Due Diligence in Digital Profiling of a Counterparty

Abstract

Economic entities involved in food production interact with a large number of counterparties and depend on their integrity. They have to check their potential business partners before cooperating. Contractual due diligence is a service provided by consulting and audit firms that use a variety of tools, e.g., databases and online services, to collect and analyze information. This research considered the main areas of contractual due diligence and assessed the tools involved. The authors used the common methods of comparison, generalization, and synthesis to describe the main due diligence stages and digital tools. Information about the counterparty was collected in three areas: legal capacity, financial position, and business reputation. The study focused on the stage of summary, analysis, and profiling. The authors determined the role of digital technologies at each stage, compared their performance, and defined their limitations. The research revealed the potential of various digital tools for contractual due diligence. The results may help due diligence experts to plan the profiling process.

Keywords

• contractual due diligence
• counterparty
• databases
• online services
• trustworthiness
• legal capacity
• financial condition
• business reputation