Digital twins: Why the real challenge is change, not technology

As organizations look to digital transformation to unlock efficiencies, reduce costs, optimize asset operations and enhance business performance, many are discovering the biggest hurdle isn’t the technology — it’s the people.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the implementation of digital twins, which are often misunderstood as purely technical upgrades rather than the far-reaching organizational change projects they truly are. 

A digital twin is a dynamic, virtual replica of a physical asset, system or process. It uses historic and real-time data to simulate, monitor and optimize performance. In the building and infrastructure sector, digital twins hold the key to unlocking greater value across the asset lifecycle. While the technology is impressive, its success hinges on how well an organization can adapt its culture, workflows and mindset to maximize the benefit.

The global digital twin market is growing rapidly and is expected to reach $149.81 billion USD by 2030, with the transport, infrastructure, healthcare and energy and power sectors leading the way. 

According to McKinsey, 70% of technology leaders in major corporations are actively investing in digital twin initiatives. Yet, many struggle to realize their full potential because implementing a digital twin is not just a technology rollout. It represents a fundamental shift in how an asset is designed, operated and maintained, how teams collaborate, and how strategic decisions are made.  

For example, operational teams must learn to trust data and predictive analytics over gut instinct. Maintenance crews need to adapt to condition-based servicing rather than scheduled routines. Executives must shift from reactive to proactive decision-making, guided by real-time insights. 

For organizations investing in digital twins, outcomes can be mixed. A 2019 McKinsey study found that around 70% of digital transformation projects fail — not because of the technology but often due to resistance to change and lack of employee engagement — and more recent research from Capgemini found that 48% of digital twin programs failed to achieve the targeted return on investment.

Avoiding this fate and successfully rolling out a digital twin that delivers long term value, requires organizations to prioritize change management.  

That means involving stakeholders early, connecting the implementation to broader business strategy early and often, and maintaining a degree of flexibility throughout. Gathering feedback often, executing changes quickly, and iteration and continuous learning are essential. 

When delivered successfully, digital twins create pathways to cost savings through better decision making, streamlined asset management and greater operational efficiency and productivity — from design right through to decommissioning.  

But these gains don’t come from the digital twin alone. They come from people embracing new ways of working. 

For organizations, the message is clear: digital twins may be powered by data and algorithms, but their success is powered by people. And that makes them, above all else, a change management project. Only when treated as such will digital twins fulfil their promise of turning data and real-world complexity into competitive advantage.