Evaluation of the Accuracy and Current Utility of the 1981 Master Establishment List (MEL)

摘要

The Master Establishment List (MEL) was developed for the SBA in 1981. Intended as a comprehensive list of U.S. business establishments, the MEL was created through a computerized merger of two commercially managed lists: the Dun's Market Indicator (DMI) file and the Market Data Retrieval (MDR) file. The DMI file is a proprietary product of Dun's Marketing Services and serves as a nationwide source of credit ratings for business firms and establishments. The DMI is also used extensively by business as a tool for sales campaigning or marketing. The MDR business list represents a nationwide computerization of Yellow Pages listings. Like the DMI, it is used in a variety of marketing and direct mail applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the MEL along two dimensions: timeliness, (or conversely obsolescence) and accuracy. The business population is inherently dynamic. New business establishments are being founded continuously, existing businesses may close, merge or change ownership. Consequently aging is a critical problem for all lists such as the MEL.