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Evaluating Commercial Databases for Compiling Outward FATS Statistics on Multinational Activities

This study investigates the quality and usefulness of commercial databases like Dun & Bradstreet and ORBIS in compiling Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS). It focuses on Dutch companies with foreign affiliates and assesses the data on key quality aspects such as relevance, accuracy, timeliness, and comparability. Findings reveal significant issues with database structure, accuracy of ownership data, and regional coverage, leading to the conclusion that outward FATS cannot be effectively compiled using these commercial sources. Direct engagement with companies is necessary for accurate data.

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Evaluating Commercial Databases for Compiling Outward FATS Statistics on Multinational Activities

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  1. Commercial sources & compiling statistics Floortje Sniedt Statistics Netherlands Department of Business Statistics Wiesbaden Group, Paris Session 6c: “Measuring multinationals’ activity and groups register” 26 November 2008

  2. Background • - Outward-FATS (FATS = Foreign AffiliaTes Statistics) • - Registers (Chamber of Commerce, Tax Authorities) • Commercial databases? • Dun & Bradstreet; ORBIS (Bureau van Dijk) Research goal: to examine the usefulness and quality of commercial databases in compiling FATS statistics

  3. Research • Databases provided us with datasets for a sample of “Dutch companies with foreign affiliates” • Datasets were judged on several quality aspects • Relevance • Timeliness • Accuracy & reliability • Comparability • Accessibility • Stability & continuity

  4. …… 2005 2006 2007 Etc. …… 2007 2005 2006 Etc. Variables +referencelabel ORBIS Ownership database Financial-economic database Companies Variables Dun & Bradstreet Only most recent data Companies +referencelabel Ownership & financial-economic database Problem 1: structure of databases Local information providers

  5. Problem 2: availability & accuracy • - Accuracy of ownership-structures • - repeatedly wrong ‘UCI’s’ • - often foreign affiliates “missing” • - Accuracy of financial-economic data • - only ~25% of the data of foreign affiliates available • - however......NOT plausible!

  6. Problem 3: regional coverage • Several EXTRA-EU countries do not have “trusted” local information providers • Underrepresentation of companies in databases

  7. Conclusion • It is NOT POSSIBLE to compile outward- FATS using commercial databases • Data have to be collected by questioning Dutch UCI’s about activities in extra-EU countries(restricted to largest Dutch UCI’s)

  8. Company visits: insights • - Relevant data with respect to extra-EU affiliates are available at level of Dutch UCI • These data are not provided to other (government) agencies • For reporting by UCI’s, it would be helpful if the Business Unit structure will be taken into account

  9. Questions? Thank you for your attention! Floortje Sniedt ========= f.sniedt@cbs.nl

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