In the wide field that is building and facilities management, companies are always on the lookout for innovative technology that can improve and encourage commerce. One of the most exciting developments to come along is the implementation of digital twins. While facilities management software has certainly enhanced what can be done in the field, there have also been limitations.
Planning, constructing, and maintaining buildings and facilities is a complex process. Certain challenges, such as physical planning, are sometimes fraught with errors like spatial miscalculations, lack of resources, underestimating usage, and other unexpected problems that can plague the successful execution of a project.
However, it’s a new age in building and facilities management. Technology, like Esri digital twin and other programs, is leaving those dusty issues behind to build better futures through virtual modeling.
Digital Twin – What Is It?
In facilities and building management, a digital twin is a virtual replication of a physical structure. This technology falls under the geospatial category because it is a virtual tool that has analytical mapping capabilities. Whether it’s a tiny corner in a room, a window on the 20th floor, or a doorway, the digital twin provides an exact copy of it. This allows participating parties to examine, investigate and revise these spaces in real-time. This also opens up collaboration when there are multiple people or parties involved in the planning process.
What’s Great About Digital Twins?
Having access to a physical structure through a virtual model is highly beneficial for many reasons. Some of those include:
Collaboration Without Border
Virtual space is limitless space. So, using a digital twin provides access to designated parties that have internet or wireless capabilities. In the past, examining a physical site or structure would mean an individual had to visit the actual space. With virtual models, a person can be based on the other side of the globe and still have an accurate structure at their fingertips.
Mixed messages and stilted feedback barriers become less cumbersome because parties are able to communicate and collaborate in real-time.
Enhanced Safety
When someone is assessing a physical site or structure, there can be safety hazards that make the job difficult or downright dangerous. Whether it’s during a planning or building phase, safety is a key component of an ultimately successful project.
As a digital twin is a replica, companies can analyze all aspects of the space and get a firm idea of the potential safety hazards. This also gives the team a chance to address those issues because the model can be updated to resolve potential problems. When it’s time to work on the physical site, many of those challenges could have already been fixed.
