insourcing of cash processing.

"What doesn't knock you down makes you stronger." For retailers, this sentence might sound like a mantra. Because the market situation has intensified further during the coronavirus pandemic and due to war and crises. In many ways, a rethink was required. One topic that constantly demands new solutions is cash logistics.

Leipzig, 19.10.2022. GWS Sicherheitsservice GmbH Magdeburg previously handled its cash processing and logistics using its own software. As part of the evolutionary development of processes, new customer requirements, and the associated advancement of the software solution, GWS faced a make-or-buy decision.

Leipzig, 10/05/2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions offers a powerful solution for financial service providers, cash-in-transit companies, and retail with the ALVARA Interactive Cash Control Platform (ICC). The Taunus Sparkasse has already gained good experience with sustainable cash management. Thanks to it, labor-intensive manual processes are replaced by digital processes. The result: more security, transparency, and efficiency for all bank branches. To now pave the way for their corporate clients towards digital cash management, Taunus Sparkasse relies on ICC in collaboration with them.

Leipzig, 31.08.2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has taken the Pecunia 7 solution for cash processing to a new level as a cloud application, which efficiently supports financial institutions and cash service providers in their daily operations. With this, the corporate group is responding to the increasing demand for solutions that help make the ever more costly cash management more economical. Cost pressure, regulatory requirements, a dynamic market environment, and individual customer requests pose significant challenges for many professional cash players, such as banks and savings banks.

The challenging conditions in coin logistics prompted the "easyApotheke" Duderstadt to design its cash cycle largely independently of financial institutions. Through cooperation with a specialized service provider, the coin ordering process could be optimized.

Leipzig, 08/03/2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions invites you to the CashCon in Leipzig on September 7 and 8, 2022 - together with GS1 Germany, the EHI Retail Institute, and the BDGW. Experts from the cash industry will report on the latest developments, present best practices and innovations. The venue is the Felix im Lebendigen Haus in the old Main Post Office in the center of Leipzig.

Leipzig, 07/27/2022. Sparkasse Fulda decided in 2021, as a result of a project, to implement the safebag procedure for customers depositing coins. The goal of the project was to optimize cash processes through increased security and simplification, as well as the avoidance of manual, redundant tasks. During the market analysis to determine which software solution could best support these objectives, Sparkasse Fulda became aware of ALVARA Digital Solutions.

Leipzig, 05/04/2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions successfully supports the City and District Savings Bank Leipzig and its subsidiary HEROS in process optimization in the area of cash acceptance and processing. The volume of coin and banknote money remains consistently high, resulting in increased effort for money processing, storage, and transport. Therefore, in 2020, the Savings Bank Leipzig decided to optimize the safebag procedure with ALVARA | Digital Solutions as a partner.

Leipzig, 23.02.2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions continues to pave the way for a paperless and PC-free back office around all cash processes in retail: In the future, the proven ALVARA ICC (ALVARA Interactive Cash Control) solution will also be available to cash-in-transit companies (CIT) as an app.

Leipzig, 02/02/2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions continues to set the course for the "future." Part of the strategy of the leading European provider of software solutions for cash logistics and POS is to sustainably strengthen the companies in the network on their path to success. As part of this, the decision was made to expand the management team of IT Kompetenz Gesellschaft für innovative Informationstechnologie mbH: Robert Wolf will be appointed as the second managing director starting February 1, 2022. From now on, the two managing directors Matthias Schick and Robert Wolf will jointly lead IT Kompetenz.

Leipzig, 01/26/2022. ALVARA | Digital Solutions, together with GS1 Germany, the EHI Retail Institute, and BDGW, invite you to the next CashCon in Leipzig. After the originally scheduled date in January had to be postponed due to COVID, the new date for this year's CashCon is now set. The event, which is a fixture for cash experts, will now take place on September 7th and 8th, 2022. The venue remains the Felix at the Lebendiges Haus in the old main post office, right in the center of Leipzig. Numerous experts from the cash industry will report on the latest developments at the CashCon.

How Sparkasse Rosenheim benefits from centralized cash handling in its own main cash office.

12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, or 8,760 hours. No matter how you count it, it was a year of great events, exciting projects, and new ideas. Now it's time to let it quietly come to an end.

Leipzig, 24.11.2021. The leading European provider of track & trace software solutions, ALVARA | Digital Solutions, introduces its new ICC module "Notification to Insurers" to optimize cash processes in retail. From now on, both retailers and cash-in-transit companies as well as insurers will benefit from the expanded functionality of the industry solution established across Europe.

Leipzig, 11/04/2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions is restructuring its management level. The Leipzig-based company is responding to the increasing demand for innovative software solutions for cash logistics.

Leipzig, 07.10.2021. ALVARA | Digital Solutions offers the eBon, a sustainable and smart alternative to printed paper receipts. Since January 1, 2020, when the Cash Register Act mandated the obligation to issue receipts even for the smallest amounts, the leading European provider of track & trace software solutions has digitally created more than 118 million receipts with the service. In addition to retail and the environment, customers also benefit from the intuitive application.

Leipzig, 22.09.2021 On December 1, 2021, ALVARA | Digital Solutions, together with P3N AG, will host the next Cash Dialogue for financial institutions in Leipzig. The expert event, organized by the leading European provider of track & trace software solutions for the cash cycle in collaboration with P3N AG from Werdau, offers financial institutions a platform for exchanging new opportunities.

Leipzig, 08.09.2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions offers a solution for checking the Technical Security Device (TSE) to increase the data and tamper security of cash registers.

Leipzig, 01.09.2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions is participating in this year's ESTA Conference. The event is themed "Cash is cool" and takes place from October 24 to 26 in Seville, Spain. Important cash players from all over Europe come together to exchange ideas about the latest industry developments. ALVARA | Digital Solutions will present its cash management solutions at ESTA, especially for the cash-in-transit industry.

Leipzig, 14.07.2021. Since June 1, 2021, Götz-Geld- und Wertedienste GmbH in Dresden has been successfully using the Logistic App from ALVARA | Digital Solutions, thereby setting the course for a forward-looking digitalization of their cash logistics processes. The company is part of the Europe-wide Götz Group and employs 75 people at the Dresden location.

Driver authorization is one of the particularly security-critical phases of cash transportation for banks and cash-in-transit companies (CIT). Increasingly, intelligent software is replacing paper lists at this point. The reasons are obvious: data protection guidelines can be adhered to with minimal effort and more consistently for both market participants.

Leipzig, 06/10/2021. ALVARA | Digital Solutions is now making the deposit process via deposit safes in bank branches even simpler for customers, retailers, and financial institutions. The new digitized deposit management process saves costs and time for all involved cash actors and enhances security.

Leipzig, 26.05.2021. ALVARA | Digital Solutions has decided to gradually move its successful solutions for cash-in-transit companies to the cloud.

Leipzig, 12.05.2021 The management of smart safes is a time-consuming and costly process for many companies. Often, multiple device types from different manufacturers, located at various sites, need to be managed. The Smart Monitoring Platform (previously: Universal Cloud) from ALVARA | Digital Solutions allows users to connect and manage their cash management systems such as smart safes, cash recyclers, ATMs, kiosks, or drop safes across brands and models via a single platform.

Leipzig, 28.04.2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions and INSYS locks offer automated and certified cash management as a service – from high-security locks to generating one-time codes. With the latter, companies in the retail and banking sectors successfully optimize access to their valuables or recycling devices. This avoids cumbersome processes and waiting times for service providers. The cooperation between the provider of track & trace software solutions and the manufacturer of certified security and lock systems has already proven successful with numerous customers.

A multitude of companies in the trade sector still rely on paper-based driver authorization lists, which, in terms of data protection regulations, is critical for employers and employees. By using a digital, GDPR-compliant driver authorization, the authorization process can be shifted exclusively to the point-of-interest.

Leipzig, 14.04.2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions offers the Cash Center Software Pecunia, which allows the management of all areas of cash and valuables handling. Whether it's cash and valuables transport, money processing, ATM service, material supplies, or direct cash supplies: Pecunia has proven itself as a reliable tool that has grown with the increasing demands of the valuables logistics industry. For 25 years, renowned cash service providers and banks have been successfully relying on this solution. A major advantage: The various modules and functions for the systematic management of counts, vault flows, service orders, and transports, as well as billing, are tailored individually to the processes of the customers. In combination with other ALVARA | Digital Solutions products, numerous synergy effects are created for cash service providers and banks.

Leipzig, 24.03.2021. To meet the demand from the retail sector, financial institutions, and value service providers for a digitalization drive in the cash sector, ALVARA | Digital Solutions is shifting the focus of its solution development even more towards digital efficiency. Due to external influences such as the Corona pandemic, changed priorities, increasing competitive pressure, and new technologies, the pressure on all cash stakeholders is growing.

Leipzig, 10.03.2021 ALVARA | Digital Solutions now offers the ability to manage cash recyclers even more efficiently with the new "POS Connector". Whether it's automating cash handling, reducing risks, or giving cashiers more time to serve customers: cash recyclers have long become a must-have in retail. An integration into the POS software is necessary for an automatic start of the payment process. However, this process is complex, time-consuming, and expensive due to the multitude of different POS systems. With the universal "POS Connector," ALVARA | Digital Solutions creates a simple and quickly implementable middleware that can be installed locally on the Windows POS software or Android tablet, and also allows for flexibility and individual adjustments.

Efficiency and punctuality in the logistics sector also concern specialists, particularly those involved in cash and value transport, such as ZIEMANN SICHERHEIT. By using a platform through which all necessary information, from pickup by a driver to final delivery at the destination, is managed, banks now always know where the shipment is located.

Leipzig, 17.02.2021. ALVARA | Digital Solutions offers an online platform called "Interactive Cash Control" (ICC), which enables efficient management and tracking of the entire cash process. From the deposit at any Cash Point to posting at the Bundesbank, the cash cycle between financial, retail, and cash service companies is transparently represented. Participants in the cash cycle solve numerous complex communication and monitoring tasks of cash logistics processes with a single platform.

Leipzig, 09.02.2021. Together with GS1 Germany and the EHI Retail Institute, ALVARA | Digital Solutions hosted the CashCon 2021 entirely virtually for the first time on January 27 and 28. Around 150 representatives from politics, financial institutions, commerce, the cash and valuables services sector, and associations primarily discussed the future of cash. Declining usage rates due to the coronavirus pandemic are posing numerous challenges to the industry. The organizers' overall assessment is consistently positive.

Leipzig, 21.01.2021. ALVARA | Digital Solutions is launching a new deposit machine version of the proven application "CashPoint Smart Safes" with the "CashPoint Recycler." The custom user interface for smart deposit safes is now officially in use in more than 100 stores after successful implementation in the last six months. The application impresses with its simplicity and user-friendliness, enables cross-location reporting when combined with the Universal Monitoring Platform, and perfectly meets the requirements for rapid and flexible implementation in retail and wholesale.

Leipzig, January 6, 2021. Staying true to the new slogan "Always an idea ahead," ALVARA I Digital Solutions is launching the new year with a strong concept. The three subsidiaries (ALVARA Cash Management Group AG, IT Kompetenz GmbH, Safelogy / MLSA) have been very successful with their previous software solutions and have achieved a very good position in the cash industry. These strengths are now united under the umbrella of the common brand ALVARA | Digital Solutions. The subsidiaries will continue to exist but will now increasingly present their products and services under the brand.

Leipzig, 26/11/2020. Together with GS1 Germany and the EHI Retail Institute, ALVARA | Digital Solutions is hosting the CashCon 2021 on January 27 and 28, 2021, for the first time virtually, as the health of all participants is a top priority. The organizers' decision for the online format has many advantages for cash-in-transit companies, banks, savings banks, and interested cash stakeholders. For example, there is no participant limit this time, and virtual participation is flexible, convenient, and time-saving, whether from home, the office, or on the go.

The online platform ALVARA controls and documents the cash cycle between financial, retail, and cash service companies. The path of cash from deposit to posting at the Bundesbank can thus be represented and monitored fully transparently. The new "Track & Trace Cash Center" module will particularly benefit financial institutions that manage their own cash processing and collaborate with a cash service provider.

Leipzig, 15.10.2020 – ALVARA | Digital Solutions, together with GS1 Germany and the EHI Retail Institute, announces the CashCon 2021 in Leipzig. On January 27 and 28, 2021, retailers, cash-in-transit companies, banks and savings banks, and many other cash stakeholders will come together at Felix in the Lebendige Haus to share two exciting conference days.

Leipzig, 17.09.2020 – ALVARA | Digital Solutions, the corporate group specializing in track & trace software solutions for the cash cycle and logistics, is leveraging synergies from its holding and expanding its product portfolio. The group is responding to the increasing digitalization in the financial industry and retail, which makes the demand for secure and cost-efficient software solutions for cash processes even more apparent.

Leipzig, 29.06.2020 – ALVARA | Digital Solutions, specializing in Track & Trace software solutions for the cash cycle and logistics, continues to grow steadily. Retroactively effective from January 1, 2020, IT Kompetenz GmbH has joined the corporate group. ALVARA | Digital Solutions thus adds a Hamburg-based software company to its portfolio, which has been successfully developing innovative, practical, and secure software systems in the field of valuables logistics and distribution for 25 years. Applications for controlling, monitoring, and optimizing cash logistics processes ensure seamless communication between value service providers, financial institutions, and retail. This includes intranet-based management systems as well as the CashEDI connection to the Deutsche Bundesbank.

Leipzig, 06/09/2020 – The internationally operating corporate group CMH, specializing in track & trace software solutions for the cash cycle and logistics, will now operate under the brand name "ALVARA | Digital Solutions." The forward-looking concepts of ALVARA | Digital Solutions and the development of modern software solutions help customers worldwide to enhance the quality, security, and transparency of their cash processes. Besides process optimization, the focus is also on cost reduction supported by innovative technologies (including AI, IoT, Blockchain). The diversity of ALVARA | Digital Solutions modules for various industries, such as retail companies, cash-in-transit companies, and financial institutions, enables flexible and tailored standard solutions that are hardware manufacturer-independent and allow the integration of hardware and software.

After a successful year in 2019, ALVARA and Safelogy are tackling new projects together. The focus remains on pooling their respective core competencies. The first milestones, such as the integration of ALVARA ICC and Safelogy Monitoring, have already been reached. Customers can now benefit not only from the classic ALVARA functions but also from monitoring their smart safes and deposit safes/recyclers.

The third ALVARA user meeting for cash-in-transit companies on March 14, 2019, was specifically intended for employees in cash processing. In addition to tips and tricks for the daily production process in cash processing, the following topics were also discussed: How are master data correctly configured with ALVARA solutions, invoices/exports created, or CashEDI deposits made? Furthermore, ALVARA presented how exactly valuables are tracked or pool inventories and cash books are properly managed. The numerous participants were also able to exchange ideas regarding practical use and their experiences. "Interesting and stimulating to engage more intensively with certain topics" or "Refreshing the possibilities with the programs, sometimes new insights and a lot gained..." were just two of the consistently positive feedbacks. The next user meeting for cash-in-transit companies is already planned for this November. We look forward to inviting the cash-in-transit companies to Leipzig once again.

The Sparkasse Barnim reduces its expenses for coin management with the help of an external service provider.

With the ARCA back-office recycler – consisting of the CM18b banknote module and CC3R coin module, ALVARA connected another machine to ALVARA Interactive Cash Control (ICC) in January 2019. Thanks to the new interface, users of the ARCA back-office system can now conduct monitoring via ICC. They are thus informed at all times about what was deposited or dispensed, when, and by whom. They can also view cassette fill levels if necessary. Additionally, ICC is capable of automatically triggering change requests and disposal orders.

After the successful introduction of the web-based platform ALVARA Interactive Cash Control (ICC) by ALVARA Cash Management Group AG (ALVARA) in 2016, Volksbank Chemnitz draws a successful interim conclusion.

In 2019, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG is focusing on its international orientation. As a first step, the company aims to expand its presence in Switzerland and Austria. The Leipzig-based solutions provider for optimized cash management is building on the successful milestones of the previous year.

The Higher Regional Court in Karlsruhe declared the so-called "coin handling fee" in the terms and conditions of a bank to be unlawful with its ruling. Accordingly, customers should pay a flat fee of 7.50 euros for depositing coins. The court deemed this amount too high compared to the incurred costs. In principle, a financial institution can charge a fee for payment services, but only within a certain legal framework. Accordingly, the deposit of coins is also considered a payment service. Since the forward-thinking introduction of the Cash Pricing Module in 2015, ALVARA AG has been offering a legally compliant solution for pricing cash disposal.

Silver Investment Partners (SIP) acquires a majority stake in the mid-sized cash logistics specialist ALVARA Cash Management Group AG (ALVARA). The company is a leading provider of software solutions for all players in the cash cycle to control, automate, and monitor cash management. With this transaction, ALVARA lays the foundation for the development of an orderly succession plan. As part of the acquisition, SIP is joined by a minority stake from the second level of management. The previous majority owner and founder of ALVARA, Bernd Hohlfeld, will also remain a minority shareholder in the company and will continue to be responsible for managing the operational business as CEO in the medium term. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Leipzig, 09/13/2018 – Visitors to ALVARA Cash Management Group AG at security essen 2018 can look forward to another exciting program point: On September 26th from 10 a.m., Bundestag member Dr. Gregor Gysi, together with other experts, will shed light on the German SME sector at the joint stand of the BMWL (Federal Association of Medium-Sized Value Logistics). The discussion will focus on the topic "Cash concerns us all". With Dr. Gysi, the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Value Logistics BMWL has succeeded in attracting a top-class politician and an active member of the Political Advisory Board of the BVMW (German Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses) for a lecture followed by a discussion at the BMWL stand in Hall 1 C 81.

Starting in 2019, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG will be a cooperation partner of CashCon - a conference organized by GS1 Germany and the EHI Retail Institute focusing on current trends and innovations related to cash. The Leipzig-based company will design a special session, particularly highlighting the practical aspects of cash logistics and cash innovation. With this cooperation, the organizers bring additional expertise on board and will present the conference in a more universal and broader way in the future to reach additional interest groups.

(Düsseldorf/Leipzig, 06/08/2018) It is said that the importance of cash is continuously decreasing and cash transport is a thing of the past. The increase in electronic transactions is also statistically proven. However, the cash in circulation is increasing at the same rate.

(Leipzig, XX.07.2018) ALVARA Cash Management Group AG is responding to the changed conditions in the back office of retail companies with new solution concepts for cash management. The company is therefore expanding its proven solutions such as ALVARA ICC to include mobile applications.

ALVARA responded to the numerous requests and, similar to the Cash Dialogues with retailers and financial institutions, held the first user meeting for cash-in-transit companies on April 25, 2018.

As announced at the ALVARA INNOVATION DAYS in 2017, ALVARA is looking towards the "Future of Payments" in the new year. With the "Future Payment" project, the Leipzig-based company once again demonstrates its innovative side.

The discussions about whether cash will be abolished or soon replaced do not cease. This topic was also addressed at this year's cash symposium of the Deutsche Bundesbank on February 14th.

Under the theme "Cash at the Pulse of Time," this year's CashCon 2018 in Cologne is focusing on current trends and innovations of still the most important means of payment in Germany. The conference is organized by GS1 Germany GmbH and the EHI Retail Institute. ALVARA is presenting an innovation as part of the event's accompanying exhibition: the ALVARA Logistic App. This creates added value for all participants in the cash cycle, from retailers to cash-in-transit companies to financial institutions.

For many financial institutions, coin money still means very high expenditures: lines of traders at the bank, stressed employees at the counter, error-prone manual processes, and high costs in coin processing – challenges that are a thing of the past at the Stadtsparkasse Magdeburg.

The topic of coin cost development and the search for ways out of the price spiral also occupy the German Retail Federation - HDE e. V. Ulrich Binnebößel, head of payment transactions and logistics at HDE, presented the current considerations of the HDE on this at the specialist congress "Digitization Knows No Boundaries - Cash Processes 2.0" in September in Leipzig. In his keynote speech "Payment in Retail", he focused on possible perspectives in the development of cash.

The joint solution for real-time tracking of the entire cash process by KÖTTER Geld- & Wertdienste SE & Co. KG in collaboration with ALVARA Cash Management Group AG is already in use at three locations of the cash and valuables service provider. The Android-based tour scanner technology has been introduced at the Duisburg location and in the cash centers in Dortmund and Cologne, providing added value for all parties involved in the cash process.

Digitalization is the key to cost reduction and closer customer proximity in cash management - this was the consensus among the over 140 participants of the 7th ALVARA INNOVATIONSTAGE this week in Leipzig. Consumers and retailers play a crucial role in the sustainability of cash as a payment method. More than ever, innovative solutions for networking and the associated cost reduction in cash handling are required. These contribute to the attractiveness of the proven cash as an anonymous, privacy-protecting, and universally accepted payment method. The high automation of systems and machines for cash processing is an important prerequisite for this.

The piggy bank is full of copper coins and the wallet is bursting at the seams. Cashiers are instructed not to accept more than 50 coins in payment. But how to "get rid of" the small change?

Cash-in-transit companies and external service providers face the challenge of ensuring the safety of employees and the valuables to be transported. This must be efficiently and transparently executed daily, promptly and without delays.

Cash-in-transit companies and external service providers face the challenge of ensuring the safety of employees and the valuables being transported. This must be achieved efficiently and transparently every day, quickly and punctually without delays.

With their collaboration, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG and KÖTTER Geld- und Wertdienste SE & Co. KG were able to elevate Track & Trace in the cash and valuables logistics industry to a new level. The joint solution has now been selected by the expert jury as a finalist for the security innovation award 2016.

Leipzig 29.06.2017. Worst-case scenarios for everyone: Paying at the supermarket checkout and not remembering the PIN of the debit card. Or: After work, standing in front of the house, the key is not as expected in the handbag... Now you wish for someone to whisper the numbers in your ear or open the door to the home easily.

Coin money is expensive for businesses. Obtaining it alone takes a lot of time. The solution is the first open marketplace for change money – a simple solution on the internet. The ALVARA Coin Marketplace can be used independently of the contractually bound cash-in-transit service and the house bank. Retailers securely order their change money nationwide here. The cumbersome procurement on foot at the bank is a thing of the past. Transport is uncomplicated, fast, and cost-effective. Thanks to the connection to DHL, nationwide delivery is possible within just 24 hours. The retailer can quickly eliminate their coin money shortage and place orders using mobile devices, such as a smartphone or iPad. Adrian Knoch, owner of easyApotheke Duderstadt, already uses the internet service and appreciates it: “Thanks to the ALVARA Coin Marketplace, we can now flexibly order our coin money online at any time. We have used the Coin Marketplace several times and are very satisfied.”

How can financial institutions charge fees for cash processes so that something still ends up in the earnings account? The Sparkasse Vorderpfalz found an answer. The fusion institute, formed from three entities, has developed new processes in cash transactions. Thanks to new software, prices for cash services can be automatically determined.

Savings banks and banks are now more than ever required to view cash payment transactions economically. Therefore, software providers across Germany are motivated to develop solutions that simplify existing processes and at the same time ensure legal compliance. The Sparkasse Vorderpfalz has decided to use the latest solution from Alvara to gain efficiency in cash payment transactions. The pricing of cash services is now even handled fully automatically by the institution. Barbara Gessinger, Head of Cash Management, Sparkasse Vorderpfalz, reports on the use and benefits.

With their collaboration, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG and KÖTTER Geld- & Wertdienste SE & Co. KG were able to elevate shipment tracking in cash logistics, the so-called Track & Trace, to a new level. The joint solution has now been nominated by the expert jury as a finalist for the security innovation award 2016, which will be presented at the world's largest security trade fair "security 2016" at the end of September in Essen.

Financial institutions, cash management providers, and trading companies—all of them suffer from the developments and are forced to rethink their future in this business field. Many paint a bleak picture of the future of cash. The Stadtsparkasse Magdeburg shows that there is another way. Through the willingness to rethink, a creative and consistent advancement of the pool banking model, and the involvement of banks, trading companies, and logistics providers, the Stadtsparkasse now looks at an economically healthy revenue field, whose potential is far from exhausted.

Although many processes across all industries have already been digitized, many branch operators still regularly receive the driver lists of drivers authorized for cash collection from their value-added service provider (WDL) via fax or email. As a result, on-site employees often receive blurry documents whose accuracy the value-added service provider cannot fully guarantee. It's obvious that in this and all other sub-processes, such as driver authorization or key management, there are significant security risks. Therefore, retail companies expect the integration of digital solutions that make cash logistics more secure while simplifying it for all parties involved.

Through their collaboration, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG and KÖTTER Geld- und Wertdienste SE & Co. KG were able to elevate Track & Trace in the cash and valuables services industry to a new level. The joint solution has now been named a finalist for the security innovation award 2016 by the expert jury.

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG conducted a customer survey in collaboration with P3N MARKETING GMBH. In addition to customer satisfaction with factors such as services, prices, quality, and service, "soft" indicators such as commitment, sympathy, innovation capacity, and competence were included in the assessments. Over 43 percent of customers participated in the online survey.

After the introduction of the "standard container" for coins by the Deutsche Bundesbank, Taunus Sparkasse turned necessity into a virtue. Through a coin pool and a coin marketplace, it provides "excess" coins to trading companies with the help of a software partner, and not just in its region, but regionally as well. This not only managed the cost explosion in the cash business but even opened up a new source of revenue. Red

In 2012, when the Bundesbank (BBk) terminated the accounts of cash-in-transit companies at the BBk and the BaFin defined the ZAG (Payment Services Supervision Act), savings banks, banks, and cash-in-transit companies faced one challenge after another regarding cash logistics. Simultaneously, the BBk mandated the "standard coin container," which significantly altered the previously proven processes. The solution was "pool banks"—and with the right management software, transparency is maintained. A strategy recommendation from Alvara.

The institute struggled not only with high coin money returns. The cost structure for cash services also proved to be increasingly challenging. Both factors were a welcome opportunity for the savings bank to reshape its coin money management—and potentially even make it more profit-oriented.

Cash specialists from financial institutions, trade organizations, and cash handling service providers will meet for the 6th INNOVATION DAYS of ALVARA Cash Management Group AG (ALVARA) on September 28 and 29, 2015, in Leipzig. Under the motto "Vision 2015 - Designing Viable Cash Processes," the anticipated 150 guests will discuss current trends, best practice examples, and future-oriented solutions in 15 expert lectures. Topics include the sustainability of the German financial economy in cash logistics, innovation impulses from Germany for the future global orientation of cash management in Europe, and innovative examples from medium-sized businesses in the collaboration between financial, trade, and cash handling sectors. Guests from Austria, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland in all areas of cash logistics have also registered.

Rising costs in cash processing and new conditions for coin handling have long led to a change in thinking at savings banks and banks. Many large banks, for example, no longer process coins and thus transfer the handling of cash to regional institutions. As part of a new strategic alignment in cash management, the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg faced various issues on the agenda. Solutions had to be found for very frequent coin depositors and complex processes at the counter, for example. The institution then made important decisions that are already showing effect. Robert Leitenmaier and Steffen Wittwer outline a successful project in their joint specialist article and explain in this IT-banker context what regional institutions should particularly consider in cash management to remain competitive in the long term.

In line with the motto "Your cash in safe view," security, transparency, and efficiency are top priorities for ALVARA Cash Management Group AG (ALVARA AG) in their solutions. In cash management and cash handling, a high level of security is a key quality feature of software products.

On September 28 and 29, 2015, the 6th ALVARA INNOVATION DAYS took place in the commercial metropolis of Leipzig, focusing on "Vision 2015 – Designing Future-Proof Cash Processes." 146 guests from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany attended the invitation of ALVARA Cash Management Group AG, the specialist in the efficient management of cash processes. The record attendance, the high-profile international speakers with their forward-looking contributions, the progressive discussion rounds, and the extremely positive feedback from participants proved that the ALVARA INNOVATION DAYS are a leading platform for cash management in the DACH region.

The process of banknote handling is divided into many different subprocesses that take up a lot of time for trained personnel. It starts with the counting of deposited amounts at various workstations, continues with the currency-appropriate booking of the counted money, and goes on to banknote recycling. Therefore, it is understandable that banks are looking for efficient software solutions to automate such work processes and simplify communication with the data center. The focus of the analysis is repeatedly on the consolidation of counting processes to utilize personnel capacity more efficiently.

VR-Bank Kreis Steinfurt eG relies on future-ready main cash register software: Cash transactions continue to be personnel-intensive and administrative challenges that financial institutions address in various ways. After all, the relevant processes involve numerous tasks, such as counting incoming customer funds or correctly booking currencies.

Time-consuming cash management. The issue of coin money is currently occupying many banks and savings banks intensively. Starting January 1, 2015, deposits and withdrawals of euro coins will only be possible after thorough examination of the coins. The examination will largely have to be carried out manually—both by trained personnel and with the help of coin processing machines. Consequently, the financial sector is looking for ways to reduce the expenses for coin handling.

The strike of a major cash-in-transit service provider in the regions of Brandenburg and Berlin affects, on one hand, the banks, whose customers face empty ATMs. On the other hand, it leads to shortages of coins in retail, where change for customers is lacking.

In March 2015, ALVARA organized the first working group in Frankfurt with representatives from financial institutions on the topic of "Software-Supported Cash Pricing." The goal was to discuss the relationship between costs and revenues in cash handling and subsequently optimize it with potential software support as a standard. This exchange of experiences generated significant interest and led to an extensive collection of information with various possible processes and scenarios. Due to the positive feedback and repeated requests for a regular event, ALVARA is launching the "Cash Dialogue" series.

Although convenient card payment is possible everywhere, many customers still resort to cash at gas stations. This means that gas station operators must always have enough cash on hand. But coins, in particular, are a scarce resource in retail. New coin rolls regularly need to be obtained for the business. Due to an EU law applicable since January 1, 2015, for national authorities, banks, and other credit institutions, fees may be incurred for business operators when exchanging coins.

Mr. Usadel, you are the Head of Operations Organization at Sparkasse Uckermark. To what extent do you feel the changed conditions in cash payment transactions? Marco Usadel: Due to the progressive withdrawal of the Bundesbank from services in cash payment transactions, we as a company are forced to implement the necessary processes ourselves. We are constantly required to evaluate which form of service provision is sensible and economical. While insourcing mainly incurs personnel and technology costs, significant material costs arise with outsourcing. Additionally, the topic of service provider management needs to be considered much more critically here than with other topics.

There are various concepts that can make cash handling easier and more secure. For example, collaborating with a bank or savings bank for cash recycling can be beneficial. The use of ATMs offers the advantage of prompt crediting of daily revenues. Additional benefits include the marketing of advertising screens, the possibility of interactive customer surveys, and the implementation of customer loyalty programs with loyalty cards. For retail companies, shifting cash withdrawals from the checkout to the machine results in faster processing at the checkout. By consolidating cash transports, up to 60 percent of the incurred costs can be saved.

The Volksbank Hameln-Stadthagen asked itself back in 2010 whether and to what extent its own cash transactions could be made more transparent. Observations in the industry – such as the Heros case – motivated many institutions at the time to seek sustainable answers to substantial security questions.

The changes in cash transactions affect everyone in the industry. While banks and savings banks are struggling with associated cost increases, cash-in-transit companies suffer from declining margins. In times of CashEDI, standardized coin containers, and the Bundesbank's withdrawal from selected locations, groundbreaking and future-proof concepts are needed—not only to ensure profitability in cash transactions but also to meet the legitimate customer demand for cash supply in the usual quality. Four institutions from the Hameln area provided answers to the questions of the gi editorial team.

The use of cloud services has become a part of everyday business for many financial institutions. Volksbank Rhein-Nahe-Hunsrück eG found a cloud solution with ALVARA ICC that seamlessly supports their cash logistics, offers a reliable, secure standard, and can be integrated into existing technical and organizational structures.

In times of economic constraints, not only banks and savings institutions are constantly seeking innovative concepts for efficiency enhancement. Trading companies too are forming new partnerships to make their offerings more attractive to customers and thereby secure the profitability of their businesses. Even large retail corporations are reorienting themselves and implementing solutions that, for example, make cash processes more efficient and reduce existing risks.

According to the International Data Cooperation Central Europe GmbH (IDC), 46 percent of specialists and managers in German companies use cloud services to make their businesses more efficient. Cloud computing means that the IT infrastructure is pooled, dynamically adjusted to the demand with configurable computing resources, and provided to the end user via a network. Cloud service providers face the challenge of offering solutions to banks and savings banks that adapt to technical and organizational conditions.

When it comes to cash transactions, banks and savings banks have long viewed commercial enterprises as strategic partners. Not only does the presence of the banking sector in the branches of local markets make strategic sense, but also the...

KÖTTER Geld- & Wertdienste GmbH & Co. KG offers the Safebag with integrated shipment tracking nationwide. The provider promises that the efficiency and transparency of cash supply and disposal, especially for banks and retail companies, will be further enhanced. The solution was jointly brought to market by the manufacturer of cash information platforms, ALVARA Cash Management Group AG from Leipzig, a producer of packaging ideas, Anton DEBATIN GmbH from Bruchsal, and KÖTTER Geld- & Wertdienste.

Particularly from the perspective of efficiency, the results of process evaluations regarding cash transactions can be surprising at times. Whether IT support proves to be beneficial in the redesign and development of workflows around cash depends on various factors. Software solutions can demonstrably help to make cash transactions more efficient in a cash cycle optimization. However, important questions should be answered prior to the potential implementation of a solution.

Institutions that have to implement the new regulation quickly face a significant increase in workload. Acceptance and delivery of coins beyond the standard container are associated with partially high costs. Such a far-reaching change within the cash cycle ultimately has significant consequences not only for the profitability and efficiency of financial institutions. Cash-in-transit companies also worry about their margins. Nevertheless, a look at practice shows that an efficient design of cash cycles is possible. After all, financial institutions usually have an abundance of coins, and these are urgently needed on the commercial side.