Equifax 2015 Annual Report Download - page 77

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to better support our strategic objectives. Generally, severance benefits for our U.S. employees are paid through monthly
payroll according to the number of weeks of severance benefit provided to the employee, while our international employees
receive a lump sum severance payment for their benefit. All payments were substantially completed by December 31, 2014.
Restructuring charges are recorded in general corporate expense.
14. SEGMENT INFORMATION
Organizational Realignment. In 2015, the personal solutions business in the United Kingdom was consolidated into
the North America Personal Solutions segment, which was reorganized into the Personal Solutions segment. Additionally in
2015, the direct to consumer reseller businesses in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom were also consolidated into the
Personal Solutions segment. These changes were driven by an enterprise wide strategy to maximize the penetration of our
products and services in our targeted markets. We determined that market focus and operating efficiency could be further
improved by reorganizing and consolidating the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom Personal Solutions and Direct
to Consumer Reseller operating activities into one segment, Personal Solutions. As a result, we modified our segment reporting
effective 2015. Our financial results for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 have been recast below to reflect our
new organizational structure.
On July 1, 2014 the North America Commercial Solutions operating segment was consolidated into the U.S.
Consumer Information Solutions and International operating segments. The change was driven by an enterprise wide
distribution marketing strategy to maximize the penetration of our products and services in our targeted markets. In an effort to
accelerate our penetration and simplify how our commercial information customers interact with us, we have reorganized our
operating segments. The U.S. portion of the North America Commercial Solutions (“NACS”) operating segment was
consolidated into the U.S. Consumer Information Solutions operating segment. The combined operating segment was renamed
U.S. Information Solutions. The Canadian portion of the NACS operating segment was consolidated into the Canada operations
of the International operating segment. As a result, we modified our segment reporting effective in the third quarter of 2014.
Our financial results for the year ended December 31, 2013 have been recast below to reflect our new organizational structure.
Reportable Segments. We manage our business and report our financial results through the following four reportable
segments, which are the same as our operating segments:
• U.S. Information Solutions
• International
• Workforce Solutions
• Personal Solutions
The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in our summary of significant
accounting policies (see Note 1). We evaluate the performance of these reportable segments based on their operating revenue,
operating income and operating margins, excluding any unusual or infrequent items, if any. The measurement criteria for
segment profit or loss and segment assets are substantially the same for each reportable segment. Inter-segment sales are not
material for all periods presented. All transactions between segments are accounted for at fair market value or cost depending
on the nature of the transaction, and no timing differences occur between segments.
A summary of segment products and services is as follows:
U.S. Information Solutions. This segment includes consumer and commercial information services (such as credit
information and credit scoring, credit modeling services and portfolio analytics (decisioning tools), which are derived from our
databases of business credit and financial information, locate services, fraud detection and prevention services, identity
verification services and other consulting services); mortgage loan origination information; financial marketing services; and
identity management.
International. This segment includes information services products, which includes consumer and commercial
services (such as credit and financial information, credit scoring and credit modeling services), credit and other marketing
products and services. In Europe and Latin America, we also provide information, technology and services to support debt
collections and recovery management.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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