Firm To Launch AI-powered Vendor Management Platform

Dun & Bradstreet South Asia, Middle East and Africa (D&B SAME) is set to launch Partn-R, an upgraded version of its vendor onboarding platform, Vend-R, to help businesses strengthen third-party risk management and regulatory compliance.

The company said the new platform extends beyond vendor onboarding by providing organisations with a unified system for managing a wider network of third-party relationships, including suppliers, contractors and other business partners.

According to a statement, Partn-R features AI-assisted onboarding, customisable Know Your Customer (KYC) questionnaires, real-time monitoring dashboards and access to a marketplace of pre-verified vendors.

The platform will also introduce compliance screening capabilities in future updates, including checks for Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), sanctions list, watchlists and adverse media. These features are designed to support organisations in meeting evolving regulatory and due diligence requirements.

Partn-R also includes a self-service portal that allows vendors to manage registrations, monitor application status and connect with multiple organisations through a single interface.

Sales manager for Risk Management Solutions at D&B Nigeria, Chijioke Agusi, said the platform is designed to improve transparency and simplify the management of third-party relationships.

“Partn-R represents the next phase of how businesses build trusted commercial relationships. We are creating a platform that reduces friction and improves transparency, enabling organisations to manage third-party relationships more confidently and at scale,” Agusi said.

The rollout of Partn-R is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

The launch comes as businesses across Africa face increasing pressure to strengthen supply chain resilience, enhance vendor due diligence and comply with stricter Anti-Money Laundering (AML), sanctions and corporate governance requirements.

Dun & Bradstreet said organisations are increasingly adopting digital solutions that automate supplier verification and reduce operational and compliance risks, particularly as they expand across multiple markets.