Smart Cash Talk – Steven Schwarznau as a Guest on the Podcast “Future of Retail”

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.

The Cash Cycle – an Often Underestimated Supply Chain

Between store locations, cash-in-transit providers, and banks, large sums of money move every day - yet real-time transparency is often lacking. Processes are well established, but fragmented. Data comes from different systems, counting takes time, reconciliations are laborious. In short: the process works, but it’s far from smooth.

Retailers therefore need better insights into where cash is located, booked, or already deposited. This enables them to actively manage processes instead of merely maintaining them.
The goal: less effort, faster decisions, and greater control over the cash cycle.

The solution lies in platforms that connect all stakeholders, from the checkout to the cash center, and provide a transparent overview of the entire cash flow. No double counting, no uncertainty about where the money is. ALVARA Interactive Cash Control (ICC) is one example of how processes can be made more efficient and, above all, more transparent.

“At the End of the Day, It’s About Money – and That Needs to Be Protected.”

Security in cash management isn’t just a buzzword—it must be a daily reality.
Between tills, safes, and cash centers, processes run around the clock, and any mistake can be costly for those responsible. Losing oversight here means losing trust.

History has shown just how sensitive this area can be. The HEROS scandal roughly 20 years ago—involving the embezzlement of cash holdings worth hundreds of millions—was a wake-up call for many retailers.

Since then, the rule has been clear: security doesn’t come only from physical control, but also from digital traceability. Digital tools that create transparency simultaneously open up new opportunities for security.

“Today, It’s All About Data Points.”

At the core of any software lies digital, data-driven processes that provide retailers with valuable insights into their cash flows. Every step, every deposit, and every transport generates data points that can be used for better management and cost reduction.

After all, cash is anything but free. Behind every cash register closing are numerous services—transport, counting, security measures, insurance.
Especially as the share of cash transactions declines, every unnecessary process step becomes a cost trap.

Solutions must therefore connect POS systems, cash-in-transit providers, and banks on a single platform—creating full transparency across the cash cycle. Based on this data, retailers can optimize transport intervals, automate internal workflows, and manage cash inventories more efficiently—without compromising security or traceability.

Cash in Motion

The podcast also explored topics such as:

• How AI and automation will soon enable forecasting of cash needs and change orders,
• The importance of liquidity management and how digital data points help deploy capital more efficiently,
• The role of the German Central Bank (Bundesbank) in the cash cycle, and why Germany continues to prioritize quality and security despite declining cash usage.

It’s worth listening in: Podcast “Smart Cash Talk – Innovations and Insights from the World of Cash.”

Managing your cash processes efficiently, transparently, and securely is still a challenge?
Let’s discuss your options together.