Mini-Investigation Guide (Legacy)
Mini-Investigation is a standardized service that allows customers to request, track, and receive results of a business investigation. Submitted requests are sent to Dun & Bradstreet or partner offices around the world to research and verify the information.
Mini-Investigation is available for both U.S. and Non-U.S. records.
A separate contract is needed if you intend to use the Mini-Investigation service.
The D&B Direct+ Mini-Investigation API provides the same functionality available on the Mini-Investigation Portal (https://miniinvestigations.dnb.com/).
Mini-Investigation Request Flow
Service Description
Mini-Investigation processing includes in-depth checks of public information sources and telephone calling to confirm business operations and gather information necessary to create a new record.
Public sources consulted include Secretaries of State, local business registries and company web sites. Telephone calling to interview a principal or authorized spokesperson for the subject business includes up to three calls over a minimum of two business days.
The following data elements are collected through Mini-Investigation:
- Business Name/Trade Style
- Year Started
- Physical/Mail Address
- Number of Employees
- Telephone Number
- Sales Figure
- Line of Business/SIC
- One Level Up Linkage (When Applicable)
- Chief Executive/Owner
Output for Mini-Investigation includes a D-U-N-S Number®, if the matching effort is successful, and a Resolution Code. If a Mini-Investigation results in creation of a new record, the data for that record may be retrieved from the D&B Database approximately 14 days after the Mini-Investigation is completed.
Using the API
Using the API, you can:
- Submit a new request. See the Mini-Investigation Submit Request API page for details. Once submitted, the system will send an email confirmation to the email address provided in the request. Mini-Investigation supports maximum of 25 requests per country per customer per day.
- Check the status of your request. See the Mini-Investigation Status API page.
Submission Confirmation Email
This e-mail will indicate Dun & Bradstreet has received your investigation request and provide an estimated completion date and a unique request id. Thank you for submitting your Mini-Investigation Request to Dun & Bradstreet. Your request should be completed mm/dd/yyyy. Your request id is: xxxxx-xx Please contact miniinvestigationsupport@dnb.com if you have any questions. |
Investigation Complete Email
When the investigation request is completed and the business information provided has been verified, the e-mail will be similar to the below examples.
Information was verified:
Your Mini-Investigation request submitted on mm/dd/yyyy with ID Number _xxxxxx-xx_ has been completed. DUNS Number: 123456789 Resolution Description: Match Found via host investigation, no update occurred. The following information was submitted as part of your request: Account: yourcompany Name: ABC Company, Inc. City: Houston Country: UNITED STATES Thank you for using D&B's Mini-Investigation Service.
|
Information in the request could not be verified; no DUNS was created or updated:
Your Mini-Investigation request submitted on _xx/xx/xxxx_ with ID Number _xxxxxx-xx_ has been completed. We were not able to provide a DUNS Number for this request. Resolution Description: Unable to Verify If you have new or additional information regarding the subject of your inquiry, please submit a new Mini-Investigation request. The following information was submitted as part of your request: Account: yourcompany Name: ABC Company, Inc. City: Atlanta Country: UNITED STATES Thank you for using D&B's Mini-Investigation Service. |
Resolution Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 30 | Host country investigation |
| 40 | Held in host country |
| 100 | A new DUNS Number created for the requested business |
| 101 | A new DUNS Number created using a third-party source |
| 106 | Match found in the D&B database, no investigation needed |
| 107 | Match found during investigation, DUNS number returned is the correct information |
| 108 | Match found during Investigation, DUNS number required an update |
| 109 | Match found DUNS number was updated using a third-party source |
| 122 | Match found D&B has the correct business name customer has a previous name |
| 123 | Match-found customer name is a trade-style |
| 124 | Match-found customer record is an abbreviated name |
| 125 | Match-found customer record indicates current business name, DUNS number has been updated |
| 126 | Match-found D&B name incorrect report has been updated with the correct name |
| 127 | Match-found customer record indicates a previous address |
| 128 | Match-found customer record indicates current address, DUNS number has been updated |
| 129 | Match-found D&B address incorrect, customer address correct, DUNS number has been updated |
| 201 | No phone number provided, no phone number could be located for the business |
| 203 | Incoming information is an individual's name |
| 204 | Company or location identified as out of business after investigation |
| 208 | Unable to verify information (any of the below can be true) - Uncooperative customer declined information - Unable to verify customer's information as provided - Constant busy signal or phone rings but with no answer. - Phone number provided incorrect, no alternative phone was found |
| 209 | Messages left to verify information were not returned |
| 210 | Incomplete; customer did not provide a valid business name or valid a city |
| 211 | Unable to verify after attempts to contact the business and third-party sources |
| 212 | Customer has submitted the wrong country for this business, no investigation can occur. |
| 213 | Business sold/merged into another business |
| 214 | No DUNS number can be assigned due to local Government regulations |
| 298 | Mini-Investigations currently has no coverage in this country |
| 299 | Request canceled |
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Where is my investigation request? Use the Mini-Investigation Status API call to get a status of pending requests.
- How will I know when my investigation has been completed? You will receive an e-mail response with the results of your investigation.
- How soon will my investigation be completed? The anticipated completion date will be in the e-mail you receive confirming we have received your request.
- Why am I limited to the number of investigations I can request? In order to effectively manage all new investigation requests, you will be limited to the number of investigation you can submit daily.
- What if I don't have all of the data elements requested on the entry form? To perform an investigation, we need at minimum, the business name, the city (state or providence) and country. It is important that you submit as much information as possible to enhance the investigation effort.
- Who can I contact if I still need assistance?
If you still need help you can send an e-mail to MiniInvestigationSupport@dnb.com. Please include the company you are with and as much information about the request as possible.
