One of the biggest requests from sourcing executives is for better predictive software. To have a more transparent view of their supply chains – from end to end – could be game changing. But to have software that can actually predict a range of outcomes or potential problems – that could be revolutionary!
The solution could be ‘digital twin’ technology, a predictive model with its roots in heavy industry. Now it’s being adapted for use in other industries, and apparel and textiles could realistically be able applying this to enhance supply chain management.
What It Is
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real time digital counterpart. it could be a physical object, or a process or workflow or anything like that. The concept of creating a digital twin started in heavy industry and typically focused on a physical asset – like machinery. However it can also be applied to a process – such as a supply chain.
How It Works
“The digital twin for heavy industry could be building an exact replica of a pump. And do the diagnostics such as putting different viscosity liquids through it. Or ramping it up on the RPM side, or lowering down. Or introducing weather events,” said John Lindsay, president of Incite Logix (USA).
“You can’t take that facility down, it stops producing and it stops making money. So you have to have a way to be able to diagnose and prepare and predict all the things that could happen to that asset without interrupting the process.”
For apparel or other consumer goods, companies could have their actual supply chain that they’re running at the moment, but could be building multiple models so that they could see if this happens, and we did this, what the outcome could be. Or if we did that, what would be the outcome? A company could be looking at multiple scenarios and impacts at the same time.
