Digital technologies have made significant headway in the building and construction space. This once-tech-adverse sector has largely reversed course and embraced new tools, often to great results. One of the most promising of these in the realm of facility management is spatial digital twins.
Building information modeling (BIM) has already brought digital disruption across the planning and design stages. 3D digital twins take this foundation further. As the technology grows and develops, it could redefine the future of facility management.
What Are Spatial Digital Twins?
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a real-world system—in this context, a building or complex of buildings. Unlike a simple digital model, these representations include current data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices throughout the real property. As a result, the twin updates whenever something changes in the facility.
These models can represent larger systems like value chains or logistics networks, but the building industry is largely concerned with spatial digital twins. The distinction is a spatial or 3D twin uses spatial data to represent a physical object in 3D space.
This data may include geographic surveys, site scans, original blueprints, and more. While there is no strict minimum or limit on what the information must be or where it comes from, the more data, the better. Compiling a richer dataset means the twin more closely resembles the real world, making it increasingly valuable.
Applications of 3D Digital Twins in Facility Management
Facility managers can use spatial digital twins in several ways. It can start even before construction, as some digital twin solutions can integrate 360-degree imagery into BIM models, tying the virtual and real from the beginning. In addition to providing context for architects and designers, this ensures any updates throughout the project will reflect in the twin, providing comprehensive documentation down the line.
Keeping all this information in one place makes making informed decisions about upkeep easier. The twin will show where the building’s greatest inefficiencies lie or if any structural quirks would affect certain upgrades. Facility managers can even use them to simulate possible renovations to estimate the impact on utility efficiency.
3D digital twins are also ideal as a maintenance tool. Because they connect to real-time data, they can alert managers to emerging situations indicating the need for repair, enabling faster, affordable fixes. Such predictive maintenance is possible with any IoT system, but a digital twin makes it more reliable by putting data in the context of the whole building.
That context is crucial because some predictive maintenance algorithms exhibit high false positive rates. Such errors have resulted in increased downtime and no net savings at some companies. A spatial digital twin is less likely to lead to these outcomes because it incorporates information from across the entire facility, helping identify causes of abnormalities.
Benefits of Digital Twins for Facility Management
Across all use cases, 3D digital twins have substantial benefits for facility management operations. Streamlined decision-making is the most immediate. When all the data you need is in one place, it takes less time to determine the ideal path forward for repairs, upgrades, or other changes.
Any IoT system can provide data to inform effective decisions, but real-world results require a proper understanding and application of the information. As a result, the industry faces a substantial gap—while 78% of facility managers have embraced smart building solutions, only 36% have seen measurable improvements. Digital twins can close the divide by offering a space to test actions and estimate outcomes based on this data, even when organizations lack data science talent.
Simulations in a digital twin are also faster and cheaper than physical trial and error. As a result, they make meaningful facility upgrades easier to achieve, leading to better returns on investment.
Using 3D digital twins to refine predictive maintenance likewise maximizes the practice’s benefits. Through added context, property managers can prevent breakdowns and reduce repair costs while avoiding false positives. Consequently, ongoing expenses fall, and the operational complexities of predictive maintenance become manageable. On a larger scale, such advantages mean digital twins help buildings make the most of their IoT investments.
Best Practices for Implementing Spatial Digital Twins
Of course, it’s important to put things into perspective. Like smart building technology itself, spatial digital twins require careful implementation to achieve positive results. Considering three of the five biggest barriers to digital twins are organizational—namely, lack of knowledge, low technology acceptance, and not understanding their value—changing that begins with proper education and planning.
Property firms hoping to use this technology should start by understanding where they can apply it. Digital twins need a lot of data and yield better results when paired with IoT systems, so they are only worth the investment if organizations already use smart building solutions.
Facility managers should also identify a clear use case before shopping for a digital twin platform. Predictive maintenance is a relevant application in many buildings, but some may benefit more from simulating future upgrades and renovations. Determining which is most in line with the specific property’s goals will make it easier to find an appropriate solution.
Once businesses know how they will use their 3D spatial twin, they can compare providers to find an ideal option. These decisions should factor in compatibility with existing smart building systems, IT budgets, data requirements, and ease of use. It is also essential to consider a software vendor’s record with data privacy and any cybersecurity features.
Digital Twins Unlock New Possibilities for Facility Managers
It is hard to ignore the potential of spatial digital twins for facility management. As the industry increasingly relies on smart building technology, capitalizing on these solutions will become even more vital.
Applying 3D digital twins starts with learning where and how you can use them. Once you recognize their potential and understand a few best practices, you can use these solutions to take your smart buildings to the next level.
