D&B Business Verification API Code Sample in C#

1. D&B’s Business Verification
programming the API
By SQL Server MVP Lynn Langit for D&B

2. How can an analyst complete
a Customer Master List
by using verified datasets?
With a D&B Business Verification solution

3. What is the Business Verification Service?
 Use D&B’s Global Reference Database of 225+ million businesses
 Validate and correct company names and addresses
 Get clean, current and accurate company data
– includes match statistics
– includes confidence score and match grade

4. D&B Company Business Verification in Action
A.B.C.
123 Elm St.
Bethlehem, PA 18025
(SIC) 5411-02
Chuck Smith, President
Multiple unmatched records
Alpha Plastics
P.O. Box 111
Bethlehem, PA 18055
(SIC) 5411-02
Chuck Smith, President
610 882-7600
Charles Smith
123 Elm St.
Bethlehem, PA 18025
(SIC) 5541-99
215 882-7600
D&B D-U-N-S Number: 12-345-6780
ABC, Inc
+ Alpha Plastics
P.O. Box 111
Bethlehem, PA 18055
123 Elm St.
Bethlehem, PA 18025
(SICs) 5411 0202, 5541 9901
Charles Smith, President
Mary Worth, VP Marketing
Chris White, Controller
610 882-7600
Single view of customer

5. What is a D-U-N-S ® Number?
D&B Data Quality Solutions provides a valuable key to
company records by assigning a unique identifier
(a D-U-N-S ® Number)
 helps avoid record duplication
 links related companies, and
 streamlines disparate data into a single customer view

6. What is a D&B API?
 A D&B API is…
– Made available via an endpoint
– Called using URI + Credentials using .NET (C# in my example)
– Run via exposed methods
 Uses input parameters (some are required)
 Returns output parameters
 How to get it….
– Windows Azure Marketplace
– D&B Direct

7. How does the API work?
Step 1
Sign up for the API
 WAM
 D&B Direct
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Step 2
Test the API
 WAM
Step 3
Code using the proxy class

8. DEMO -- Coding the API
https://github.com/lynnlangit/DnBBusinessVerificationAPISample

9. API Details: Fixed vs. Flexible Queries
 Flexible
– Add service reference with the URI from WAM
– Proxy class is generated by the ‘add service reference’ tool
 Fixed
– Download Proxy class from WAM
– Add Proxy class to your project in Visual Studio
– Add reference to ‘System.Data.Services.Client’ in Visual Studio
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TIP: WAM “Details’” says whether query is fixed or flexible

10. MATCHED your own customers with verified records in D&B’s
Global Database
PRODUCED a combined Customer Master file that has verified
D&B customer demographics data
Customer Name, Address and Phone….
PRODUCED a Customer Master with a DUNS Number attached to
each customer record
this opens the door to additional business data from D&B
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The result…
A complete Customer file