It is time we focused on digital transformation – not just technology

Rob Kennedy, Global Director – Digital Twin Solutions, Wood

Digitalisation has the power to transform industry and deliver the energy and materials that the world needs efficiently, effectively, and environmentally. Digital twins have a critical role to play, integrating data and systems to form the asset’s digital backbone – the foundation that enables transformation across multiple departments and disciplines, through the full asset lifecycle.

In the energy and materials sectors, digital twins are at an inflection point. Over the last five years we’ve proven the technology at increasing scale and created significant expectations around its potential. However, through our work with clients globally, we continue to see repeated failures to unlock this potential, with many asset owners struggling to deliver a return on investment. This isn’t due to technology failings, but because businesses are failing to transform considering the new technology.

We clearly need to address more than just the technology to be successful. Decades of experience in integrating digital solutions on our clients’ assets has taught us that any successful digital implementation needs to address the people, process, and data aspects, as well as the technology.

Investing in people

If users do not adopt the solution, it simply won’t generate a return for the business. It’s essential to develop a deep understanding of users and their jobs so that the solution and associated processes make their jobs easier. Users must also be empowered through training and given the support they need to be successful.

Evolving processes

Trying to implement a new solution around an existing process can be challenging, and it’s important to evolve processes alongside new solutions. Updating processes to prescribe new ways of working can be a highly effective way of embedding the transformation. It’s also important to implement new processes and procedures to maintain and sustain the digital twin and the underlying data.

Improving data quality

Data challenges can manifest differently between projects and operations, however a common challenge is the absence of appropriate data standards that serve the full asset lifecycle. These standards are a critical pre-requisite to digitising brownfield facilities and commencing design. Effective strategies should specifically consider data aspects, with data gathering, management and improvement initiatives sequenced on the roadmap alongside technology implementation and organisational change.

Selecting the right technology

Digital twins serve a range of disciplines and it’s often not possible for a single solution to encompass the breadth of functionality required. As a result, a digital twin will either need to comprise multiple off-the-shelf solutions integrated together, or require bespoke development. In selecting technology, it’s important to align with the asset owner’s corporate strategy and partnerships, to maximise the scalability and sustainability of solutions. By utilising this approach to digital twin, Wood has been able to: Mitigate over $1bn worth of design risk on a Middle East mega-project Generate a 6x Return on Investment in 16 months for a major oil & gas operator Remove over 1,200 offshore days per annum in the North Sea by enabling

Work To Be Performed From Shore

To successfully implement digital twins, asset owners must start with a strategy that considers the people, business processes and value streams that will be impacted. The implementation of such strategies should encompass the users as well as the technology and required information. Only then will true lasting value realisation and return on investment be achieved.

At Wood, digital twin is just one of the core digital solutions to drive performance through data-driven insights, extend the life of assets, and accelerate the energy transition. Discover how we’re decoding digital and addressing client challenges to transform industry: woodplc.com/ solutions/digitalisation.