Systematization of Digital Twins: Ontology and Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The development and progress in information and communication technologies will transform traditional products into smart products and allow to offer novel smart services [1]. Herein, the digital twin (DT) concept is regarded as a key technology to create value with smart services [2]. Although the research and applications of DTs emerge continuously many concerns are to be scrutinized [3]. The lack of a shared conceptual framework for DTs with an unambiguous terminology [4] complicates cross-functional discussions. Therefore, a systematization of the main dimensions of DTs is proposed in the form of an ontology and a conceptual framework thereof derived. The research questions addressed in this paper are a) «Which dimensions are used to classify and structure DTs in academic literature?», b) «What are the fundamental differences or specifications within these dimensions?» and c) «How do these different specifications relate to each other?» The focus of the research is on the objective to find classification systematics that are a) representing the entire spectrum of DTs, b) universally valid in all DT related domains and c) applicable in research and practice. A systematic literature review on the relevant aspects of DTs was conducted and the findings iteratively advanced within workshop sessions with academic experts. DTs are considered as integrators of physical and digital worlds as well as internal and external value creation. Further, the creation of DTs requires per definition the use of digital data. Hence, the proposed ontology and conceptual framework for DTs include the following main dimensions to consider for every DT: Data resources, external value creation and internal value creation. The main subdimensions of the data resources are the data sources to obtain the data, the data categories and the data formats. The main subdimension of the external value creation are the attributes of the services as the basis of the value propositions, the level of smartness of the connected products and the actors on the different levels of the ecosystem. The main subdimensions of the internal value creation are the lifecycle phases of products, the product management levels and the different generations of both. The proposed ontology and conceptual framework support researchers and practitioners in positioning and structuring their intended DT activities and communicating them to internal and external stakeholders. The holistic view on the data resource dimension further allows to easily deduct the needed data for certain applications or deduct possible applications from already available data.