The independent expert office prepares neutral and impartial reports. The focus is on the valuation of investment properties for institutional customers as well as investment properties and residential properties for private individuals. Depending on the reason for the valuation, a market value appraisal or a market and mortgage lending value appraisal is prepared.

A data room offers many practical advantages. In addition to efficient and transparent business processes, the data room must meet the highest security guidelines. “The task entails a lively exchange of files (sometimes with a very large volume of data). At the same time, there is a great need for communication between the client and the contractor. For everyone involved in the project, it is important to see at any time who has received which information and when, or when which documents have been sent from client to contractor or vice versa,” says Mr. von Glasenapp. DYVE offers an audit-proof exchange of sensitive documents, exactly who received and processed which documents and when is logged.

The Q&A module and individual workflows contribute to the efficient processing and creation of analyzes, evaluations and transactions. The due diligence process runs faster because certain documents are automatically assigned to the correct contact person for review.

With many folders, a clear structure is essential. Thanks to the AI, DYVE is able to automatically assign documents to the correct folders. With configurable groups, categories and rights, users can be precisely divided and only see the documents that are relevant to them. Different release levels can also be set up for sensitive files.

“We are currently working on a large project in which we have to prepare a market value appraisal for a public property owner for 66 mixed-use properties across Germany. The project runs for at least 1 year. Afterwards there will probably be re-evaluations for a further four years”, says Mr. von Glasenapp. The due diligence and transaction of sensitive data requires strict security guidelines and encryption. DYVE offers highly secure access and all data is stored in certified data centers in Germany.

ZF is a leading global technology group in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology. With around 146,000 employees and 230 locations in almost 40 countries, ZF is one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers.

The company spends more than six percent of its sales on research and development every year, primarily on efficient and electric drives and a world without accidents. With its extensive portfolio, ZF improves mobility and services not only for passenger cars, but also for commercial vehicles and industrial technology applications.

In addition to the many practical advantages of a virtual data room, such as the efficiency and transparency of processes, the outsourcing of sensitive company data must also withstand a sufficient security concept. In M&amp;A processes, the highest level of transaction security is the most important thing, and that without exception. PMG was subjected to a comprehensive company analysis before the transaction data room was used. ZF Friedrichshafen’s in-house IT department put PMG through its paces to make sure that all safety requirements were met. With success – because no other provider on the market was able to serve the required level as extensively as PMG. <em>“It is precisely because the hosting and support of the software at PMG takes place exclusively in Germany that the cooperation is so attractive for us,”</em> says Barbara Blumenstock, responsible for M&amp;A cooperation at ZF Friedrichshafen AG, <em>“because data protection and compliance are important to our transactions highest priority.”</em>

One of the central challenges of ZF Friedrichshafen AG before using the PMG data room was the Q&amp;A processes in previous projects. Among other things, tenders with several buyers have to be dealt with. The PMG Q&amp;A module provides audit-proof and transparent support for virtual question-and-answer processes in order to support efficient due diligence. With the Q&amp;A module, all parties ask and answer public and private questions. With the bidder management function, ZF Friedrichshafen can define the respective rights of the individual involved via freely configurable groups and categories. The users can then be combined to form a group of bidders. This process is controlled with any number of release levels.

Communication between management boards and supervisory boards in sensitive transactions requires strict compliance regulations for the management of confidential documents. PMG offers ZF Friedrichshafen an HSM (Hardware Security Module); a storage location for cryptographic keys that are used, for example, to encrypt customer data. In the highest security level, the project masterkey is stored in an external HSM. In addition, it is encrypted with the passwords of the assigned users. General access by a system administrator is therefore excluded. The HSM uses extended technical measures to protect the keys from unauthorized access and data rooms can then only be maintained by administrators who are also assigned to the project. “Our requirement was that we could manage the encryption and decryption of customer data ourselves on our own systems or under our own control. PMG offered us an “on-premise” solution. This is very straightforward for us and ensures that we never have to give the keys out of our hands. An additional safety criterion that we get met by PMG,” explains Barbara Blumenstock from ZF Friedrichshafen.

Elystan Capital Partners GmbH focuses its business activities on the purchase of office and commercial real estate with added value potential.

The aim is to reposition the buildings by Elystan modernizing them and developing new, sustainable usage concepts.

Elystan intended to sell a property with over 100 tenants and a gross floor area of ​​44,000 sqm to a private equity investor as part of an off-market transaction. In preparation for the due diligence, Olaf Schlüter, Managing Partner of Elystan, looked for suitable service providers for scan and data room services.

Through a recommendation, he got in touch with Mike Riegler, managing director of the PMG and CDS group. Mike Riegler advised him on a complete solution for scanning and providing the data via a data room. “It was crucial for us to set up the data room with all the documents as quickly as possible in order to enable potential buyers to start the due diligence promptly,” reported Olaf Schlüter. “In cooperation with CDS, PMG has provided us with the best complete solution for data room and scanning. We were able to start within three days.”

Elystan had already prepared the necessary documents for the transaction and indexed them using tabs. The CDS scan team digitized around 60 folders within 3 days. The documents to be scanned also included large-format blueprints. Each document was categorized according to the index points. CDS then passed the data on to PMG for upload to the data room.

Mike Riegler advised Elystan on setting up and creating the folder structure for the due diligence process. PMG employees then uploaded the scanned documents directly to the folder structure in the PMG data room. “PMG accompanied us through the entire process of setting up the data room,” explained Olaf Schlüter. “This enabled us to set up the data room quickly without using up too many resources internally.”

A total of around 70 users from eight participating companies accessed the documents in the data room. They included the buyer as well as his advisors and service providers. On the seller side, legal and tax advisors used the data room in addition to Elystan. Olaf Schlüter uploaded additional documents requested by the buyer using the drag-and-drop upload of the PMG data room. He informed everyone about a new file by email. The attached download link led directly to the corresponding document. The buyers were spared laborious searching for the information.

In the course of the transaction, both parties decided that the property company should also be included in the due diligence. To prepare for the share deal, PMG’s support team worked with Elystan to revise the folder structure of the data room. “All changes were implemented immediately and professionally,” confirmed Olaf Schlüter.

The Q&A module of the PMG data room enables the audit-proof management and control of questions and answers during due diligence. The process can be structured using any number of stages. It is also possible to link questions and answers with individual documents. The workflow for Elystan was configured as follows: Every user on the buyer side could ask questions using the form of the Q&A module. Olaf Schlüter took the questions from the seller. He checked them and passed them on to his specialists for an answer. He checked and processed their answers before making them available to the other side. The Q&A module also enables questions to be linked to documents. “If you refer to a specific document for questions and answers, we make communication extremely easy during the due diligence process,” said Olaf Schlüter.

After the successful completion of the due diligence, all data was transferred to a data carrier by PMG. This also contains all questions and answers as well as the logs of the data room activities. The data carrier is part of the contract documents for the sale.

SHI Management GmbH is an independent portfolio and asset manager for institutional investors with a specialist focus on the market for senior real estate.

SHI wanted to sell five nursing homes with a transaction volume of 66.8 million euros for a customer. SHI quickly found a potential buyer and prepared the due diligence. For efficient and transparent communication, SHI therefore decided to use the PMG data room.

After evaluating various solutions, SHI decided on the PMG data room. <em>”The PMG data room offered us the greatest flexibility and was so self-explanatory that we could integrate external parties without any problems,”</em> explained Gabriele Escher, Head of Asset Management. <em>”We were also convinced by the attractive price-performance ratio.”</em>

PMG created the structure of the data room according to the internal filing structure of SHI, so that the employees quickly found their way around. PMG supported SHI significantly in filling the data room. Some documents, such as blueprints and files from external disks, were digitized or transferred from the CDS. This allowed SHI to concentrate on the negotiations.

A total of nine participating companies exchanged 479 files with a data volume of 2.2 GB via the PMG platform. As a cloud solution, the investors, lawyers, tax consultants and technicians involved were able to access the data around the clock and from anywhere. These are stored in the German, spatially separated high security centers of PMG. Multi-level security systems including virus scanners protect the files from unauthorized access. The transfer of information is always encrypted.

Those involved in the project exchanged data of any size quickly and easily via the PMG data room. If the seller posted a new document, the PMG data room automatically sent an information email with a download link to predefined mailing lists. So everyone was immediately informed about new files and could access them. The granular rights management of the PMG platform ensures that those involved only get access to files for which they are authorized.

For the conclusion of the contract, PMG exported all files and the folder structure of the data room to external data carriers. These disks were part of the contract documents. A complete documentation of all user activities is stored on them. In this way, SHI can prove at any time which files were made available to the buyer. If necessary, SHI could quickly and factually clarify questions about missing information.

After completing the transaction project, SHI decided to set up permanent data rooms for their 45 existing properties. More than 1 million pages with a data volume of 92 GB are currently stored in PMG’s data rooms.

When uploading a new file, the OCR recognition of the PMG data room is automatically given. Desired information is found immediately using a full-text search, even if a document has been stored in the wrong folder. The information is made available quickly and securely to the partners and tenants via information email.

Implenia AG, formerly Bilfinger Hochbau GmbH, is one of the leading companies in German building construction.

The core competence ranges from order development to planning and turnkey new construction to renovation and inventory optimization of all common types of real estate for private and public clients. In addition, control, operation and logistics complete the offer. On behalf of Kuka AG, Implenia planned and built a new development and technology center in Augsburg.

Implenia’s internal guidelines stipulate the use of software for the documented, cross-company provision of construction documents. “The more people are involved in a project, the more sensible it is to rely on a project room,” reported Andreas Tiedtke, branch manager at Implenia AG.

Implenia is one of PMG’s first customers. The company was already a pilot customer at the sister company CDS GmbH and knew it as a reliable partner. When PMG and CDS managing director Mike Riegler presented the PMG project room, Implenia decided in favor of the PMG project room.

Implenia’s IT department initially had concerns about data protection, but PMG was able to convince them of its high level of security. For the cloud solution, development, hosting and support take place exclusively in Germany. The data center is ISO 27001 certified. The PMG project room bears the seal of approval “Software Made in Germany” and “Software Hosted in Germany”.

Often over 20 people from different departments and branches are already involved in a large project. “We have to ensure that everyone has the same level of information and can access the same data at the same time. That is why we have a uniform data structure for our projects. So everyone can find their way around quickly,” explained Theodor Sprick, Commercial Senior Project Manager at Implenia. Implenia also involved external partners transparently. Project room users could easily upload large files to the project room using the drag-and-drop function or as a ZIP.  “This saves time and money,” said Theodor Sprick happily.

In addition, the PMG project room automatically sent an information email to predefined distribution lists when certain plan types were set. As a result, a uniform and up-to-date information status for all parties was always guaranteed. “The PMG project room is easier to use than other project rooms that I know,” explained Maruan Akil, Technical Junior Project Manager at Implenia AG.

In order to keep this large number of files clear, PMG created a directory structure in accordance with Implenia’s wishes. In addition, a plan key helps users to put files in the correct directory. You could only upload files that met the requirements. The project room automatically saved the files in the correct directory based on a name. In addition, users could always clearly identify the most recent file.

The PMG project room recorded all actions in the project room in an audit-proof manner. In this way, Implenia was able to find out at any time which subcontractor had received new information and construction plans.

After the successful completion of a construction project, Implenia used the archive mode of the project room for the warranty phase.

The Austrian ZIMA group has been realizing real estate projects in the entire Alpine region for over forty years. The subsidiary ZIMA Projektentwicklung Deutschland GmbH & Co. Perlach KG is planning and realizing an exclusive residential complex with 138 condominiums in Munich – the “LAO – Leben am Ostpark”.

Dieter Stähele, Technical Director at ZIMA Holding AG, was looking for a suitable solution for a transparent exchange of project documents. The KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten GmbH involved in the project advised him to use the project room and recommended the PMG project room. After a market evaluation and presentations from various manufacturers, Dieter Stähele chose the Software-as-a-Service solution from PMG Projektraum Management GmbH. “The PMG project room is uncomplicated, flexible and inexpensive”, Dieter Stähele explains his decision.

ZIMA made the planning and project bases available to all partners involved via the project room. More than 100 people such as client, architect and specialist planner accessed the documents and uploaded their work results. Including, for example, construction plans, contracts, protocols and tender documents. The company defined the folder structure according to its own requirements.

<em>”For an effective use of a project room, it is important at the beginning of the project to specify exactly which intermediate stages and plan statuses are to be set in the project room,” explains Robin Hartig, project developer at ZIMA Projektentwicklung Deutschland GmbH. “Then you exploit the full potential of a project room.”

When a user uploads a new version of a document, the PMG project room automatically archives the previous version and locks it for access. Therefore, only the current document is available to users. In this way, ZIMA prevented errors due to outdated documents.

“If I want to be sure that I am looking at the latest construction plan, I download it from the project room,” confirms Robin Hartig.

Upon request, the PMG project room also automatically sends an information email to a defined mailing list when a new document is uploaded. This ensured that everyone involved in the project was always up to date with the latest information.

Among other things, ZIMA managed tender documents via the PMG project room. For this purpose, ZIMA stored the documents on the Software-as-a-Service platform. Using the “Send information mail” function, ZIMA also made large amounts of data available to bidders quickly and efficiently via a download link. The bidders could then enter a PIN that they had received in the mail in order to download their documents immediately afterwards.

Since ZIMA manages all relevant construction documents in the project room, a cross-company, complete construction documentation was created automatically. These can later be used by the owners and facility management. “We will definitely use the PMG project room again for larger construction projects,” summarizes Robin Hartig.