Digital transformation in manufacturing : Proposing a model for digital twin implementation

Abstract: Purpose – Digital twin (DT) is one of the promising technologies within the industry 4.0 umbrella. However, for manufacturing companies, the implementation of DT is a challenge due to the limited knowledge of its drivers and barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the main drivers and barriers when implementing digital twin (DT) in a manufacturing industry context. The purpose is fulfilled through three research questions. The first question investigates the drivers and barriers. The second question investigates how a visualization model can be developed to assist managers. The third question investigates which actions should management take to ensure successful DT implementation.    Method – The research methods in this study are a case study and a structured literature review.  The case is a large manufacturing company that has explicit plans for DT implementation. The data collection techniques consist of interviews and a focus group. The interviews enrich the data from the structured literature review. The focus group was used to find actions that management must take into consideration for DT implementation.  Findings – The findings of the structured literature review were grouped into three drivers and three barriers. The drivers are feasibility, flexibility, and optimization; while the barriers are system and process composition, data and information flow, and labor. It was found that after overcoming some barriers, they can become a driver.  Implications – The theoretical implications are gathered important factors to consider when a manufacturing company want to transform digitally and implement DT. Not only the technicality, but also what management should consider. The practical implications are how a manufacturing company step by step can follow the provided model to minimize the effects on common barriers by incorporating drivers. From the societal perspective, the model presented in this study can support companies with DT implementation which will lead to more controlled manufacturing. For more details of how applicable the results are for different companies and industries, further research needs to be conducted.  Limitations – The study is limited to the manufacturing function, and therefore it does not investigate drivers and barriers from other functions such as product design, among others.  Keywords – Decision making, Digital transformation, Digital Twin