Commercial virtual twin From engineering to commercial virtual twin

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In modern industry, virtual twins have established themselves as indispensable tools. A relatively new concept is the commercial virtual twin, which is specifically designed for marketing, sales, and after-sales purposes. This article highlights the application possibilities across all phases of the product lifecycle, as well as the associated benefits for businesses.

The commercial virtual twin is specifically designed for the needs of a product's market launch and directly addresses the phases after development within the value chain. However, it is not detached from upstream processes, but rather serves as a link between the development of a product and its use by the end customer.

Streamline the data-enriched virtual twin

Ideally, the Commercial Virtual Twin is created directly from the Engineering Twin. The basis consists of product information from the development process, such as CAD and geometry data, which are supplemented with market-specific product configurations, rules, and metadata like surface texture/materiality or color. However, the Engineering Twin features a high and complex data density to perform simulations and tests, requiring considerable computing power. To make the Engineering Twin directly usable for product experiences in marketing, sales, and after-sales, it is necessary to streamline the data-enriched virtual twin. For this purpose, unnecessary and sometimes highly sensitive information from product creation is removed for commercialization. This "lightweight" twin can be used to create product experiences suitable for websites and use on mobile devices.

Digital continuity opens new pathways

The possibilities of a commercial twin are nearly limitless, ranging from photorealistic images to animated videos, configuration catalogs, or immersive virtual reality experiences for interacting with the end product. The Commercial Virtual Twin transfers the concept from design into a new context. The digital continuity, which is becoming part of a holistic digitalization strategy in many companies, provides a procedural basis and thus an optimal framework for the Commercial Virtual Twin.

This represents an important prerequisite for connected and cross-departmental collaboration without data and knowledge silos. So why not use information that is already available from engineering? This way, market launch planning can begin during the product development process. Across all industries, the pace of development cycles is increasing, which can be a significant competitive advantage. Business platforms like the 3DExperience platform from Dassault Systèmes serve as a basis for digital continuity. They are not only a single source of truth but also facilitate collaboration across various departments within the company and with external partners.

Added values of the commercial virtual twin

Companies increasingly recognize the competitive advantages and potential that can be leveraged through the use of commercial virtual twins. With the customer perspective and "customer experience" always in focus, a product is made tangible across various channels and in all product phases.

Customer involvement from the very beginning

A Commercial Virtual Twin scores by involving internal departments and increasingly customers in the product development phase as early as possible. Interactive visual material can be created and presented directly from the engineering process. This allows clients or end customers to gain an authentic impression long before manufacturing. Complex products can also be demonstrated visually or through animation. This is particularly advantageous for explaining innovations that are not immediately apparent. As a result, valuable feedback can be gathered, and later correction loops can be reduced or even become unnecessary.

Ideally presented in e-commerce

Once a product is designed and produced, it is ready for the market at the latest. Particularly for e-commerce, the Commercial Virtual Twin plays a crucial role. In terms of public perception, it is immensely important that brands and products have a consistent appearance. The Commercial Virtual Twin contains all relevant information, including possible market-related specifics or configuration options. This ensures a uniform and error-free presentation—regardless of region, retailer, and sales platform. While the Commercial Virtual Twin itself should not have deviations from the actual product, it is all the more important to set it in the right context. Depending on product and brand positioning, it must be defined in what environment it will be depicted in advertising media. For instance, should a car be presented in an urban city or is a mountain landscape more appropriate? Which season should dominate? This allows websites, images, or catalogs to be created in a way that is both uniform and individual. New AI-supported methods can also make a valuable contribution to personalization.

Immersive shopping experiences

Due to competition in online retail, it is crucial for companies to distinguish themselves from other providers. Personalized and interactive shopping experiences make this possible. Instead of just viewing a product on a screen, a potential buyer can, for example, experience it in three-dimensional space and virtually touch it. In spatial commerce, the possibilities of digitalization are exploited much more extensively than in conventional online shopping. This way, the product can be made experienceable with augmented or virtual reality in a completely new environment. This leads to a better perception of the properties, which can also positively impact the return rate later and thus additionally improve sustainability metrics.

Optimization through user data in after-sales

Once the purchasing decision is made and the product arrives at the customer, it enters the next phase of the lifecycle. The usage phase of a product is becoming increasingly interesting for many companies, as individual usage data can provide insights into maintenance or the optimization of future products. This allows a previously uniform Commercial Virtual Twin to become a highly specific Operational Twin that reflects the individual, actual used product. This is more common in B2B scenarios such as machinery fleets and industrial plants. For end customers, such applications are still very rare in practice due to data protection regulations. In the future, however, Operational Twins for end users could provide interesting insights within a product app: How has the product been used so far? How can usage behavior be adjusted to ensure it lasts as long as possible?