Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

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Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

Key takeaways

  • Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is a global business-intelligence company that provides data, analytics, and software to support sales, finance, compliance, procurement, and marketing.
  • Its signature offerings include the DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) identifier, the Data Cloud, and credit- and risk-scoring products.
  • Revenue is generated from subscriptions, reports, data licensing, public‑sector partnerships, and support services; in 2023 the company reported roughly $2.3 billion in revenue.
  • D&B serves hundreds of millions of business records across hundreds of countries and territories and is publicly traded under the ticker DNB.

What D&B does

Dun & Bradstreet collects, aggregates, and analyzes commercial data to help organizations make better decisions about growth, risk, and cost control. Its services are used to:
* Evaluate counterparty creditworthiness and payment behavior.
* Enrich sales and marketing pipelines with firmographic and corporate linkage data.
* Support procurement and supplier risk management, including compliance checks.
* License bulk data for analytics and integration into enterprise systems.

Core products and technology

  • DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System): A nine‑digit identifier assigned to individual business locations in D&B’s database. It enables consistent identification and data exchange across systems and partners.
  • Data Cloud: A centralized platform that aggregates business attributes such as credit scores, payment history, regulatory filings, corporate family structure, ownership, and principal contacts.
  • DUNSRight® Quality Process: D&B’s proprietary data‑quality and analytics framework used to validate and standardize records.
  • Delivery models: subscription services, on‑demand reports, data licenses, and concierge/small‑business support.

DUNS: origin and structure

  • Introduced in the 1960s, the DUNS system began as a seven‑digit code and evolved into the nine‑digit standard used today.
  • Each DUNS number is a unique, randomly assigned identifier tied to a specific business location. It has become widely used for vendor identification, contracting, and risk assessment.

Credit and risk ratings

D&B provides multiple scores and ratings to summarize a company’s financial strength and payment behavior:

  • D&B Rating: A two‑part framework comprising
  • Common Credit Appraisal — evaluates payment history, public records, and other behavioral metrics.
  • Rating Classification — assesses balance‑sheet strength and net worth using current financial statements.
  • PAYDEX Score: A payment performance score ranging from 0–100; scores of 80 and above typically indicate low credit risk and prompt payment behavior.
  • Delinquency Predictor Score (DPS): A 1–5 scale that estimates the likelihood of late payments or defaults; 1 indicates the lowest likelihood of delinquency.

Why businesses use D&B

  • Credit decisions: Lenders and suppliers use D&B scores and reports to set credit limits and terms.
  • Vendor and supplier management: Procurement teams rely on D&B data to monitor supplier stability and compliance risk.
  • Sales and marketing: Firms enrich lead and account data to prioritize outreach and segment markets.
  • Cross‑border identification: DUNS numbers and standardized data make it easier to verify and connect entities across jurisdictions.

Brief history and corporate milestones

  • Roots trace to mid‑19th century mercantile credit agencies (Mercantile Agency and Bradstreet).
  • R.G. Dun & Co. and Bradstreet Co. merged in the 1930s to form R.G. Dun‑Bradstreet, later renamed Dun & Bradstreet.
  • The DUNS system was introduced in the 1960s and became widely adopted for business identification.
  • D&B has grown through numerous acquisitions and divestitures and is listed on public markets under the ticker DNB.

Conclusion

Dun & Bradstreet is a longstanding provider of commercial data and analytics that help organizations assess risk, manage suppliers, and drive growth. Its DUNS identifier, Data Cloud, and scoring systems remain widely used tools for credit assessment and enterprise data integration.