In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, digital asset management has become
a crucial aspect of many businesses. By having accurate and up-to-date information about their asset inventory, companies can manage and maintain their facilities better. Digital twins have become an integral part of digital inventory management, and they are revolutionizing the way businesses approach facility management.
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a software system giving people a digital realm within which to visit a physical asset or system. One way to create one is to collect point cloud and photo information using 3D laser scanning services and combining this with asset metadata create a virtual “mash-up” of the physical asset. The virtual twin can even be a real-time, digital simulation that provides an accurate representation of the physical asset in it’s real world condition, including its characteristics, behavior, and performance.
How are digital twins used in facility management?
Digital twins are used to allow facility management teams and their customers to virtually visit the facility. It is an incredible human performance enhancement to be able to “walk” an entire building using a computer. Digital walkthroughs have so many purposes, many of them not discovered until users start playing with it.
Digital twins can be used to track the location, metadata, and condition of inventory items. Any known piece of information associated with the item can be attached. They can be used to monitor inventory levels, track expiration dates, and identify trends and patterns in inventory data. The sky is the limit as to what type of digital information can be associated.
Benefits of using digital twins in facility management
- Remote data collection and assessment
By using digital twins, companies can do things virtually that used to require a site visit. Assessments and data collection for certain things can be done entirely from the desk now. The days of visiting the site with a pencil and paper are largely over. - Improved accuracy
Because digital twins and 3D laser scanning services provide such a reliable an accurate representation of the building, the asset count will be more acurrate. Room size and square footage will be more accurate. This leads to better space management. - Speed
The speed at which data can be collected is off the charts compared to old fashioned methods. This makes it possible to do more work in less time. - Job Satisfaction
Being efficient naturally makes ones job less stressful and more enjoyable. By having accurate and up-to-date information about their facilities, teams can be part of a team using high technology and setting examples for their peers. - Reduced costs
Digital twins can help businesses to reduce costs by reducing the need for field visits.
Conclusion
Digital twins and 3D laser scanning services are changing the way firms approach asset management. Businesses may monitor and manage their assets more closely by generating a virtual walk through of actual facilities, resulting in better collaboration, more accurate data and a happy workforce. Businesses who have not yet integrated digital twins for facility management systems should consider doing so in order to remain competitive in the market.
