The specific virtual twin sets new standards

The specific virtual twin is an important cornerstone of future after-sales service: it provides customers with an individual virtual image that is precisely tailored to the respective systems and machines. This opens up new, potentially lucrative business models for manufacturers, while customers benefit from more efficient maintenance and repair at the same time.

Innovation and change: challenges in service

Although manufacturers' awareness of the relevance of the service business is growing with its increasing turnover, this area still remains a challenge for many. The reason for this is often a communication barrier. For example, if the installation and service teams do not coordinate sufficiently with each other and are forced to work with different, isolated data, findings from the service quickly remain unused. This also slows down many work steps and leads to redundancy. The use of virtual twin solutions on an end-to-end digital data platform such as the 3DExperience platform from Dassault Systèmes can prevent these kinds of problems.

situations. It enables teams to work together seamlessly and on the same, always up-to-date working basis. This ensures complete transparency about the current status of projects at all times. At the same time, the platform promotes real-time exchange so that feedback from the service team can flow directly into development and installation.

Advantages for the service team

Some companies have already recognized the advantages of a specific virtual twin, but often still use generic versions that cannot be updated if adjustments are made in practice. The service team therefore only has the static virtual model of the machine or system to prepare for a maintenance or repair job at the customer's premises. After numerous modifications, however, this no longer reflects reality in many cases. This has three major disadvantages: Firstly, the service team may be confronted with unexpected problems on site and therefore have to improvise. Secondly, due to a lack of up-to-date data, it is usually only possible to predict and prevent breakdowns inaccurately. In addition, it is often difficult to implement forward-looking spare parts management. The likelihood of errors and delays also increases if workers have to rely on an out-of-date virtual twin as a guide. All of these points drain two essential resources: time and money.

Recognizing and exploiting opportunities

This is precisely where the specific virtual twin comes in, helping companies to optimize their after-sales service and implement it more efficiently. Many experts already see the use of a virtual twin and comparable digital solutions as indispensable for the industry. This technology has been gaining in relevance for years. A Bitkom study has shown: Industry is willing to take the next step towards digitalization. Only 10 percent of industrial companies cannot yet imagine using a virtual twin in the future. In addition, almost half of those surveyed believe that virtual twins are the basis for new business models. This potential is particularly true in the service sector, where virtual twin solutions offer many possibilities and opportunities to support manufacturers on their way to new business models, such as Equipment-as-a-Service (EaaS).

Another important factor: the specific virtual twin helps to break down data silos and network different areas of the company. Whether design or service team - with an individual 3D model of the machine, everyone speaks the same "language" and can work together efficiently and easily. Specific images also offer employees the opportunity to identify upcoming maintenance work or problems in advance in the virtual world. This allows solutions to be developed at an early stage, which means that problems can often be solved on site within a short time and machine downtimes can be reduced. In addition, product wear and tear can be planned much better, enabling companies to reorder spare parts in good time. Thanks to a specific virtual twin, customers usually have fewer unforeseen breakdowns and other delays to contend with, which increases overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Virtual twin also in training

Companies can also use the specific virtual twin of their machines and systems for employee training and development: The specific 3D model can easily be used to train (prospective) technical specialists. This gives them a complete overview of the functionalities - even before the first use in the real world.

One thing is certain: For manufacturers, the sale of a machine or system is only the beginning of a long-term relationship with the customer. The use of a specific virtual twin in after-sales service offers significant opportunities that are still often underestimated. On this basis, it is possible to support the customer over the entire service life of the machines, to optimize service assignments and, ideally, to use helpful findings from operation in the long term, for example for further product development. As technological progress continues, new fields of application for the specific virtual twin are constantly opening up: the use of new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality offer enormous potential for the industry. They help to merge the real and virtual worlds even further in the future. As a result, an unlimited number of "what if" scenarios can be evaluated in order to realize the best options in real life. It is becoming apparent that the supposed boundaries of what is possible will continue to shift in the coming years. Companies that recognize the potential of the specific virtual twin today have the opportunity to benefit from the advantages of the digital service sector just as early.