Hexagon outlines a four-pillar framework to help you short-cut the benefits of digital transformation and improve the availability of information critical to capital project success
Pillar 1: Digitise the operational process
There are two primary components to digitisation - digital twin creation and the digital thread link.
A digital twin is a digital representation of a product or system that mimics a company's conditions based on real-time data to aid decision-making through real-time simulations.
Digital twins can help key stakeholders gain end-to-end transparency on all sides of an organisation to overcome expected and unexpected challenges. They ensure asset information integrity, increase plant availability and reduce operational risks.
On the other hand, a digital thread is a continuous stream of data that flows throughout the product development lifecycle. The goal of digital threads is to represent digitisation and traceability throughout a product's lifecycle. They connect all of the capabilities of the digital twins, such as the designs, performance data, product data, supply chain data, and software used to create the product.
Pillar 2: Connect operational data
This pillar entails connecting operational data via digital thread to improve visibility and efficiency. Connecting operational data optimises decision-making processes, reduces errors and increases collaboration, allowing agile cross-functional teams to be realised. The types of operational data required in the lifecycle of an asset included those that enable effective supply chain optimisation, such a planning, procurement or acquisition, use, maintenance, and disposal.
Pillar 3: Protect Your digital investments
Digital transformation expands the attack surface, giving cybercriminals more entry options into a private network. These vulnerabilities facilitate unauthorised access to intellectual property, and personal employee information, jeopardising the safety of your most critical company assets.
Establishing and maintaining digital trust is an increasingly important component of a successful digital investment. A cybersecurity solution should operate harmoniously with digital transformation initiatives to achieve digital trust with customers and potential partners.
Pillar 4: Promote Collaboration
Internal communication is essential for inter-team collaboration, but, unfortunately, 60% of companies don't have a long-term internal communication strategy.
By connecting all teams to a single digital thread running across the breadth of an organisation, communication barriers between internal teams, stakeholders and assets are completely removed, resulting in enhanced collaboration in all communication directions, including:
• Internal upward
• Internal downward
• Internal lateral
• External lateral
Final Thoughts
By implementing this four-pillar digitisation framework it is possible to accelerate an enterprise-wide adoption of digital transformation and the competitive advantages that follow.
Hexagon is a leading solution provider that understands the challenges of asset management across complex capital projects. To discuss digital transformation options that suit your unique asset lifecycle requirements, contact Hexagon today.
