How Schroders Capital Netherlands applied data-driven asset management to cut 10-30% energy usage in 12 months

Asset and property managers always seek ways to enhance building energy efficiency and improve rental products to serve their tenants and investors. Schroders Capital is no exception and has a clear vision on modern asset management. 

Schroders Capital Netherlands partnered with Healthy Workers to monitor and optimize 70+ assets, a journey that started with 13 offices from the ITC fund. Senior Asset Manager Frederick van Gulik, with 14 years at the company, shares how building data drives tenant satisfaction and sustainability goals.

Combining sustainability and hospitality in modern asset management

Frederick and his team manage a portfolio of 13 office buildings. His role is all about meeting tenant needs while focusing on sustainability and operational excellence. He shares how, right now, sustainability is more important than ever, and how hospitality has become a key part of asset management at Schroders Capital.

Frederick says, "We run each building like its own business, allowing us to focus on operational excellence. That might sound like a nice term, but what I really mean is focusing on sustainability while responding to the needs of tenants at the same time."

"It's a mix of strategic, financial, technical, and commercial management. For each part, we work with different stakeholders."

Sustainability and comfortable buildings go hand in hand, but it can be quite challenging to take care of both without having access to factual information.

The shift to data-driven asset management

Sustainability and hospitality becoming more important isn’t the only change in modern asset management. Frederick has noticed a growing demand from tenants for more detailed insights into building performance.

"Data-driven asset management has really taken off in the last few years. In conversations with tenants and suppliers, we’d often hit a wall because they asked for more insights and the data simply wasn’t there," Frederick says.

Before Frederick and his team started working with Healthy Workers, there were limited options to track building performance. The only data available came from energy invoices and year-end reports from contractors. It was a slow, reactive process and lacked precision, making it hard to show the right data to tenants.

Partnering up with Healthy Workers for real-time data on building performance

In order to meet and exceed the demands of tenants and become more sustainable, Schroders Capital Netherlands got in touch with Healthy Workers. At that time, there weren’t many solutions available in the market that supported smart building insights. The ability to monitor building performance in real time helped to improve efficiency, sustainability, and tenant satisfaction at the same time.

“Having detailed information about how buildings perform, such as energy usage opens up a whole new world. It allows for more informed discussions, especially with larger corporate tenants who increasingly demand information on building functionality, energy consumption, and the environmental impact.”

And that’s not all. Frederick also adds some of the key insights that are important for him to service tenants and decrease energy usage:

“The platform tracks key indicators like temperature, CO2 levels, and humidity, offering insights that were previously unavailable. We can now monitor each office and optimize technical installations for better energy efficiency and comfort.”

With these insights, the partnership between Healthy Workers and Schroders Capital Netherlands became two-fold. Frederick and his team gain insights into the performance of buildings to create a positive experience for tenants. At the same time, the platform gives insights into environmental metrics to optimize systems and reduce energy consumption.

Finalizing lease agreements with clear, data-driven insights

Another important benefit of using Healthy Workers, according to Frederick, is the ability to present tenants with clear, data-driven insights. This approach not only helps increase satisfaction but also builds relationships. It even supports the acquisition of new tenants.

Frederick shares a specific example of collaborating with Healthy Workers on a lease agreement: “One tenant wanted to reduce the number of floors they were renting and was considering other buildings. Their employees were complaining about the temperatures.”

“Thanks to Healthy Workers’ insights and collaboration with a new installation company, we were able to show that the building’s systems were working correctly. We monitored the building’s climate and used the data as proof to resolve the issue. Which led to a renewed contract. It definitely helped make the discussion less subjective.”

He adds that the data, reports and support from Healthy Workers have been really helpful in getting lease agreements finalized. Frederick points out that things like temperature insights, monitoring, and reporting, offered as part of the service to tenants, have made a big difference in closing deals.

So besides improving tenant satisfaction, building data helps Frederick and his team close more lease agreements. A great benefit that supports the company to increase overall results.

Saving energy and creating an ideal indoor climate

Next to tenant management, Healthy Workers also supports Schroders Capital Netherlands in operating their buildings in a more sustainable way. This all started quite a while ago, with just a single building. After initial success, the collaboration expanded. Together, we now optimize 55 assets and support 160 tenants across more than 40 cities with building insights.

By combining data from 30+ different sources into a single dashboard, Healthy Workers connects 180 million data points for Schroders Capital Netherlands each year. This integration has led to a significant reduction in energy usage and the carbon footprint.

In the first 12 months, Schroders Capital Netherlands reduced energy usage by 10-30% per building. More than 40 individual tenants now receive real-time insights into their energy consumption through personal dashboards.

Frederick gives some concrete examples.

“Healthy Workers plays a key role in how we manage buildings and what that means for tenants. We offer more than just an energy label. By adjusting building systems smartly, you can make big strides in sustainability.”

Frederick adds: “The collaboration with Healthy Workers has become an incredibly valuable tool for our daily operations. We use it for insights and also for day-to-day decision-making.”

Looking at the collaboration and the results achieved so far, we're happy we can help Schroders Capital’s ITC office fund manage their buildings and strengthen their relationships with tenants.

Future developments and the role of AI in adjusting building systems

Looking ahead, Frederick is enthusiastic about the collaboration with Healthy Workers and curious as to what future developments will look like. He specifically mentions stakeholder collaboration and artificial intelligence.

Frederick: “When we get the data and want to make changes to buildings, we’re still dependent on coordination with technical teams. I know Healthy Workers also supports stakeholder collaboration. I’m curious to see how we can be supported in the collaboration with technical teams. This will help to make portfolio management even more efficient.”

He’s also interested to see how building insights can be automatically applied: “In the Netherlands, the weather can fluctuate significantly. It would be incredible if AI could dynamically adjust building systems based on real-time weather data. This could make buildings even more energy-efficient, leading to huge improvements,” he says.

To round things off, we asked Frederick what he would tell other real estate leaders considering a collaboration with Healthy Workers. Frederick: “I would highly recommend Healthy Workers. If I were to speak to other colleagues in the field, I’d give a 3-minute summary of today’s conversation.”

“There are two key benefits of the collaboration: the ability to optimize building systems on the one hand and a massive improvement in tenant communication on the other.”

At Healthy Workers, we’re continuously working towards more sustainable real estate and are proud to support Schroders Capital Netherlands in implementing its asset management vision across the entire portfolio.

Want to turn data into business value and create sustainable real estate, as well? Book your free demo today and we’ll show you how our full-service portfolio approach would work for you.