As industries become more interconnected, complex, and data-driven, the need for modernized approaches to standards development has grown in urgency. Businesses across industries are increasingly sophisticated in the technologies that underpin operations.
Two transformative technologies are emerging as game-changers: digital threads and digital twins.
A digital thread serves as a connected data framework that enables the seamless flow of information, insights, and context throughout the entire lifecycle of a system, product, or process – from its initial concept to its implementation and updates.
A digital twin is a dynamic, virtual model of a physical system, product, or process. It is used to simulate, test, and validate in a controlled, digital environment. Unlike static documentation, digital twins allow stakeholders to explore various scenarios, identify potential issues, and refine, for example, parts before real-world implementation. This process reduces ambiguity, accelerates development, and ensures stakeholder alignment.
Standards play a crucial role in the success of these technologies; without a live connection to the most up-to-date version of the standard, digital twins and digital threads cannot accurately reflect the real state of play. Meanwhile, Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools are integrating into the landscape at a rapid rate. Everyday users are ahead of the adoption curve.
There has never been a more pressing need for digital standards. What does the future hold for those organizations that don’t adapt?
The Role of Digital Threads and Digital Twins
Digital threads and digital twins represent an ongoing shift in the way businesses operate, representing the principles of Industry 4.0 which sees the integration of intelligent systems across workflows.
Digital threads and digital twins have a number of key benefits.
- Accelerated Development: Digital twins and digital threads reduce development time, allowing businesses to be more agile and responsive to industry needs.
- Enhanced Collaboration and Transparency: Digital threads improve collaboration, streamline communication, and build trust by providing full visibility into every step of development processes.
- Virtual Testing and Validation of Standards: Digital twins enable risk-free, cost-effective testing of proposed products, reducing the need for physical prototypes and speeding up the process to the final outcome.
- Full Traceability and Auditability: Digital threads offer end-to-end traceability, enabling compliance with regulatory requirements while simplifying audits and reviews.
- Continuous Improvement and Lifecycle Management: Digital twins and digital threads enable continuous improvement, allowing for faster revisions and smoother updates.
- Cost Reduction and Efficiency Gains: Digital threads and digital twins cut costs by reducing the need for physical testing, enabling faster decision-making, and minimizing amendments.
Standards play a crucial role in the success of these technologies.
Harnessing the Power of AI and Digital Transformation
Businesses and standards development organizations across industries are assessing how best they can position themselves for the future.
The systems that traditionally underpin standards development are oriented toward documents and while paper and PDFs are not going anywhere for the foreseeable, it is crucial that standards development shift from document-centric to data-centric in order to meet the demands of increasingly intelligent workflows.
Making standards accessible to both humans and machines necessitates a shift in technology systems however, it is crucial that these systems do not alienate the subject matter experts (SMEs) and instead provide user-friendly tools.
The Future of Standards
Digital threads and digital twins are revolutionizing the development of products and services across industries. From aerospace to healthcare and beyond, organizations are already reaping the benefits of digital threads and digital twins. However, there is more to be done.
For standards bodies, this digital revolution represents an opportunity to evolve and provide more relevant, real-time value to stakeholders. By embracing digital formats, enabling the integration of standards into digital workflows, and leveraging technologies that get standards developers ready for Gen AI, standards developers can ensure they remain at the forefront of digital transformation.
The future is digital, and the path to success lies in connecting the digital world with the physical one through robust, real-time standards management.
