Digital twins have the potential to unlock innovation—especially when leveraged correctly within a larger digital transformation strategy. They can be used across a range of industries and in a variety of ways. Here are the top 3 digital twin use cases.
First, What Is a Digital Twin?
A digital twin is a digital replica. It is an as-built and as-maintained history of a specific item, whether that be a physical product, process, or place. These virtual representations help organizations solve a variety of challenges.
Why Use a Digital Twin?
Implementing a digital twin strategy provides numerous benefits across industries. It supports:
- Increased productivity
- Greater product quality
- Decreased time to market
- Improved supply chain resiliency
- Happier customers
Want to learn more about the benefits of implementing a digital twin strategy?
Digital Twin Use Case #1: Engineering
Digital twins can assist engineers once their products have been released into market. Data can be gathered from these real-world deployments to understand what is working (and what is not) with these products. This information is then used to understand overall product usage and to refine the product for the next iteration or release.
For example, automotive designers can create a digital twin of each car that is released in a line. If, over time, there appears to be a consistent issue among this release, the issue can be pinpointed quickly, and action can be taken earlier. Depending on the severity, it can be as simple as applying a software patch between routine services. If the problem is more extensive and a recall is needed, using digital twins makes it possible to find and remediate the issue faster, limiting costs and mitigating damage to the brand’s reputation.
Digital twins make it possible to detect issues sooner, resulting in faster and less costly solutions.
Digital Twin Use Case #2: Manufacturing
Digital twins can significantly increase visibility in the manufacturing process. For distributed manufacturing organizations, it can be hard to truly understand what is happening on the factory floor. Using digital twins can provide more insights than any human observer and, with that, significantly increase operational efficiency. Digital twins answer questions like:
- Is the workload evenly distributed?
- Is the machine performing optimally?
- Is a bottleneck forming?
Digital Twin Use Case #3: Lifecycle Services
Digital twins can also be used for predictive maintenance and repairs. Instead of working around unplanned downtime from machine breakdowns, predictive maintenance guided by digital twins ensures equipment is running optimally to prevent major issues from occurring. Technicians can use digital twin technology to see exactly how, when, and by whom machines are being used. This same data gathering technique can also be used for products that have been released to consumers. Companies can use customer usage data to identify new business opportunities.
Digital twins make predictive maintenance possible and can even be used to uncover new business opportunities.
It’s Time to Take the Next Step in Your Digital Twin Strategy
Digital twins are no longer a futuristic idea—they are a valuable component of advanced digital transformation strategies being employed today. By leveraging the power of digital twins, organizations can unlock efficiency and productivity potential.
However, implementing a digital transformation strategy is no easy feat. There are tons of solutions available when taking into consideration the gamut of IoT and connectivity options. Contact us to be put in touch with a digital transformation expert who will help you find the best solution for your business.
