Every year, The Asian Banker recognises achievements in the key business and operational areas of the banking industry. The purpose of these awards is to recognise annual achievements and winners in the competition for market share, product and operational excellence. The Transaction Banking Awards evaluate bank's achievements in cash management, payments, and trade finance. The winners for these awards are determined through a combination of surveys, interviews and field research by The Asian Banker's research staff. The findings of the research are published in a neutral manner, with a scorecard outlining how the different domestic and global players feature in them.

The Goals of this Programme
These awards are designed with the following goals:

1. To track the changing competitive landscape in the industry, by identifying winners and losers
2. To identify the critical success factors required for success in the different businesses tracked in this programme
3. To develop a repository of benchmarks and best practices that industry players as a whole can use and improve upon
4. The Cash, Payments and Trade services are considered as Transaction Banking Awards, using mostly the same criteria set. In any one year, we may or may not make an award for Transaction Bank of the Year, based on the submissions made under one or several of the three areas listed below.

• The Best International Transaction Bank
• The Best International Cash Management Bank
• The Best International Trade Finance Bank

1. A survey of domestic banks in all of the different countries in the region on their opinion of foreign and international partner banks, corroborated by interviews
2. Changes in market share of the different competitors in the respective markets or key business lines
3. The size and strategic importance of the transaction business as a percentage of the bank's corporate and FI business
4. Demonstration of the contribution of the business to total income
5. Demonstration of the growing annuity value of the business by being able to demonstrate business or a customer base that is core and recurrent
6. The ability to describe the benefits of processing efficiencies and cost management that are passed on to their clients
7. The range and unique features of fee-based products and services that are not dependent on credit as the primary relationship and the value they provide to their clients
8. The key achievements in the year under review

• The Best Transaction Bank, By Region
• The Best Cash Management Bank, By Country
• The Best Trade Finance Bank, By Country

1. A survey of international banks and selected corporates in each of the different countries in the region on the transaction banks they work with in the country, corroborated by interviews.
2. Changes in market share of the different competitors in the respective markets or key business lines
3. The size and strategic importance of the transaction business as a percentage of the bank’s corporate and FI business
4. Demonstration of the contribution of the business to total income
5. Demonstration of the growing annuity value of the business by being able to demonstrate business or a customer base that is core and recurrent
6. The ability to describe the benefits of processing efficiencies and cost management that are passed on to their clients
7. The range and unique features of fee-based products and services that are not dependent on credit as the primary relationship and the value they provide to their clients
8. The key achievements of the bank in the year under review

• Best Global (Multi-Currency) Clearing Bank
• Best US Dollar (USD) Clearing Bank
• Best Euro (EUR) Clearing Bank

1. A survey of domestic and international banks as well as leading corporates on their preferred counterparty banks to settle transactions for the currencies stated.
2. The total volume, the average per ticket size of transactions, the number of countries of origin or destination for payments to determine market share.
3. The level of services inherent in the product including intraday liquidity, intraday clearing, the role of credit, fees charged and other values to the client.
4. The backend products and services that support the clearing activity, such as the level of automation and “anytime, anywhere” capabilities and provides client institutions with a value that they benefit from.
5. KYC and other regulatory support services provided to ensure full compliance to domestic and international laws
6. Are domestic banks in the markets they serve able to downstream and white label these capabilities for their own domestic clients?

• The Best Counterparty Bank in Middle East
• The Best Counterparty Bank in Africa
• The Best Counterparty Bank by Country

1. A strong and stable balance sheet as assessed under The Asian Banker 500 Strongest Banks by Balance Sheet ranking, which is based on a well developed and tested scorecard
2. Augmented by good international ratings by local or peer standards
3. Brand value in the market in which the bank operates (we use market share of local deposits as a proxy for domestic brand value)
4. Number of counterparty mandates secured in the year under review
5. Number and quality of transaction banking products and services (particularly trade, securities processing and FX) that are able to support counterparty relationships
6. Case studies of working counterparty agreements where the bank provides services to its partner bank

1. A discernible product distinguished by a name, and supported by a set of functionalities that customers are able to use. A platform is useful (as in an app) but not a requirement. A good product might well be platform independent.
2. A strong set of core functionalities with data on volume and frequency of usage by customers
3. Stated process and cost benefits in delivering service to customers.
4. A strong level of ubiquity which enables a customer to use the product “anytime anywhere”
5. A review of the organisation of the bank itself – that it is organised around the ability to support the product – with clear support staff, sales staff with personal KPIs to ensure the success of the product
6. Demonstrable testimonies and case studies of “solving actual business problems for clients” - clients actually benefiting from the product

1. A survey of international banks and selected corporates in each of the different countries in the region on the transaction banks they work with in the country, corroborated by interviews
2. Changes in market share of the different competitors in the respective markets or key business lines
3. The size and strategic importance of the transaction business as a percentage of the bank's corporate and FI business
4. Demonstration of the contribution of the business to total income
5. Demonstration of the growing annuity value of the business by being able to demonstrate business or a customer base that is core and recurrent
6. The ability to describe the benefits of processing efficiencies and cost management that are passed on to their clients
7. The range and unique features of fee-based products and services that are not dependent on credit as the primary relationship and the value they provide to their clients
8. The key achievements of the bank in the year under review

• Transaction Banker of the Year, Asia Pacific
• Transaction Banker of the Year, Middle East
• Transaction Banker of the Year, Africa

• A distinguished career in the financial services industry in general that should span a sufficient amount of time to demonstrate the acquisition of sufficient experience and expertise in the industry and the ability to build or run a sustainable and profitable business. This can be in a bank or non-bank, as many new players are emerging to make a difference in the industry
• Record of having led successful institutions, supported by robust performance of the businesses he or she has or is managing, that is already well regarded by peers in the industry. This can be evaluated by the value of franchise, its performance track record and its leadership position in the marketplace. Small institutions will qualify as much as large institutions if they are known for their innovation and tactical advantages in the marketplace
• Vision, verve and fortitude. We look for specific and inspiring stories of achievements during periods of transformation or difficulty, and the long term outcome of the decisions the candidate made in those times. The candidates work should have a significant impact on the institutions he has worked in
• An impact that stands over and above those being achieved by his or her peers across the region, in a manner that can stand as a benchmark to the rest of the industry. Here we look at the sum total of his or her career achievements, and come to conclusion that it stands well above that of their peers, who are also high achievers themselves. This criteria brings into focus leaders who may be from banks but also from non-bank players that are pushing the frontiers of the industry to new levels, either in expansion of the institution itself, or new products or customers that are made possible because of innovation, or new values that shaped the industry as a whole