The Digital Twin !

Challenge: I represent data service team and my internal customer is the manufacturing process  engineer. The process engineer is the expert in the respective domain and needs additional insights  based on the data generated by manufacturing process. In the absence of readily available visuals, the  process engineer had to do imagine what would have happened in the process at some point of time.  Due to different team members having different imagination, it was creating confusion about the real  state of process.

Selection: To have such insights within short span of time, there was a requirement of a tool that  visualizes the same process in Digital format. I selected the tool Visualization to serve my customer.  Because this is the most powerful tool in the situation of creating something that does not exist.  Visualization of the future state of process in Digital form was user’s basic requirement. Further, I  knew that the insights based on the visualization would make life of my customer much simpler.

Application: Involving the end user in visualization was most important since it was the process  engineer, who was supposed used the new Digital solution. Instead of myself designing the  visualization and later asking for feedback, I decided to use exactly reverse way of thinking. So we  drafted the User Requirement Specification (URS) document together. This document captured in  written format, all the requirements that user is seeking from the proposed solution. During our  brainstorming session, we asked all the stakeholders to draw on whiteboard how do they visualize the  process in Digital form. Different visualizations were proposed. Each and every requirement  mentioned in URS documented was verified with the proposed visualization designs. Finally the team  agreed on a particular visualization format. The format consisted of sketches, diagrams, shapes,  symbols in different colors etc. related to manufacturing process. Next, we took some photographs  from real process and stuck on the whiteboard at appropriate places. This gave sense of “close to real”  process for all the stakeholders. The Digital solution designed was a Virtual Dashboard of the process  along with the relevant data analytics at each step in manufacturing process.

Insight: There is always a sense of fulfillment when the newly created Visualization exactly depicts  what is there is our mind. I had the same experience. The process engineer was now more powerful  with added information from dashboard and could also use data analytics to make faster decisions.  This resulted in a common visualization platform rather than each person in the manufacturing having  own imagination about the process. The problem solving speed was also improved. There were lot  many insights from the visuals and the patterns in the related data, which were not visible to the  process engineer earlier.

Approach: The customer centric approach is the best way to design any Visualization that does not  exist. Creating something totally new of course requires powerful imagination and it is important that  everyone’s thinking pattern is aligned in the same direction. There is no structured way to imagine,  since imagination has no boundaries. However, by using Design thinking approach, it was important  to create right visual format depicting the real process. Using Visualization as a design thinking tool  gave us great learning experience.


The Digital Twin ! Challenge : I represent data service team and my internal customer is the manufacturing process engineer . The process engineer is the expert in the respective domain and needs additional insights based on the data generated by manufacturing process . In the absence of readily available visuals , the process engineer had to do imagine what would have happened in the process at some point of time . Due to different team members having different imagination , it was creating confusion about the real state of process . Selection : To have such insights within short span of time , there was a requirement of a tool that visualizes the same process in Digital format . I selected the tool Visualization to serve my customer . Because this is the most powerful tool in the situation of creating something that does not exist . Visualization of the future state of process in Digital form was user ’s basic requirement . Further , I knew that the insights based on the visualization would make life of my customer much simpler . Application : Involving the end user in visualization was most important since it was the process engineer , who was supposed used the new Digital solution . Instead of myself designing the visualization and later asking for feedback , I decided to use exactly reverse way of thinking . So we drafted the User Requirement Specification ( URS ) document together . This document captured in written format , all the requirements that user is seeking from the proposed solution . During our brainstorming session , we asked all the stakeholders to draw on whiteboard how do they visualize the process in Digital form . Different visualizations were proposed . Each and every requirement mentioned in URS documented was verified with the proposed visualization designs . Finally the team agreed on a particular visualization format . The format consisted of sketches , diagrams , shapes , symbols in different colors etc . related to manufacturing process . Next , we took some photographs from real process and stuck on the whiteboard at appropriate places . This gave sense of “ close to real ” process for all the stakeholders . The Digital solution designed was a Virtual Dashboard of the process along with the relevant data analytics at each step in manufacturing process . Insight : There is always a sense of fulfillment when the newly created Visualization exactly depicts what is there is our mind . I had the same experience . The process engineer was now more powerful with added information from dashboard and could also use data analytics to make faster decisions . This resulted in a common visualization platform rather than each person in the manufacturing having own imagination about the process . The problem solving speed was also improved . There were lot many insights from the visuals and the patterns in the related data , which were not visible to the process engineer earlier . Approach : The customer centric approach is the best way to design any Visualization that does not exist . Creating something totally new of course requires powerful imagination and it is important that everyone ’s thinking pattern is aligned in the same direction . There is no structured way to imagine , since imagination has no boundaries . However , by using Design thinking approach , it was important to create right visual format depicting the real process . Using Visualization as a design thinking tool gave us great learning experience .