Asset Tracking in Healthcare Facilities

Hospitals today face immense pressure. On the one hand, political and regulatory requirements call for greater efficiency and improved performance; on the other, hospitals must continue to fulfill their public service mission. At the same time, they are expected to operate on a financially sustainable basis. The ongoing shortage of skilled professionals—whether in nursing, among physicians, or in technical and administrative roles—makes it even more challenging to maintain consistently high standards of care. This underlines the demanding balancing act that hospitals must manage every day.

Digitalization has become an indispensable tool in meeting these challenges. Asset tracking significantly reduces the workload for staff by providing real‑time visibility into the availability and location of medical equipment and beds. Time‑consuming searches are virtually eliminated. In addition, comprehensive utilization data is collected, enabling detailed economic analyses that are essential for well‑founded procurement and investment decisions.

Operational processes are streamlined as well. Previously, the release of beds required a series of phone calls. Now, scanning a QR code automatically records the location and type of bed and triggers instructions for cleaning, maintenance, or decontamination. SPIE has already achieved key milestones in this initiative and is now beginning a full-scale rollout in one of Berlin’s largest hospitals. In parallel, all 260 refrigeration units on site are being digitized and seamlessly integrated into the asset‑tracking dashboard—an important and logical step in the further evolution of this comprehensive project.