Private Cloud Hosting
Trinity TMS has been successfully offered in the private cloud for many years as part of so-called application service providing. Private Cloud means that the Treasury Management System is set up individually for each of our customers in a German data centre and is also only accessible to users legitimised by the customer. The Treasury Management System can be accessed globally via the Internet. Trinity ensures that the system and database are running and is available to answer your questions.
This „software-as-a-service“ form of installation allows the finance department to use the desired system functions particularly quickly. Hardware resources (computers, storage), infrastructure (internet connection, networks, interfaces), supporting software such as operating system and web server, the central database and the application are set up by Trinity for the customer and then made available for use.
The main advantages of the Trinity Private Cloud are:
- Fast set up to access Trinity TMS worldwide
- Single sign-on and connection to customers' ID management systems is possible
- High degree of self-administration/parameterisation of the application/user profiles by the customer itself
- It is not necessary to employ (additional) specialists for installation, operation, backup, maintenance of the application and database
- Professional hosting and data centre operation with continuous function and security monitoring as well as high availability
- High data security through exclusive data storage in Germany and suitable technical and organisational measures
- Data sovereignty remains with the customer, each installation is separate from others
- Application and procurement of expensive hardware for the customer is not necessary
- Scaling with regard to user/function/storage space expansion is possible at any time
- Trinity as the central contract and contact partner (hotline, updates, further development) for the customer
To ensure ongoing operations, Trinity offers its customers installation in an ISO 27001-certified high-security data centre, which is also used by banks and financial institutions, even in the standard version of the private cloud implementation.
An ISAE 3402 (T2) certified hosting operation can be offered. Test or backup systems can be set up in addition to the productive system. However, our customers regularly confirm that the robust application also does very well without dynamic backups.
Customers' data can be stored in the database encrypted (Transparent Data Encryption AES 256) if desired. As part of the hosting agreement, Trinity regularly backs up and updates the application for the customer. The recovery time objective (RTO) and the maximum tolerable period in which a data loss would be acceptable (RPO = Recovery Point Objective) can be optimised by various measures on request. If the handling of time-critical activities and processes requires it, Trinity TMS can also be implemented in two geo-redundant data centres with hot backup. All data centres used by us are located in Germany, are ISO 27001-certified and protected against unauthorised access by suitable technical and organisational measures.
The current certificates for hosting operations include:
- ISAE 3402 (T2)
- Information security management system according to ISO/IEC 27001
- IDW PS 951 (T2) and PS 983 Certification
- ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management
- Quality management system according to ISO 9001
Our standard data centre also achieved:
- ISO 27001 (Information Security Management)
- ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System)
- ISO 50001 (Energy Management)
- ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management)
- ISO 9001 (Quality Management)
As a very important connectivity and cloud hub, the campus of Trinity's standard data centre offers access to DE-CIX as well as very many leading international and regional carriers, ISPs and cloud providers. Trinity customers' access can be individually secured via Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections or Single Sign On with Active Directory queries.
On-Premise Installation
Trinity TMS can in principle also be installed on your servers or in a data centre of your choice. The prerequisite for this is the creation of the necessary technical and organisational conditions as well as the provision of licences for the ORACLE database, operating system and web server.
Accordingly, even today some customers still access their own hardware or rely on the computing services of large providers such as ORACLE Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Equinix or Google Cloud. Data protection regulations should always be carefully checked for EU and DSGVO compliance.
We serve customers who, in our view, operate "on premise" installations in "third-party" data centres, but recommend the use of Trinity´s private cloud offering, because:
- the offer is tried and tested and a quick start is possible
- Trinity is your central contact for almost all issues around your TMS
- Faults can be eliminated more quickly due to clear processes and responsibilities
- Unwanted access from abroad to data stored in Germany is not permitted
- higher security standards and performance levels are achieved by sharing resources and isolating individual customer installations at the same time.
The web-based Trinity TMS version has been offered since 2004, so a few customers from the past still use on premise installations. However, with the switch from the classic client-server architecture to the browser-based version, most users have opted for the worry-free private cloud offering. Companies that prefer their own servers will of course be looked after by Trinity in the same way. After all, it's the software we develop that matters, not the technical operation. However, in the event of faults in system operation, our support can only help you if you have opted for the Trinity Private Cloud variant.
Implementation
After the installation of your TMS, the Trinity team does not leave you alone. We help you with the commissioning and let you benefit from our experience with advice on best practice solutions. In this respect, our colleagues can draw on a background of more than 25 years with several hundred projects, some of them very individual.
„The particularly practice-oriented approach to implementing the treasury system, which was very demanding due to our requirements, convinced us. We can definitely recommend Trinity.“
Simon Printz, Vice President Treasury, CECONOMY AG
Most implementation projects, especially those in the Trinity Private Cloud, run quickly and easily. Customers explain their requirements and ideas and these are implemented together after technical installation. We actively support the filling of the treasury management system with master data and account information so that users already find "their" data at their first training and can quickly start working in the new system.
More than 150 reports and evaluations are preconfigured and can be used immediately. Integration into the existing system landscape and a connection to services such as internet trading, confirmation matching and trade finance platforms can be set up quickly via standard interfaces.
For system implementations characterised by complex requirements and a large number of stakeholders, a scoping workshop is held with the stakeholders prior to implementation.
Scoping defines as clearly as possible what is to be implemented in the project, in what way and by when. The aim is to produce a scoping document as a guideline for the tasks to be accomplished. This results in the distribution of responsibilities and resources as well as a time-based project plan.
The customer, Trinity and, if necessary, other external participants (e.g. consultants, auditors, service providers) form project teams with specialists, users and project managers authorised to give instructions. Communication takes place at management level; the customer's IT is often only marginally involved, especially in private cloud installations.
To ensure an efficient process, scoping is limited to what is essential for the client and does not reflect all functions of the software. After the scoping document has been approved, everyone involved knows what needs to be done to achieve the common goal. Conflicts due to differing opinions can be ruled out by clear descriptions in the further course.
Training and support
It is important for us that the users of Trinity TMS are able to handle the system and that their questions are answered appropriately as quickly as possible. That is why we have designed the operation intuitively and basically provide the training and subsequent support ourselves.
„The software is easy to use and the sophisticated administration concept offers a very good opportunity to flexibly address changing requirements for specific treasury processes as needed.“
Simon Printz, Vice President Treasury, CECONOMY AG
We train the key users who pass on their acquired knowledge to the people who use the system only to a small extent, e.g. to supply planning data or account information from a foreign sales branch. These local "light users" actually only need to know how to get into the programme to make their entries, view information or start automatic processes. The tasks of the decentralised users can be the same or quite different and are usually defined by the central users, as this is the only way to properly consolidate local planning across one or more levels at the group level. The "heavy users", who may be involved in several modules as well as the various front, middle and back office roles in cash and treasury management, are therefore trained by Trinity in German or English specifically for their profiles and tasks, so that they achieve good results in a short time. If the training courses last several days, exercises are distributed in between so that the users get used to working with the system.
Intentionally, liquidity planning resembles a spreadsheet because many users have worked with such an auxiliary solution before. Behind Trinity's liquidity planning, however, lies all the available information with details of the original currency, source and timestamp, and further functions. The self-explanatory operation of the input masks for financial transactions has often led to loans and foreign exchange transactions being recorded in the system even before the first training session.
The personal contact during training also continues when dealing with subsequent enquiries. Whether it's solving problems, answering questions or a little follow-up training: the Trinity hotline always has an open ear for you and can clear up most things in a short time.
Since we have accompanied the implementation in most cases, we know our customers, their installation and special features very well, so that enquiries can be answered quickly and purposefully. Sometimes a video conferencing tool is used as a supplement to work out the solution together with the user. Only rarely does remote maintenance access come into play, which is intended for emergencies and must be released for use by the customer in each case.
Trinity TMS users appreciate the familiar contact persons and the solution- and customer-oriented approach of our colleagues. We ourselves appreciate that on many days the hotline is not used at all - because there are no problems.
System integration
To transmit data from and to surrounding systems, a broad know-how in connectivity is required. It is not only important to know which data contribute best to problem solving, but also which technology provides the best appropriateness to use.
Trinity uses modern REST APIs, e.g. in digital guarantee management and web services for the transfer of treasury payments. For the automated import of operative cash flows as planning data, CSV or XLS(X)-based file exchange via SFTP directories is used due to the large number of ERP, controlling and other systems in use. For certain connections, however, web services also take the place of conventional interfaces. Regardless of the technology used, adequate security must be ensured.
For the automatic conversion of account transactions into booking instructions, Trinity offers a flexibly customisable account assignment for its TMS, which can be linked to different accounting systems.
„The internal netting process is now efficiently automated from receivables upload to posting after the netting run.“
Holger Schulz, Head of Treasury, TMD Friction Holdings GmbH
As long as there is no uniform API for banks and ERP, users will appreciate a TMS provider who can satisfy them with a variety of alternative solutions in a practicable way and without much effort.
(Further) development
Trinity TMS as a cash, treasury and risk management system with currency-differentiated liquidity planning is constantly being further developed. Permanently changing market requirements drive us forward, and the wishes of our customers have a continuous influence on release planning. Legal and many technical requirements are often equipped with a predefined changeover date that has to be met; in some cases, customers also specify time periods for the implementation of new programming as part of their carve-out or IPO.
„The Trinity team is always willing to discuss our requirements and implement any resulting adjustments.“
Dr. Andreas Neeb, Senior Manager Treasury, LEDVANCE GmbH
Major releases appear approximately every nine months. The numerous requests for changes and enhancements are recorded via a modern task and project management system.
Trinity coordinates the release contents internally and with the customers, prioritises and defines them in such a way that as many Trinity TMS users as possible subsequently benefit from the innovations. Time-critical security patches are the only processes that may interrupt an approved release plan. Trinity regularly informs its customers about the release highlights.
Technology changes bring special challenges for software manufacturers. Trinity regularly acquires the necessary knowledge at a very early stage and was thus one of the first providers of a browser-based treasury management system for global use via the Internet in 2004. In particular, this made the compilation of decentralised information easier, faster and more reliable.
„With Trinity, we have a highly reliable private cloud-based treasury management system in use worldwide that ensures full transparency in current liquidity status, short-term cash management and long-term liquidity planning."“
Veronika Fichtner, Head of Corporate Finance & Treasury, LEDVANCE GmbH