WorldsView, a value-added distributor of Autodesk solutions across Africa, is now offering the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector a digital twin technology platform, Autodesk Tandem. With this solution, AEC specialists can embrace digital transformation and will benefit from the data insights and improved performance it affords them, as well as enhanced project ROI.

The cloud-based Tandem software produces a digital reference model of any building (or bridge or road), incorporating BIM data that includes design, construction and service data. The reference model becomes a dashboard for the project and a database of its assets, making it possible to track, manage and maintain these assets over time. The model is responsive, automatically updating as data is supplied. On project completion, the data-rich digital replica is handed over to the project owner, accelerating operational readiness.

Tandem offers simulation and predictive modelling capabilities, based on real-world conditions of the building and its environment, thus reducing risks and cutting project costs. Tandem’s facility templates enable project teams to specify the owner’s data requirements upfront, ensuring data delivery is standardised and consistent. It also enables project teams to collaborate easily, to view progress (and asset performance), historically or currently. This seamless collaboration functionality enhances both efficiency and productivity.

Before the advent of digital twin technology, the management and integration of different data sources was a challenge for AEC project teams, sometimes resulting in inefficient workflows, costly errors and delays. Project handovers involved the lengthy process of converting large volumes of analogue project data (from different silos) into a single digital format. Using this method, a significant volume of data was wasted – never incorporated into the handover.

“Digital twin technology is already used in manufacturing as well as the oil and gas industry, where it has demonstrated that it can improve the management of production and drive efficiency. The introduction of Autodesk Tandem, designed specifically for the AEC sector, will bring a host of benefits into the make-build space,” says Chelsey Turner, infrastructure segment leader, WorldsView.