LOS ANGELES AND COEUR D’ALENE, ID July 5,2006
MSB, the leading worldwide provider of building cost data and estimating technology to the property insurance industry, and Advanced Field Services, Inc. (AFS) a leading national provider of professional inspection solutions to the insurance and real estate industries, announce that AFS has integrated MSB’s Field Information Transfer(TM) (FIT) technology into its inspection delivery workflow. With this implementation, AFS is now able to collect and seamlessly integrate inspection reports and total-component valuations prepared with MSB valuation tools directly into carriers’ Web-based MSB Express(TM) sites.
“Field Information Technology will greatly improve the efficiency of the inspection process because every file is validated for complete and correct data capture,” says Peter M. Wells, President of MSB. “What is equally important is that it allows the important field inspection data gathered to be immediately accessible and usable by the carriers they work with.”
“There is a high demand for scalable enterprise solutions that can streamline the underwriting workflow process,” states Eric Taylor, EVP/CIO of AFS. “The integration of FIT and MSB Express technologies delivers the core infrastructure upon which key risk data and MSB replacement cost tools can be easily distributed across multiple layers of an organization. What is even more interesting is that this option also solves another major industry challenge by providing a centralized inspection warehousing solution that ensures compliance with varying state-mandated historical archiving regulations.”
Field Information Transfer, which also reviews data adherence to carrier business rules, transfers comprehensive data that includes complete property details, photos, and sketches and underwriting information. In addition to becoming an essential component to speed up business workflow, the technology links users to their own secure MSB Express sites where users can view the detailed records and archive data for valuation maintenance and renewal processing. The records are created in MSB’s Residential Component Technology(TM) and Building Valuation System(TM) residential and commercial valuation applications.
For those carriers that do not currently have MSB Express sites, AFS offers a limited pilot program in which inspections and valuations performed for those carriers will be hosted on a secure Web site. The pilot program allows carriers to evaluate AFS’ services as well as the added value offered by seamless integration and archiving of records into carriers’ underwriting workflows.
About MSB
MSB, an MDA company, is the leading supplier of local building cost information, residential and commercial property valuation technology and services for the property and casualty insurance sector in the United States and Canada. MSB has five offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. For information, please contact Marsha Berenson, Media Coordinator, at 800-285-1288, Ext. 2828, e-mail MAILTO:[email protected], or visit MSB’s Web site at HTTP://www.msbinfo.com.
About MDA
MDA provides advanced information solutions that capture and process vast amounts of data, produce essential information, and improve the decision making and operational performance of business and government organizations worldwide.
Focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, MDA delivers a broad spectrum of earth and space based information solutions, ranging from complex operational systems, to tailored information services, to electronic information products.
MDA employs more than 2,700 people in locations across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TSX:MDA.
About AFS
Advanced Field Services is a national provider of professional inspection reporting solutions to the insurance and real estate industries. AFS is a privately owned corporation, and has been servicing the marketplace since 1996. Corporate headquarters is located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in addition to regional processing centers and satellite management sites strategically located across the US. AFS’ core competency focuses around the field inspection profession, and the company offers a wide assortment of risk reporting surveys, value-added product offerings, and technology-driven underwriting tools. For additional information about AFS and its inspection reporting solutions, visit AFS on the web at HTTP://www.afsweb.com, or contact an Insurance Solution Executive by phone at (508) 695-0572 or email at MAILTO:[email protected].
