HOW TO MAKE YOUR DIGITAL TWINS A REAL ASSET

You quality assure physical assets. Why not their digital twins?

Millions of decisions concerning the design, construction and operation of real-world assets will be taken based on their digital twins. Some digital twins in the oil and gas industry represent a simple component. Others span entire facilities. The risk is that digital technology may not in itself guarantee higher returns.

A physical oil and gas asset is designed and built to perform to the highest standards. It must go through rigorous assurance processes to meet regulatory requirements, and company and/or industry standards. In contrast, there is no requirement for an asset’s digital twin to obtain the same quality seal.

Get your business needs in the drivers seat

The promise of digital possibilities can often drive decisions to buy digital twins instead of business needs. This can result in an incorrectly specified digital twin. Problems can also emerge during operation if the digital twins are not adequately maintained and updated as the real-world asset evolves.

Ensure that your infrastructure and organization is prepared and adaptable

There may be technical challenges arising from the digital twin’s infrastructure environments and the quality of the data it utilizes and produces. Finally, the organization needs to embrace a new way of working. Effective change management will ensure that the organization can develop and maintain the digital twin over its lifetime.

When investing in digital twin technology, you need confidence that your digital twin will meet the business’s needs and provide a return on investment. You need certainty it will evolve alongside its physical sibling. You need your stakeholders on board. You need a plan.

Supporting your digital twin journey

Building on a series of best practices, DNV can support you in your digital twin journey, covering inception, operation and evolution. By combining 2 decades of experience in qualifying thousands of pieces of hardware with in-depth data science expertise, we help you scope, build and maintain your digital twins.