The Association of Due Diligence Professionals offers several kinds of publications:
Member Publications
Due Diligence for the Financial Professional, by L. Burke Files
“In the more than 25 years that I have been performing, researching and developing due diligence and fraud prevention, I have reviewed probably every book on the topic, and none are in the same class as “Due Diligence for the Financial Professional” by L. Burke Files. Mr. Files has studied the problems of fraud from the real-world perspective, in case after case investigating problems for his clients in the US, Eastern Europe, Central and South America and China since 1991. If there is one thing misleading it is the title, because the book is not just limited to the financial side of due diligence, but covers intellectual property, asset recovery, mergers and acquisitions and much more. The chapter entitled “The Impact of the Future and What We Should Watch” is especially interesting, and he also has an excellent appendix with the best and clearest set of financial equations. Mr. Files goes way beyond the typical checklists that everybody thinks is due diligence. Perhaps it is because he has far more diverse experience in multiple industries than the typical investigator. Perhaps it is because he approaches the topic more as a generalist than a specialist. Authoritative, informative, easy to read, with wonderfully entertaining stories and thought-provoking quotes, this is the one due diligence book you must have in your library.” Book Review, by Charles F. Bacon, published in Due Diligence Digest, December 2010
Order Due Diligence for the Financial Professional
Due Diligence Digest
The Association’s newsletter, Due Diligence Digest©, features Association news, activities of Association Members and Chapters, interesting articles and information about the industry and discipline of due diligence, and other features of interest to Association members. Due Diligence Digest is distributed ten times per year.
Submitting articles or notices for Due Diligence Digest: Send articles or news that may potentially be of interest to members of the Association or people interested in the industry and discipline of due diligence to Due Diligence Digest. Article submissions must be original works and not have been previously published. Articles and notices can refer to original works published elsewhere, but all proper attributes must be provided, and all proper permissions must be provided to reproduce any part of any copyright work from all parties who have the rights to such works, such as the author and/or publisher. Submissions should be sent as email attachments in Word format.
Due Diligence Standards
The Due Diligence Standards provide for more consistent and efficient due diligence. The Standards are tools to continually improve the quality, consistency, effectiveness and efficiency of due diligence services and programs. Producing higher economic growth than patents and licenses, standards benefit organizations significantly at both the short and long term strategic level, with advantages in competitive position, agility, innovation, and profitability. Due Diligence Standards are a critical part of any successful business. Standards are around us everywhere: the number system, weights and measurements, the monetary system, cellular phones, nuts & bolts, telephones, language, and world trade. Due Diligence Standards are precise, optimum and practical policies and procedures emphasizing core principles rather than checklists and facts. As a private, nonprofit, independent and impartial organization, The Association of Due Diligence Professionals sponsors the development, maintenance and updates for the Due Diligence Standards.
Redefining Due Diligence
Although the term “due diligence” is most often associated with mergers and acquisitions, in a broader context, every important decision (e.g., hiring employees, selecting suppliers, selecting software, etc.) should be supported by substantial, valid due diligence processes and data. The type and nature of each due diligence process is influenced by the varying needs and particular objectives of the organization. Unfortunately, traditional due diligence processes have historically been limited in their application, and have been exceedingly inconsistent, immensely inefficient and decidedly focused on only extremely limited aspects of the due diligence process (e.g., legal issues, statutory requirements, regulatory requirements, etc.). This has led to most often producing erroneous or incomplete data, leading to inaccurate assumptions, upon which management decisions were based with disastrous consequences. Recognizing this industry-wide problem, Charles F. Bacon initiated the process to begin researching and developing the scientific foundations for the due diligence standards in 1993. The work gained significant momentum in 1999/2000 with the inauguration of a formal Due Diligence Science R&D Incubation Program. From 2003 through 2006, various early Due Diligence Standards drafts were circulated, reviewed and revised, culminating in publication beginning in 2007.
The First Due Diligence Standard
The first published standard was Standard Due Diligence Processes. Designed as a foundation upon which to base any and all due diligence processes, Standard Due Diligence Processes is intended to serve a broad range of interests, including executives, managers, boards of directors, shareholders, attorneys, accountants, business brokers, commercial bankers, investment bankers, mergers and acquisitions firms, private investors, venture capitalists, and any other parties interested in the new due diligence process. This standard was developed to improve due diligence through providing a structured, systematic due diligence program of planning, identifying, prioritizing, collecting and analyzing appropriate, relevant, necessary data; providing a consistent, more efficient, and methodical approach supporting fundamental decision management. The adoption of a formal due diligence program should be a strategic initiative by the decision-makers of every organization with an aim of adding structure to the decision management process. Once established, the due diligence program should become an integral, ever-present facet of the organization’s strategy, assisting management through every decision; and will create significant improvement in the organization’s capabilities, risk reduction, agility, morale and profitability.
Benefits of Due Diligence Standards
The Due Diligence Standards benefit all who rely on due diligence services, such as Board Directors, senior management, attorneys, accountants, government regulators, etc. The Standards also benefit all Association members, particularly those members who are actively performing due diligence engagements. If you incorporate due diligence standards into your decision-making and due diligence, your organization, both large and small enterprises, will benefit through improved performance, more reliable results, and increased profitability.
Standards Available
To begin using or learning about the Due Diligence Standards, first start with Standard Due Diligence Processes. All other Due Diligence Standards are based on Standard Due Diligence Processes. After purchasing Standard Due Diligence Processes, you will receive an order form for all other Due Diligence Standards.
- Standard Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Administration Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Communications Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Facilities Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Finance Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Human Capital Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Information Technology Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Intellectual Property Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Legal Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Management Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Marketing Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Operations Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Planning Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Production Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Products/Services Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Quality Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Research & Development Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Sales Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Services Due Diligence Processes
- Standard Technology Due Diligence Processes
Future Due Diligence Standards and Due Diligence Standards Under Development
To be placed on the distribution list for Custom Due Diligence Standards, please click: Distribution List for Future Due Diligence Standards and Due Diligence Standards Under Development
Order Custom Due Diligence Standards
For Custom Due Diligence Standards, please click: Contact Us for Custom Due Diligence Standards
