Using virtual models of physical things, organizations can make smarter moves in the real world.
With business data everywhere, digital twins are coming off the factory floor. They’re moving into life sciences, retail, energy, agriculture, city management and more. They’re ready to disrupt business decision-making by creating virtual mirrors of everything from contact centers to sustainability projects. And better decisions through digital twins are showing real impact on corporate bottom lines.
With the power of digital twins coming to the fore, it’s essential for businesses to understand what these systems are, where they should be deployed, where they’re already driving results and practical considerations for using them.
Using digital twins successfully requires organizations to understand the following key points about why they work and how to maintain them.
The more data, the better. Just as human twins share intuitive connections, digital twins and their real-world counterparts should be connected via a continuous flow of data.
Define a realistic goal. By clarifying the business goal, businesses can better identify the data required to model different scenarios.
Let data stay in its databases. There’s no need to create either a central data lake or make business decisions with insufficient data and computing power at network edges.
Consider a twin’s lifecycle management. Businesses today must continuously change to keep up with new demands and developments.
Prepare to act. A digital twin will certainly reveal where and how internal and external customer- and supplier-facing processes can be improved.
As businesses gain the insights, cost savings and other outcomes that can be generated by digital twins, they’ll likely realize additional use cases. These can be bolted onto a company’s initial efforts, like interlocking blocks.
Digital twins will soon be essential tools. Companies that work with these systems today will literally see into the future and be poised to make better decisions, run smarter and identify opportunities before competitors do.
For a complete look at running a business with digital twins, read “How Digital Twins Take the Guesswork Out of Running a Business,” or contact us.
