TORONTO, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Altus Group Limited (“Altus Group”) (TSX: AIF), a leading provider of software, data solutions and independent advisory services to the global commercial real estate (“CRE”) industry, announces its latest cloud-based applications designed to increase visibility and transparency, including valuation management platform DataExchange 3.0 and ARGUS Cloud Workflow Approval for industry-leading asset and investment management solution ARGUS Enterprise.
DataExchange 3.0 – Setting A New Global Industry Standard for Valuation ManagementAltus Group today released DataExchange 3.0, the latest version of the most comprehensive, transparent and efficient valuation management platform for commercial real estate. DataExchange, which supports thousands of users and over 8,000 assets with a combined asset value of over USD $650 billion, has now enhanced its functionality beyond the U.S. to include U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific to set a new global standard for integrated valuation management.For large global investors and fund managers, the process, volume, frequency and regulatory requirements of asset valuations can be complex and time-consuming. DataExchange 3.0 is an intuitive cloud-based valuation management platform that helps organizations efficiently manage valuation processes and mitigate risk through increased transparency, workflows and analytics. Its centralized workflow and document management system allows the seamless exchange of information, including ARGUS files, in the valuation management process between the key stakeholders including valuation management professionals, clients and third-party appraisers.“In the midst of the current unprecedented period of fluidity surrounding valuations, now more than ever investors and fund managers are looking for greater transparency and more frequent valuations to maximize investment performance,” said Rick Kalvoda, Senior Executive Vice President at Altus Group. “DataExchange delivers a significantly enhanced level of visibility and simplifies the valuation management process so that clients can spend more time understanding the value of their assets and funds.”DataExchange 3.0 provides several key capabilities including:Centralization and collaboration – facilitates seamless collaboration with the ability to store, track and review documents (such as rent rolls, plans, budgets, etc.) in one central location and efficiently access files through structured folder storage and bulk download capabilities, providing greater visibility across assets and portfolios.
 Flexible and automated valuation management workflows – standardizes valuation management processes across all of a clients’ funds, such as tracking and approving daily events occurring within the asset and review processes, and provides intuitive workflow management that automatically tracks deadlines and reduces time to initiate and complete appraisals.Enhanced visibility through analytics – presents asset trends and compares current quarter values with a robust comparable dataset that enables clients to make better informed decisions as they draft or review appraisal reports.Better compliance – delivers greater compliance efficiency through a full audit trail and embedded compliance certificate that provides required separation of investment manager and valuation functions under USPAP, RICS standards and regulation (e.g. AIFMD in EU), providing stakeholders with greater transparency into the valuation process.Integrated global platform – supports global currencies, measurement systems and time-zones and provides a consistent user-experience in all regions and markets, including the U.S., U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific, to help clients manage global portfolios with greater efficiency and visibility.“Given the volume of valuations that we receive on a quarterly basis, DataExchange has assisted us in centralizing and tracking where each report is in the process and helps us address comments or questions for each appraisal as they arise,” said Ryan DeReus, Senior Vice President at LaSalle Investment Management. “DataExchange provides greater visibility across valuations to ensure that everyone is on the same page and allows us to pinpoint issues so that informed data-driven decisions can be generated on a timely basis.”ARGUS Cloud Workflow Approval – Better Collaboration and Efficiency Through AutomationAltus Group announces the upcoming release (May 2020) of ARGUS Cloud Workflow Approval, a new capability that allows cloud-based ARGUS Enterprise (“AE”) users to better collaborate and work more efficiently through the automation of processes within AE using custom approval workflows. AE, used by thousands of CRE companies around the world, is the leading global asset and investment management platform enabling clients to model, forecast, manage, analyze and report on their CRE assets and cash flows from acquisition to disposition.ARGUS Cloud Workflow Approval enables greater user collaboration across internal and external teams through the ability to manage business process approvals for tasks associated with an AE model. From valuations to budgeting to performance monitoring, it enables users to work on the same AE data, track comments, assign specific tasks to teammates and enforce approval processes providing greater veracity of AE models. It allows users within or outside an organization to work collaboratively in one central location to streamline asset management processes and improve visibility.Future functionality will expand workflow approval for the entire suite of cloud-based ARGUS solutions in addition to AE.For more information, please visit:DataExchange: https://www.altusgroup.com/services/en-us/valuation-management/ARGUS Enterprise: https://www.altusgroup.com/argus/products/argus-enterpriseAbout Altus Group LimitedAltus Group Limited is a leading provider of software, data solutions and independent advisory services to the global commercial real estate industry. Our businesses, Altus Analytics and Altus Expert Services, reflect decades of experience, a range of expertise, and technology-enabled capabilities. Our solutions empower clients to analyze, gain insight and recognize value on their real estate investments. Headquartered in Canada, we have approximately 2,500 employees around the world, with operations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Our clients include many of the world’s largest real estate industry participants. Altus Group pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share and our shares are traded on the TSX under the symbol AIF.For more information on Altus Group, please visit: www.altusgroup.com.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:Altus Group LimitedJeff Hayward
Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications
416-234-4212
[email protected]Camilla Bartosiewicz
Vice President, Investor Relations
416-641-9773
[email protected]
Bay Street News