At the property giant Hemsö, the importance of not digitizing just for the sake of it is emphasized; instead, it is crucial to always consider how the solution can be beneficial and create value for the business. The new pilot project with Vyer, where digital twins are developed for use in operations and management, is no exception.

"I believe very much in user-friendliness. It creates engagement and benefits in everyday life," says Fredrik Hörnsten, Head of Digitalization at Hemsö since last spring.

The analog real estate industry is undergoing a digital transformation. According to Fredrik Hörnsten, 2021 will be an eventful year for Hemsö. Many of the upcoming digital initiatives focus on streamlining the company's information management from idea to management.

"There is a lot of excitement among real estate companies. In some cases, it's so under-digitized that they have drawings on paper. Now everyone wants to grasp digitalization, and there is so much that can be done; that’s why it's so fun to work with Hemsö," says Fredrik Hörnsten.

Project Overview (Digital Twins Hemsö/Vyer)

• The pilot project started at the end of November and will continue until June 2021. Vyer is developing digital twins for five elderly care homes in southern Sweden. Selected employees from Hemsö’s operations and management will actively test how their work can be streamlined with access to digital tools for information and communication on the Vyer platform. The work will result in a template for how Hemsö can mass-produce smart maps for its entire portfolio.

This is how Hemsö works to stay ahead

To drive digitalization forward, they gladly hire innovative startups.

"There are large traditional players who offer services, but they often have an older product behind them. Working with new hungry companies that focus on a specific issue and want to crack that idea is a strategy to stay ahead."

However, choosing the right technology among the jungle of technology and startups can be somewhat challenging.

"Since digitalization is at a relatively early stage, there is an entrepreneurial spirit; many companies in the proptech industry will likely come and go. It is important to keep an eye on what technology to invest in and which companies to believe in to try to achieve something long-term."

How well one manages to anchor the new technology, which can involve changing how an entire organization works, is also a crucial success factor, according to the Head of Digitalization.

"We must want to use the technology and utilize it; otherwise, it becomes worthless."

He highlights a widespread problem with many existing property systems, namely that information quickly becomes outdated if the process of updating is cumbersome.

The technology must be easy to use

Usability, user surveys, and design thinking thus play a central role at Hemsö, something Fredrik Hörnsten has brought with him from his many years as a consultant with a focus on digitalization outside the real estate sector.

"I have always been driven by the power of technology and design on one hand, and I believe in working with pilots in smaller formats to create engagement that can grow larger from the ground up," he says.

An example is the pilot project with Vyer, which involves five elderly care homes in southern Sweden, whose staff are the first at Hemsö to start working with digital twins in operations and management.

"Change must take place through people being involved and able to feel and reason. Vyer qualified based on usability and user-friendliness. The Google Maps concept with smart maps for properties is something I believe is easy to adopt," says Fredrik Hörnsten.

Nils Berglund, CEO of Vyer, looks forward to being part of Hemsö's digitalization.

"With a driven team of knowledgeable operations and management personnel, Hemsö has every opportunity to quickly enter a digital workflow," he says.

Efficient operations and management with digital tools

The pilot group in the Vyer project is already active in collecting previously scattered building information into the virtual 3D copies of the properties that are available on a digital platform.

"By gathering the information in digital twins, we hope to reduce the time spent searching for and verifying information, make better-informed decisions, and collaborate more effectively," says Fredrik Hörnsten and continues;

"The focus is on how we can create value in everyday life, not on having a fancy system where we can save all the data that I can show to management groups. Our employees should feel that they gain value from the digital – then we can take better care of our properties."

Vyer's & Hemsö's collaboration goals

• Streamline the search for information: Collect and structure relevant building information in digital twins for visual recognition by on-site personnel.

• Simplify the verification of information: Ability to see when and who added information.

• Increase employees' ability to make the right decisions quickly: With access to reliable information → ensured with user-friendly tools that create incentives and make it easy for staff to keep it updated.

• Increased customer satisfaction: Better documentation → greater ability to make decisions → faster response.

• Better collaboration: Digital tools for easy communication regarding information and cases.