Building a Digital Twin: The Importance of Accurate and Complete Data Handover from Builders

Asset-intensive industries like manufacturing, transportation, aviation, and public utilities rely heavily on their facilities to function efficiently and safely. As such, facility owners are increasingly turning to digital twins to help manage and optimize their assets. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical asset, process, or system that supplies real-time insights and predictive analytics to help owners make informed decisions.

However, building a digital twin is not a simple task. It is the ultimate exercise in systems integration and data interoperability requiring the weaving of virtual models, static and streaming data, and AI-driven analytics. Unfortunately, most organizations don’t have adequate data at the ready to build virtual models or compile parametric asset data, making digital twin creation cost-prohibitive or even impossible. Ironically, these data elements often are readily available as facilities are designed and constructed, but they rarely make it into the hands of the owners. This happens because many owners do not specify the digital asset data deliverables adequately in their procurement contracts, resulting in incomplete or unusable data. In addition, owners may not specify the structure of the data they require, making it difficult to integrate the data into their existing systems, let alone a digital twin.

Another challenge that facility owners face is the timing of data delivery. Typically, data is only delivered at or right before facility handover, when the entire owner organization is focused on getting the doors open. This means that integration of any valuable asset data received from the build team into an enterprise system or used to create a digital twin is likely to lag significantly behind the opening of the facility. This delay can result in missed opportunities to optimize asset performance, increase efficiency, or even just capture operational and maintenance history.

To overcome these challenges and enable the creation of digital twins, facility owners must recognize the critical importance of digital asset data handover from builders. The most cost-effective time to build a digital twin is during construction, when the virtual model and static asset data are the cheapest and easiest to get from the builder. Specifying requirements that are compatible with open standards can further drive the cost down to both acquire and integrate the data.

This concept of building the virtual while building the physical goes beyond just static spatial and parametric data. During construction, building management and control systems are also being designed and installed. These systems and their network of sensors can provide the critical nervous system of a digital twin, feeding it with a stream of real-time performance and condition data. Too often, these systems are designed, configured, and installed with a sole focus on operational controls, and the opportunity to use them for asset performance optimization and reliability is missed. Considering their role in a digital twin of the facility and, in fact, integrating them into the digital twin during design and construction provides an opportunity to use them for this purpose, once again at the lowest possible cost.

By specifying the right digital asset data deliverables and structure in procurement contracts, owners can ensure that they receive the data they need to build a digital twin that will continue to supply value for the entire life cycle of the facility. The bottom line is that facility owners in asset-intensive industries that want to reap the benefits of a digital twin future, you must prioritize digital asset data handover from builders during construction or even include efforts to build the digital twin in parallel with the facility. By doing so, they can optimize asset performance, reduce maintenance costs, and improve safety and efficiency.