FAQ

1 What is due diligence?

It is an investigation aimed at obtaining information to identify the various risks presented by a third party with whom the company wishes to enter into a business relationship: acquisition, signing of a strategic partnership, new supplier or customer contract for example.

These risks may be operational, image and reputation risks, or risks related to corruption, fraud, money laundering, financing of terrorism, etc.

2 A lot of information about companies and executives is freely available on the Internet. What is the advantage of ordering a due diligence report on Skan1 rather than doing the research in-house?

A lot of information is indeed available on the Internet. However, it is not always easy to find, nor is it always reliable and up to date, and it is often incomplete. This may depend, among other things, on the country concerned and the language used locally. It is also necessary to verify and authenticate unknown sources, especially for foreign companies.

Moreover, these searches can be time consuming, with no guarantee of results.

This is why Skan1 offers to carry out the surveys you need on demand, optimizing the collection of key indicators thanks to innovative technologies and enriching them with an expert analysis.

Our operational solution enables us to provide you with a summary report that can be used immediately to make your decisions.

3 Under what circumstances should you call on Skan1, and for what purpose?

You mainly need to delegate the realization/production of a due diligence report to Skan1 in 2 cases:

1/ Compliance: if your company’s legislation or internal procedures (or both) require you to verify that your business partners do not fall under the law, in terms of corruption for example.

The Sapin 2 law in France, the UK Bribery Act in the United Kingdom and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the United States illustrate this perfectly, punishing offenders with considerable fines or even imprisonment.

The Skan1 due diligence investigation is proof that you have taken the necessary precautions and performed the necessary checks. It is legally enforceable.

2/ Risk management: to develop your international activity while controlling and limiting your risks, you must be proactive and find out about your foreign partners.

This will help you avoid working with companies that are likely to be dishonest or defraud you. There are also risks to your image if your partners have a dubious reputation, or if they do not respect certain ethical or environmental regulations.

The Skan1 due diligence investigation informs you, before or during a business relationship, of the risks that pre-exist or may result from this relationship.

4 What are the authorized payment methods on skan1.ai ?

Skan1 offers different payment methods in Euros to facilitate and accelerate the processing of your order and the realization of the study:

Credit card: Visa > the fastest solution.
Bank transfer: FR76 3000 3030 2000 0200 0504 183 > recommended if payment by credit card is not adapted to your organization.
Check to Skan1 – 176 av Charles de Gaulle, 92200 Neuilly sur Seine, France > this method of payment remains reliable but may delay the production of the ordered report.

5 Is the information contained in Skan1 reports authentic and reliable? How can you guarantee this?
Skan1 searches the best open source (free access on the Internet) and commercial (paid access on subscription) databases for key indicators. For some advanced investigations, we use local sources if necessary and can conduct field investigations.

We cross-check information to ensure that updates are fresh and that the information collected is accurate.

An experienced analyst compares and contrasts the data to identify any inconsistencies.

All means are therefore implemented to provide you with a highly reliable and operational report as is. The sources used are listed in the appendix for each indicator as well as the date of consultation.

If any indicators are missing, this lack of availability constitutes information in itself. In this case, depending on the issue at stake, you may consider requesting a level 2 survey and ask us to do so.

If you suspect after the fact that some information is incorrect (at the date of the survey), it is essential to inform us as soon as possible so that we can proceed with verifications.

6 What happens if certain indicators on the company or a manager are not available?

It can happen that some information on a company or a manager is not up to date or simply missing. The reasons for this may vary depending on the country of residence and activity, for example, or the notoriety of the subject.

In this case, the very absence of information, or the presence of information that is simply partial or obsolete, is information in itself.

It is often commented on in the expert analysis accompanying the report, which puts it into perspective and deciphers it for you.

7 Can I have access to my order history?

Yes, this feature will soon be available from your personal space in ultra secure conditions. The access to the service will be protected by an access protocol requiring 2 phases: active access codes followed by a verification by sms of the person’s identity. Then, we have set up a data encryption that protects the identity of the available documents.

8 How can I be sure that my data and the information processed remain confidential? What guarantees confidentiality?

The confidentiality and protection of your data are top priorities for SKAN1. We therefore pay great attention to this.

All of your information is hosted on secure servers based in Strasbourg, France. For this, we have established a partnership with the company SDV Plurimédia

We also scrupulously respect the entirety of the recommendations of the EU as regards RGPD.

9 What information sources does SKAN1 use / survey?

Skan1 interviews and combines the most appropriate market sources for each survey request:

  • So-called “Open Access” information that is freely available on the Internet, including a large number of local sources depending on the country where the company is registered or where the manager resides, and where they operate. This includes the press, company registries, social networks, professional and governmental sites…
  • A selection of professional reference databases, available by subscription: Orbis, Worldcheck, Lexis-Nexis, Factiva…
  • Local public sources available only through an intervention in the field, due to the digital unavailability of data for occasional or structural technical reasons, or for language-related difficulties.
  • Human” sources in the field, identified and qualified locally (journalists, experts, lawyers, consultants, business leaders, etc.), which allow for the collection of additional informal information and intelligence during interviews conducted by the Skan1 teams.

10 Can I use the SKAN1 service from my phone?

Yes, the Skan1 service is designed from the beginning for an easy, intuitive and pleasant use on your smartphone. This is made possible thanks to the “responsive design” technologies used during the development and programming phase of the service. They also allow the service to be accessible on all digital terminals: desktop, laptop, tablet, television.

11 If I have a specific request, other than the various “standard” report formats offered (SKAN-3X, SKAN-4X), how should I proceed?

If you have a specific request, other than a standard due diligence investigation, you can of course request Skan1. Simply select the Skan1 Investigation product from the home page and indicate your needs or objectives on the dedicated form.

A consultant will contact you to specify your request in order to establish a quote for this customized service.

You can also contact us directly by phone at +33 1 84 60 19 00

12 Can I order a survey without being registered on the site?

Yes, Skan1 offers you this possibility by using the option “Quick purchase without invoice” proposed at the time of paying your order.

13 How does Skan1 protect its customers’ data?

To protect our customers’ personal data, we have implemented the following IT security measures

  • deployment of an encryption system for all sensitive data
  • storage of data on private servers in a datacenter based in France
  • use of firewall software to protect sensitive data
  • regular updating of operating systems and software in accordance with the recommendations of the publishers.

14 Does Skan1 use the data collected on its customers for commercial purposes?

We commit ourselves to the fact that at no time will the data collected by Skan1 on its customers be sold or rented to third parties for commercial purposes, in accordance with our terms of sale. We only use it to keep you informed of the evolution of the service and to send you special offers that we may have to propose to you, in accordance with your choices when you register. We take great care to ensure that these commitments described in the terms of use and conditions of sale are respected (https://www.skan1.ai/en/skan1-policy-cookies-and-privacy/).