Nick Frazer, Head of Business Information Services, Equifax Plc explains: "For the bigger deals that companies do, we believe they need a greater depth of information than has been accessible up to now – and a greater level of explanation of that information. Equifax Optima addresses both these requirements, comprising several unique datasets and presented online with supporting explanatory information.

"Unlike other online reports, Optima offers more than just data on an organisation's creditworthiness. It provides a total view of the group structure of a business, including the financial details of each subsidiary of that business, together with a credit limit history and a fraud score. Furthermore, the report includes County Court data as well as High Court information and allows access to original Companies House images."

Utilising Equifax's extensive and accurate database of predictive information on nearly 4 million Limited Companies and Non-Limited Businesses, the Equifax Optima report gives businesses information on their customers, suppliers, competitors, other industries and new marketplaces. It provides a summary opinion on whether it is advisable to trade with a business, and the likelihood of bad debt via a credit limit and indicates the efficiency of the company in settling supplier disputes and alerts the user to Letters Before Actions (LBAs) and stopped cheques.

With a logical and clear layout, and key summary information displayed at the front of the report, the Optima report is very easy to read and use. In addition, detailed explanations, provided by Equifax's experienced data analysts, ensure that the information within the report is easy to interpret, enabling speedy as well as reliable and consistent lending decisions.

"In today's competitive environment, businesses need to be able to assess the overall performance of an organisation allowing both company executives and credit professionals to make informed decisions," confirmed Nick Frazer.

"Regardless of whether the user is a company executive or a credit professional, Equifax Optima gives an unrivalled depth of predictive business data instantly online and sets a new industry standard for online business reports. By providing vital information and bringing it to the fingertips of business users Equifax Optima is a powerful tool for companies keen to make the right business decisions swiftly and competently."