s required by the acquiring organization. Evaluating the financial health and stability of a potential supplier can be accomplished by examining a set of audited financial state- ments covering a period of time in the past. Publicly traded entities that are potential suppliers are required by law to file quarterly and annual financial statements. If the potential supplier is not a publicly traded company, then there may be other sources of financial infor- mation such as Dunn & Bradstreet. D&B is a credit rating organiza- tion, providing credit history and assessment. As such they have access to information on most any entity that wishes to do business on credit. They also collect information about how the subject pays their bills. For example, do they pay on time, or according to agreed on terms, or are they occasionally or perpetually behind? These same agencies also monitor and report on lawsuits and extraordinary events that may have an impact on the company. Considerations or concerns about the potential suppliers intellectual property rights may be found in simple searches that can turn up patent or copy- rights granted. The overall concern amounts to the ability of the supplier to produce and support the required quantity of equipment, software, or facil- ities and services for the time required, typically ranging from 2 or 3 years to longer than 10 years. The ability to conduct due dili- gence isn't rocket science; it's mostly a matter of common business knowledge. You and your peers in accounting that deal with pur- chasing, contracting, and paying bills can undertake and complete it with a reasonable amount of time and effort. Table 8-1 presents a list of specific steps with a brief description and desired outcome of each. PRACTICAL IP AND TELECOM FOR BROADCAST ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS TABLE 8-1 Technical Due Diligence Process Document Requirements Establish Performance Bench- Provides Objective, Business marks and Capabilities Oriented Perspective Request, or Search For Compare Performance of Produce