Autor: Andreas Dangl

Right now, there’s virtually no single issue impacting the mechanical and plant engineering sector as profoundly as that of the “smart factory.” In fact, according to an industry survey conducted in 2019 [1], as many as 68 percent of the respondents reported that they had already launched initial smart factory initiatives. According to the Capgemini study “Smart Factories @ Scale” [2], by the end of 2019, a third of the factories had already been transformed into intelligent factories. This article presents insight into how leveraging the advantages of a cloud-based solution can ensure that the flow of information within a network of smart factories can be managed effectively.

By definition, a digital twin is the “electronic image or mirror of a real or virtual object, e. g. a product or a logical organization”. This mirror image of an organization is useful for visibility and control, the feasible simulations, however, enable better planning und prediction. In fact, digital twin can be used for predictive maintenance, e. g. of trains or planes, and for security aspects. The digital twin of an organization (DTO) is already feasible by using an appropriate SaaS solution that builds a mirror image of an enterprise etc., establishes all processes and communication lines. It enables the management to simulate the benefits and risks of changes to the original, e. g. by creating a new business model.