The healthcare company Asklepios, in collaboration with the German-Norwegian AI company WAIYS and the real estate consultancy sh+, has implemented a digital application to optimise ESG and maintenance planning. For a real estate portfolio of approximately 300 buildings, this solution integrates various data points, including building, energy and condition data, as well as cost information. The aim is to support clinic management in prioritising maintenance, energy efficiency and energy source substitution measures within a defined budget.
The application, which is already in productive operation, consolidates all relevant information on a uniform data basis. This creates an improved foundation for analyses and investment decisions. Julian Schmitt, Head of the ESG Staff Unit at Asklepios, stated that for a real estate portfolio of this size, the mere consolidation of isolated Excel spreadsheets is insufficient. The new solution enables more structured data evaluation and faster identification of measures with the highest benefit within a given budget.
Mr Schmitt emphasised that by eliminating media breaks and inconsistent data states, those responsible on site are relieved of manual tasks, leaving more time for their core business. For Asklepios, the benefit for the clinics, which manifests itself in savings and more modern buildings, directly benefits patients and staff.
Comprehensive Data Integration and Prioritisation
The digital application incorporates building master data, information on energy systems and building condition, energy consumption data, and standard prices for maintenance and upkeep measures. These are supplemented by investment costs and measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs. The system's main function is to answer the management question of which maintenance, upkeep or ESG measures are priorities within a given budget.
The development was a collaborative effort: sh+ contributed the real estate, technical and ESG-related expertise, while WAIYS provided the technological platform, data processing and AI functionalities. Christian Behnke, Managing Director of sh+ GmbH, explained that the challenge with large portfolios is not the lack of data, but its distribution across different systems, formats and areas of responsibility. The goal was to link technical building information, ESG requirements and economic criteria for prioritising measures. The consultancy on ESG-compliant maintenance is understood as the starting point for continuous planning that the client can independently continue.
Future Extensions and AI Deployment
The application will be gradually expanded with additional functions. Plans include connecting further existing data sources, for example from facility management systems. Future functions comprise an AI-based chat function for natural language queries about individual buildings or the overall portfolio, as well as tools for automated strategic budget planning and reporting. The outlook foresees a stronger linkage of maintenance, upkeep and investment planning that goes beyond the mere prioritisation of ESG measures.
Marie Andrea Stenfeldt, CEO of WAIYS, stressed that the actual challenge with large portfolios lies not in data generation, but in deriving comprehensible decisions from available data. She explained that a significant amount of effort is tied up in the manual collection, consolidation and verification of data. AI can reduce these repetitive tasks, minimise sources of error and create a reliable basis for decision-making, while the final decision always remains with humans. WAIYS's technological architecture is based on specialised AI agents whose results and recommendations for action are always traceable to underlying documents and data. The platform can be operated as Managed SaaS, a single-tenant solution or entirely on-premises.