Key Takeaways
- Global leader in business data and analytics.
- Provides unique D-U-N-S business identifier.
- Offers credit reports and risk management tools.
- Supports sales, marketing, and supply chain decisions.
What is Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)?
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is a global leader in business data, analytics, and insights, providing companies with tools to manage credit risk, optimize sales strategies, and drive growth. Its proprietary data includes the widely recognized D-U-N-S Number system, which uniquely identifies millions of businesses worldwide.
By leveraging advanced data analytics, D&B supports informed decision-making across credit, sales, and supply chain functions.
Key Characteristics
D&B offers comprehensive business intelligence through a variety of specialized products and services:
- Business Credit Reports: Detailed credit scores and reports help you assess financial health and payment behavior of partners or suppliers.
- Risk Management Tools: Solutions like D&B Supplier Intelligence and Compliance Intelligence mitigate third-party and supply chain risks.
- D-U-N-S Number: A unique nine-digit identifier that streamlines data management and enhances business identity verification.
- Sales and Marketing Intelligence: Audience Targeting and Visitor Intelligence enable precise lead generation and campaign optimization.
- Global Coverage: Data on over 400 million businesses in more than 250 markets, powered by predictive machine learning models.
How It Works
D&B collects and curates extensive commercial data from public records, trade references, and direct sources, continuously updating its database to ensure accuracy. This real-time data feeds into credit scoring models and analytics platforms, giving you actionable insights into potential risks and opportunities.
Its D-U-N-S Number system ties together diverse business information into a coherent profile, supporting everything from credit decisions to compliance checks. You can integrate D&B's analytics tools seamlessly into your workflows, enhancing risk mitigation and sales prospecting efforts.
Examples and Use Cases
Businesses across industries use D&B’s data and analytics for various strategic purposes:
- Airlines: Delta leverages supplier intelligence to monitor risks in its supply chain, reducing disruptions.
- Financial Services: Banks assess creditworthiness using D&B scores to minimize bad debt expense.
- Marketing Teams: Companies use audience targeting to identify potential clients anonymously visiting their websites, improving lead conversion.
- Corporate Executives: C-suite teams rely on D&B insights for strategic planning and risk oversight.
Important Considerations
While D&B provides extensive data, it’s essential to understand that credit scores reflect historical payment behavior and may not predict all future risks. Regularly updating your data and combining D&B insights with other financial metrics like earnings can improve decision accuracy.
Additionally, compliance with regulations such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is crucial when using business credit information for lending or employment decisions.
Final Words
Dun & Bradstreet offers comprehensive data and analytics that can significantly enhance your credit and risk management strategies. Evaluate how its tools align with your business needs to decide if integrating D&B services could improve your decision-making and growth potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is a global leader in business data, analytics, and insights that helps companies manage credit risk, make informed sales decisions, and drive growth. It offers tools like credit reports, the D-U-N-S Number system, and predictive analytics to serve over 135,000 clients worldwide.
The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit identifier assigned to businesses globally, used to accurately identify and track companies. It powers D&B’s data cleansing, enrichment, and real-time updates, making it essential for credit reporting, supplier screening, and business verification.
D&B provides detailed business credit reports and scores that assess financial health, payment history, and risk levels. These insights enable companies to make confident credit decisions, reduce financial risk, and maintain healthier business relationships.
D&B offers tools like Audience Targeting, which uses a vast data cloud to refine ad campaigns, and Visitor Intelligence, which identifies anonymous website visitors to optimize lead generation. These tools help sales and marketing teams target the right prospects and improve campaign effectiveness.
D&B’s risk management tools, including Supplier Intelligence, ESG Intelligence, and Compliance Intelligence, help businesses monitor supplier risks, track sustainability efforts, and ensure compliance with regulations. These solutions prevent disruptions and support responsible business practices.
D&B maintains the world’s largest global business database, covering over 400-600 million companies across more than 250 markets. It combines proprietary data with AI-driven, real-time insights and predictive analytics to deliver unparalleled accuracy and sector-specific intelligence.
Founded nearly 200 years ago, D&B started as a credit reporting agency and has since expanded into a comprehensive data and analytics provider. It pioneered the D-U-N-S Number system and now focuses on real-time, AI-powered insights that cover modern risks like ESG, climate, and compliance.
