Pictured are Herrat from Optimo, Vesa Miekkarinne on the left, Risto Puustinen on the right.
Helsinki University Hospital Transitions to Data-Driven IT Asset Management – Targeting Millions in Annual Savings
Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), Finland's largest healthcare provider and one of Europe's leading university hospitals, manages over 30,000 endpoints and tens of thousands of peripheral devices using the Optimo DUX solution. This implementation represents Europe's largest indoor positioning-enabled IT asset management solution.
Calendar-based device replacement cycles have been replaced with real-time telemetry and AI-driven decision-making. Device lifecycles can now extend from three years to as long as six years, significantly reducing both acquisition and maintenance costs. Data collected throughout the entire lifecycle guides decision-making.
"The HUS project demonstrates how strategic, data-driven IT asset management delivers more than just cost savings. The solution supports sustainability considerations and cybersecurity management. Carbon footprint can be tracked, and procurement decisions can be made based on data. This makes IT asset management more strategic than usual," notes Optimo's Sales Director Risto Puustinen.
Read HUS's reference story below →
HUS Digitizes Endpoint Lifecycle Management: Savings in the Millions, Better User Experience, and Greater Sustainability
Over 30,000 endpoints, tens of thousands of peripheral devices, annual device procurement in the millions of euros, and a critical role in enabling operations for Finland's largest wellbeing services county. By any measure, HUS's endpoint lifecycle management is a massive operation – and therefore also a significant development target.
When the goal was set to achieve longer lifecycles, better quality, more controlled operations, and more sustainable practices, the decision was made to build a new model for endpoint asset management. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Optimo Systems were selected as partners. The result is a modern endpoint management solution that leverages data-driven leadership, artificial intelligence, and lifecycle thinking to deliver measurable benefits economically, operationally, and environmentally.
An Up-to-Date IT Asset Registry is the Backbone of All Endpoint Management
In HUS's IT services, endpoint asset management is a central part of the service portfolio. It provides knowledge of the devices and software in use, their locations, and who uses them – enabling efficient and timely service delivery.
Previously, collecting and updating device registry data was primarily done manually by local support. Information was supplemented from separate management systems that provided snapshots of the technical condition of devices. The Help Desk also participated in maintaining information during customer service interactions when handling user support and service requests.
The currency of the device registry is not only a prerequisite for smooth operations, but it also has a direct financial impact. Because the device registry serves as the basis for internal service billing, even minor data errors resulted in customer complaints and correction work. The need for up-to-date, reliable, and automatically updated information was a clear starting point for the entire development effort.
"At HUS's scale, manual device registry maintenance is extremely challenging and prone to human error. There is a lot of information to collect from devices, and some of it is not unambiguous or easily deduced. Additionally, data updates can be delayed if changes are not reported. This leads to errors and extra clarification work. It quickly became clear to us that adding instructions or human labor was not enough. Improving the reliability of the device registry required more advanced solutions that automate data entry and maintenance, while significantly improving data quality," explains HPE Service Manager Marko Malinen.
Goal: Data-Driven, Intelligent Lifecycle Management
Before the renewal, HUS managed endpoints primarily on a calendar basis, replacing devices every three to four years. HUS understood that simply buying new devices or cutting support services would not provide a sustainable solution. An entirely new approach was needed, combining real-time data, AI-based analytics, and predictive decision-making.
"For IT Asset Management to truly support organizational goals, improve financial performance, reduce risks, and promote sustainable development, broader and more accurate information about endpoint lifecycles is needed, along with measured data on their use. Most importantly, we need experts who can leverage the information from systems, analyze it, and integrate it into daily work in a way that creates value across all of HUS," says HUS ICT Production Director Risto Laakkonen, and continues:
"AI doesn't work without fuel, and in our case, that fuel is the organization's own data. At HUS, we have approximately 30,000 workstations, which generate a massive amount of information that no individual human can effectively process or utilize. That's why we need AI, but also human intelligence – planning, ideation, and the ability to turn data into insights and action."
"To select sustainable and fit-for-purpose devices, measured information is needed, along with the expertise to utilize it throughout the entire lifecycle. This enables significant annual savings without compromising quality or user experience," adds HUS Head of DTE Services and Information Systems Manager Carita K. Mattsson.
Experts, Processes, and Technology Created the Foundation for the New Operating Model
HUS's endpoint asset management development project brought together experts from a wide range of service areas. As the project progressed, it became clear that successful operations require a cohesive team of experts whose core competency includes endpoint lifecycle management and the ability to utilize measured data as part of daily work.
Process renewal focused on automating device registry data creation and maintaining currency, which was essential, particularly for the reliability of internal service billing. At the same time, HUS's procurement and recycling processes were developed. In procurement, the emphasis shifted from individual orders to analyzing complete systems, and in recycling, usable devices are evaluated before being reused or stored. This enables workstations to be recycled internally more efficiently, thereby eliminating the need for unnecessary new device purchases.
Optimo Systems' DUX was selected as the technology solution and was comprehensively integrated into HUS's ecosystem. Agent software installed on workstations collects real-time telemetry data on performance and peripheral devices, as well as other metrics. Together with IndoorAtlas's indoor positioning technology, the physical location of devices can be quickly determined, facilitating maintenance and exception handling. The scope of the implementation is exceptional even on a global scale, and it required no separate device installations in HUS facilities.
Advanced data analytics and AI enable not only the prediction of maintenance needs and end-of-life, but also the safe extension of the lifecycle. In the future, AI can automate the creation of support requests and independently initiate service processes, making operations even smoother and more proactive.
"To achieve lasting benefits in such a comprehensive system, you need the right people, the right tools, and a clear process. It has been important to us that decisions are not made based on gut feeling or assumptions, but on objective, measured data. And that this information truly guides work at the day-to-day level. Only then can you achieve economically and operationally impactful results," says Carita K. Mattsson, and continues:
"With this information, we can target actions to the right devices at the right time. We no longer replace devices based solely on a certain age or just to be safe, but when it is justified."
Million-Euro Savings and Better User Experience
The project results have been visible at HUS quickly and concretely. Device lifecycles have extended to as long as six years, nearly double the previous practice. At the same time, costs have decreased significantly – on an annual basis, we're talking about savings in the millions of euros.
User satisfaction has also improved, as device condition can be monitored in real-time, failures can be predicted, and replacements can be targeted to actual needs. Overall, operations have become more proactive and efficient. Resources are now allocated where they provide the most benefit.
Longer lifecycles bring benefits not only economically but also ecologically. Fewer device replacements mean less electronic waste and a smaller carbon footprint.
"This is not just a technical renewal – this is a strategic change. Data-driven leadership now extends to the device level," states Carita Mattsson.
Development Continues – Toward a More Intelligent Endpoint Environment
HUS is not standing still after a successful project. In continuing to develop endpoint management and IT assets, the goal is to leverage automation and AI even more deeply. Plans include new automated processes that enable the IT system to utilize AI to create support requests, initiate resolution processes, and, when necessary, assign the correct device to the right user without manual intervention.
Additionally, recycling and reuse processes are to be further developed from a sustainability perspective, so that usable devices are returned to service as efficiently as possible in the right place – or properly recycled.
At HUS, intelligent endpoint management is viewed not merely as a technical project but as a strategic enabler that supports the entire organization's productivity, quality, and sustainability.
"This development project is also a reminder that the same principles still apply – no system brings benefits by itself. The most important thing is to ensure that the organization has the right capabilities to leverage new solutions. AI-powered software is rapidly becoming commonplace, so we must dare to look outside our own bubble with open eyes and be ready to change," sums up Carita K. Mattsson, HUS Head of DTE Services and Information Systems Manager.