NOVEMBER 2021CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONSEIZING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE PROJECT CONTROL IN NATURAL RESOURCES PROJECTSBy Eric Wilson, Vice President, Turner and TownsendStaying competitive is imperative for natural resources companies to sustain and thrive in uncertainty. Whilst the concept of a digital twin is not new, the advancement of technology is enabling digital transformation and the ability to drive informed decision making. A digital twin is the foundation of a digital transformation. In terms of the built environment, it is a computerized (or digital) version of a physical asset that contains sensors that collect data to represent real-time information. This can be used to optimize production, detect equipment problems before failures occur and uncover new opportunities for process improvement. In the natural resources industries, this has huge benefits in terms of maximizing productivity, increasing operational efficiencies, maintaining equipment reliability and increasingly, complying with new or updated environmental regulations.Overcoming challengesOur experience suggests there are many inhibitors for projects in the natural resources industries to start their digital transformation, and the most efficient process to deliver the digital twin, is not always adopted. For existing facilities, the lack of a single source of accurate asset information may simply just not exist. Another challenge is keeping track of all the maintenance data in one single source to allow for analytics that support preventative measures and minimize equipment breakdowns. For recently constructed assets, a 3D model may exist, but the information may not be up to date, based on unforeseen quantity growth or modifications made during construction. This creates challenges for asset management teams, often resulting in an expensive and time-consuming facility remeasurement, or when future modifications or enhancements are required, extra time is required during the planning, engineering and design stages.In these situations, asset owners have to rely heavily on the experience of the personnel who understand the facility for planning any future modifications. While this works, it presents a significant risk for owners when the experienced personnel leave the business. Implementing a successful digital twin strategy from the outsetIn aprevious article, Realizing savings: five key points for successful digital implementation we discussed the importance of clearly communicating a project's building information modelling (BIM) or digital engineering (DE) requirements early to maximize success. This is an excellent first step but when model requirements have not been previously stipulated, our clients consistently face challenges around the transparency of project information and data. This in turn impacts the ability to exercise project control during construction and to manage the asset once operational. The challenges we come across include:· Incomplete data/ attributes in the 3D model· Design allowances and quantity growth not visible at the 30/60/90 design review
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