Developing a Framework for Scoping Digital Twins in the Process Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

The process of scoping Digital Twin projects can prove to be daunting for process manufacturing companies, given the novelty of the concept and the broad range of technologies upon which it is built. The current literature lacks research on the process of scoping Digital Twins in a process manufacturing context. The present paper addresses this gap by introducing a framework for scoping Digital Twins in the process manufacturing industry. The framework is based on the existing literature and on the experience gained at an international process manufacturing company. The proposed framework is designed to address the key challenges that companies in the process manufacturing industry need to face when scoping Digital Twin projects. Therefore, the framework is structured into four points: (1) Identification of key stakeholders and their requirements, (2) Building blocks definition, (3) Selection of asset to twin, and (4) Use cases development. By addressing these points, the time and resources required to develop a Digital Twin can be significantly reduced.