part of
DP Survey Group
Marine Liaison department
Providing a unique and unparalleled liaison service to customers around the world is part of our DNA. Since the early 1990s, DPS has been a pioneer among experts in offering a one-stop-shop.
We were the first to open private survey companies in all of the former Soviet republics, combined with a central point of contact at our headquarters. Over the course of two decades, the international DPS network has expanded to all five continents and offers the highest quality in a uniform manner and regardless of the location and type of survey and the nature of the claim. DPS works with partners in more than 156 countries, all of whom are trained in DPS’s high quality way of working.
Understanding the issues and uncertainties faced by international insurers, brokers and traders, DPS has established this global network of experienced experts. The concept of centralising investigations has been generally recognised by our client base and around 6,000 cases are handled annually through the DPS central desk in Antwerp, Belgium, and since 2016 also through the DPS AFRICA liaison office (Dakar, Senegal), as well as in our liaison offices in Asia (Shanghai), the United States (Houston), Spain (Bilbao) and France (Paris). All these offices are staffed by DPS’s own, local people. They know the local market, local practices, and local urgencies.
To ensure that all our correspondent surveyors meet DPS’s high quality standards, candidates are thoroughly vetted and undergo a probationary period before being appointed as a DPS partner. In addition, our partners are regularly visited and a DPS conference is held each year to ensure that performance levels and reporting are maintained to the required standards.
In recognition of our achievements, many of our partners have also been nominated as AIMU, CESAM and/or Lloyd’s agents.
In this diverse, multicultural context, the International Coordination Desk was established to facilitate communication with this wide network of qualified surveyors. All investigations are organised, coordinated and closely monitored by our International Coordination Desks (Antwerp, Dakar, Shanghai, Houston, Bilbao, Paris). These Coordination Desks consist of experienced and multilingual file managers, each responsible for a specific region of the world.
The claims coordinator ensures that all surveys are properly organised, carried out and reported in a consistent, high quality and timely manner.
We have gained a lot of valuable international experience from the large number of claims and prevention surveys we have carried out over the last few decades, which we are happy to share with you.