Digital Twins are an exciting new trend that has the potential to reshape the logistics industry and help us avoid potential disasters.
Forbes named it one of the most transformative trends in the modern market. But what is a digital twin? Imagine a virtual replica of an object or process that reacts and adapts to new situations in the same way the real thing would.
Imagine you have a retail store and we create an exact replica of it with the help of digital cameras, IoT and big data. Every time a customer enters the store, the replica creates a new customer, every time someone asks the salesperson a question, we simulate that interaction, and so on.
If it sounds similar to a simulation, that's because it is, with one small caveat: simulations only predict how things will go. Digital twins, on the other hand, tell us how things are and make predictions based on that information.
Imagine an IoT warehouse that dynamically creates virtual replicas of itself, replicas that a software engineer could use to run edge-case scenarios and create simulated realities based on current data.
Just as philosophers approach some of the most difficult questions using mental images and fictional scenarios, digital twins are a way to explore hypotheses without having to risk assets.
In the case of supply chain management, historical and real-time data can help managers make better decisions about replenishing goods and readjusting the distribution of products across a network. Additionally, virtual scenarios can help them prepare and adapt to crises as they happen.
It is important to note that digital twins are born from data, but they also produce data. As such, they can be used to train AIs, which can run thousands and thousands of models, changing variables each time to predict possible outcomes.
Digital Twins: Looking beyond the crisis
A proactive, data-driven approach to disruptions and crises can significantly mitigate their impact on any business. When run through an AI platform, real-time data on inventory, demand, projections, alternative supplies, alternative routes and delivery methods can help companies create contingency plans.
But digital twins can be used for more than contingency plans and emergencies. Digital twins can be used to continuously improve performance in warehouses and shipping centers, as well as in transportation, by identifying comprehensive data and combining real-time models with historical data.
Instead of running extreme scenarios, we can simulate changes to our live operations and test and evaluate the outcome before they are implemented in real life. It is a way to minimize risks when we plan to update our processes.
With the help of digital twins in combination with AI, an intelligent model for the supply chain could emerge. This would translate into the simultaneous availability of information for all partners, increasing the transparency of their supply chains.
In short, digital twins are an exciting new approach to logistics, and with the advent of massive data transmission rates from technologies like 5G and the introduction of more refined forms of IoT solutions, it appears that more realistic digital replicas are on the way. path.
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Source: BairesDev
