The construction and asset management industry faces a new transformative era as the digital twin market races towards an estimated 110.1 billion dollars by 2028 [1]. Digital twins will create data-driven environments that make assets more efficient, more sustainable, and create positive feedback loops of iterative improvement.
To succeed we must address several critical challenges to harness their groundbreaking potential. Here is a look at the key pitfalls teams may experience when trying to enter the digital twin arena.
The Pitfalls
1. Mass Confusion
There is often confusion about what constitutes a digital twin. A point cloud, for instance, is not inherently a digital twin, although it can be part of one. A true digital twin must include a feedback loop of information between the physical and digital worlds, autonomously updating to reflect the asset's state and enabling informed decision-making. If there is no feedback loop or data analysis, then there is no digital twin.
2. One-Size-Fits-All Fallacy
Given the bespoke nature of each asset and project, a universal digital twin platform is impractical. Effective digital twins must integrate IoT (Internet of Things) sensor data, model geometry, historical and predictive data, AI, and data pipelines. Teams must be flexible and creative in adapting solutions to their specific needs. This means a digital twin might not always fit inside an organization’s technology stack, but the rewards of a successful digital twin outweigh these inconveniences.
3. Modeling the Model to Death
As BIM/3D models evolve, the complexity can become a hindrance if not aligned with the digital twin's purpose. The model should be tailored to the digital twin's function, avoiding unnecessary complexity that could slow down performance or obscure data. This will lead to additional time and effort in preparing the model geometry for digital twin use. Users who rely on the digital twin for daily tasks will quickly abandon the process if their experience is slow and unresponsive.
4. Money Changes Everything
Estimating the cost and value of a digital twin is challenging and depends on its complexity, data requirements, and how asset managers utilize the twin. True value is realized when the digital twin collects, analyzes, and acts on data to improve asset management and efficiency. Digital twin value is only quantifiable when the asset is operational, and when teams begin utilizing the data it generates.
5. Disregarding the Data
The success of a digital twin hinges on quality data and the analysis of that information. Accurate, timely data and effective decision-making based on this information are critical. Without this, the digital twin cannot provide meaningful insights or improvements. Continuous data collection from a digital twin allows teams to deploy trend analysis tools like machine learning algorithms to better find cost savings. Data standards, management, and planning are all critical aspects that must be solidified to create exceptional digital twins.
How to Win:
Be consistent in your messaging about digital twins. Educate those around you by being clear about the characteristics that must be present for a true digital twin to exist.
Innovate and collaborate in software your team may not be familiar with. Explore unique solutions, processes, and software to find the best fit for your project.
Model with a purpose and look towards simplification. A digital twin model is not a fabrication model, reduce where you can.
Build value. Understand what your digital twin is being developed to achieve, and work towards those goals. Goals inform the framework of the digital twin and ensure your project teams can extract as much value as possible.
Act on the data. A digital twin is only valuable if it creates an asset or facility that runs more efficiently. Your teams need to be confident that the data in your digital twin is accurate and trustworthy, otherwise they will start ignoring it.
Teams that stay agile and collaborate effectively can fundamentally change the industry and the built environment around us all. There is no better time than now to jump into the ring and start innovating.
Source: 110.1 billion dollars by 2028.