Unpacking how virtual twins offer the systems thinking, traceability, and predictive insight needed to overcome complexity and deliver predictable outcomes.
In the Nuclear and Power sector, the execution of capital projects has long been a complex and challenging endeavor. For decades, Owner Operators (OO), Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), have turned to digital twin technologies as a solution to manage the intricacies of these mega-projects. However, despite the widespread adoption of digital twins, the industry continues to grapple with persistent issues executing capital projects such as cost overruns and scheduling delays. This paradox raises a critical question: Why haven’t digital twins delivered the transformative project outcomes expected?
The Limitations of Traditional Digital Twins
Digital twins have undoubtedly revolutionized information management in capital projects. They excel at handling the vast amounts of information generated throughout a project’s lifecycle, from initial design to final commissioning. This data, both structured and unstructured, comes from a myriad of sources and poses significant management challenges. However, the industry’s focus on information management has proven insufficient to fundamentally change the trend of poor project performance. According to a EY report “Spotlight on power and utility megaprojects – formulas for success”, 64% of Power and Utility megaprojects still experience schedule delays, and 57% suffer cost overruns. While managing information is crucial, it represents only one facet of the multidimensional challenge that capital projects present. The complexity of these projects extends far beyond data, requiring seamless continuity across critical elements, such as requirements management, change management, configuration management, risk mitigation, performance tracking, communication, collaboration, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and cost control. Unfortunately, traditional digital twins often fall short in providing this necessary continuity, with 56% of organizations reporting a lack of digital continuity across systems and processes, according to a Capgemini Research Institute report. This highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to managing the complexity of capital projects beyond information management.
The Case for Virtual Twins
Enter virtual twins – Dassault Systèmes has pioneered the use of virtual twins to solve complex challenges across industrial sectors. Unlike traditional digital twins, virtual twins provide a comprehensive framework that addresses product, people, process, assets, data, and know-how, enabling a holistic approach to managing complex, large-scale endeavors. This approach encompasses the entire ecosystem of a capital project, including its intricate web of interdependencies. By leveraging virtual twins, companies are empowered to tackle industry challenges differently, enabling them to solve complex problems in innovative ways and deliver superior outcomes in project execution and delivery.
- Leveraging Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE): Virtual twins use MBSE to create a robust framework for system design and analysis, enhancing understanding of interactions and requirements. This integration allows for effective management of project complexity by representing and analyzing system components throughout the project lifecycle.
- Achieving Greater Digital Thread Continuity: Virtual twins create a persistent digital thread across the asset lifecycle, enabling end-to-end traceability from requirements to evidence. This supports rigorous conformity assessments, streamlining regulatory compliance and licensing processes.
- Simulating Dynamic Scenarios: Virtual twins enable teams to model “what-if” scenarios, offering insights into potential outcomes before decisions are finalized. This capability allows teams to explore strategies and anticipate challenges, leading to informed decision-making and optimized planning.
- Enabling Multi-modal Communication and Collaboration: Virtual twins create a shared platform environment where project teams, stakeholders, and partners can interact in real-time, improving communication across the ecosystem to drive better alignment and understanding of project goals.
- Delivering Predictive Insights: Virtual twins use data science and AI to predict potential problems, allowing for proactive problem-solving. This predictive capability helps identify risks early in the project lifecycle, allowing for timely interventions that can prevent costly delays or overruns.
- Ensuring End-to-End Governance: Virtual twins adopt a holistic approach to managing complexity, enabling robust governance of all project aspects to control change, configuration, risk, performance, cost, and quality with greater precision throughout the lifecycle.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Capital Project Execution
As the industry continues to evolve, the adoption of virtual twins is poised to become a key differentiator for companies seeking to excel in capital project execution. The technology’s ability to manage complexity – not just data – will be crucial in navigating the challenges of increasingly sophisticated and large-scale projects.
Forward-thinking executives should consider:
• Applying a “MBSE” approach to de-risk capital projects and ensure predictable outcomes
• Driving end-to-end governance throughout execution to enable predictable cost
• Leveraging AI insights to forecast risks and enable proactive mitigation for predictable delivery
• Implementing virtual twins across the project lifecycle to drive continuous improvement
By embracing virtual twins, Nuclear/Power can position themselves at the forefront of innovation. The potential for improved efficiency, reduced risks, and enhanced stakeholder value is significant. This technology empowers organizations to approach complex challenges with a fresh perspective, leading to innovative solutions and superior project outcomes. As we look to the future, virtual twins may well be the key to unlocking better outcomes, ultimately ushering in a new era of success in capital project execution.
1. EY. (2016). Spotlight on power and utility megaprojects – formulas for success.
2. Capgemini Research Institute. (2022). Digital Twins: Adding Intelligence to the Real World.