Supply Chain Cash Flow Trending Toward Pre-Recession Levels According to Most Recent Cortera Supply Chain Index Report

September 2009 Report marks 4th consecutive month of improving A/R conditions;
supports ISM data trend
QUINCY, Mass. AND BOCA RATON, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Cortera, a community-driven business information company, announced the
publication of its September 2009 Supply Chain Index (SCI) report, a monthly
index of accounts receivable (A/R) activities covering manufacturers,
distributors & wholesalers, retailers, services, and transportation companies.
Measuring payment activities of approximately 350,000 businesses, the September
SCI indicates a continuing reduction of A/R stress and improved cash flow
throughout the overall supply chain, as well as the 4th consecutive month of
decreasing receipt of invoice payments beyond terms (measured in average days
beyond terms).

Cortera`s SCI Index mirrors the slow, but continually improving indicators
published in the Institute of Supply Management`s (ISM) September 2009
Manufacturing Report on Business - the 2nd consecutive month of growth in the
manufacturing sector and the 5th consecutive month of overall economic growth.

"While there is more accounts receivable stress than a year ago, our SCI data
suggests that confidence in sales may be starting to return," said Jim Swift,
president and CEO, Cortera. "The increasing rate of payment yields more fluid
cash flow for all stakeholders in the supply chain - cash that is so desperately
needed to fuel organic business growth and a sustainable recovery."

The Cortera SCI tracks late payments against agreed upon terms, measuring late
accounts receivable (Late A/R), excessively late accounts receivable (Late A/R
>30 days), and overall average days beyond terms (Average DBT). All three
measures showed a spike in starting in October 2008, directly coinciding with
the financial markets meltdown, and peaked in December of 2008. A two year view
of this data is available on Cortera`s website. The Cortera SCI report is
published monthly.

About Cortera

In a sea of business information providers, Cortera is different. With over 15
years of experience serving finance professionals, Cortera combines premium
business information and innovative tools with a fresh community approach to
commercial credit. It represents the first community for small business credit
reporting and a fundamentally new way to capture the collective insight of
millions of financial transactions. As a result, small businesses can make
smarter, informed decisions to ensure optimal cash flow while attracting more
favorable payment terms from existing and potential business partners.

For more information on Cortera, please visit http://www.cortera.com.

VerColen Communications
Craig VerColen, 617-599-2180
craig@vercolen.com
or
Cortera
Alex Coté, 857-403-1370

Copyright Business Wire 2009