Digital twins offer transformative potential for the AECO industry; however, two main problems are hindering their successful delivery: the sector’s disconnected work processes and the disagreement between building owners and AECO professionals over their value.
By: Taylor Cupp, Vice President of Hexagon’s Building Solutions
When it comes to digital twins, a value perception gap exists within the AECO sector. 65% of building owners recognize the high value of digital twins, compared to just 47% of AEC respondents, according to Hexagon’s Digital Twin Industry Report.
This disconnect highlights a fundamental challenge. And, despite documented digital twin benefits—including improved efficiency, better problem-solving tools, reduced risk, and 80% of companies reporting a reduction in carbon emissions—the fragmented nature of building projects presents challenges. It all begs the question, what are the best ways to both initiate the creation and use of digital twins . . . and also maintain their successful implementation?
1. Mandate Digital Twins for AECO
For the AECO industry, it’s the “O”, or Operations, which not only requires a “digital twin” deliverable but also maintains and utilizes it the longest.
A successful digital twin spans the entire asset lifecycle: from design through to documentation, bidding, coordination, construction, commissioning, and operations.
However, when digital twins are not implemented correctly, creating them can feel like a nuisance to some teams. After all, digital twins touch so many areas of the project lifecycle and involve numerous stakeholders. At first, inefficiencies and silos are likely to arise.
Until the end customer, such as a facility manager or building owner, mandates their implementation, digital twins often remain as fragmented tools serving only specific teams working on specific segments of a project.
Success begins with requirements and with the roadmap outlined next.
2. Create a roadmap for your Digital Twins
New adopters often stumble by attempting to build—on day one—overly complex models that prove unsustainable and difficult to deliver and maintain.
When creating digital twins, it’s essential to engage all project stakeholders, including facilities teams, as early as possible. By bringing in the people who will use the digital twin, companies report increased usage and engagement with the investment once the construction project is complete, as well as reduced handover challenges and resistance to adoption.
3. Quality in, quality out
Digital twins rely on quality data from multiple sources, but one question that frequently arises is, “What if the data is wrong?”
Data can be particularly challenging, especially when projects involve dozens of contractors, all with differing objectives and each using separate data systems with inconsistent formats. In addition, legacy systems with limited integration capabilities that require extensive reconciliation to build the digital twin.
The most widespread solution is to ensure your digital twin is built from the best data available, captured by professionals using top-tier equipment. Working with the best gear and a professional data capture service (or a hybrid approach with professionals and self-capture) helps minimize or remove margin for error in the data entry loop, reduce lags in entry, and mitigate biased opinions. This leads to well–informed and more immediate decision-making.
The true value realized in taking a digital twin approach is that it creates a framework for unbiased and automated data entry. But the journey from fragmented BIM to comprehensive digital twins, which are optimized and maintained by operations teams, requires strategic planning, stakeholder alignment, and an ongoing commitment to data quality. By starting with appropriate pilot projects and establishing robust data integration frameworks, AECO organizations can bridge the perception gap and realize the full potential of digital twins.
At Multivista, we have over two decades of experience in reality capture, utilizing digital photography, UAVs/Drone Technology, video, self-capture methods, and 3D laser scanning. As part of Hexagon’s Building Solutions Team, we work with high-precision equipment available and can integrate the data with Hexagon solutions that can create digital twins and analyze all your date to drive efficiencies throughout the lifecycle of your project.
Call us for a demo on how to start your digital twin journey today.
