In the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, viewers hear King Arthur and his trusty servant Patsy approaching with a trademark "clip-clop, clip-clop" sound. When the duo emerges from the primordial mist, you see (spoiler alert) that the source of all this noise is not, as might be supposed, a horse. Rather, Patsy is banging two coconut shells together as the king trots about on his own two legs. The duo is getting from point A to point B in their quest, but not in the most efficient or effective way possible.
Many companies follow that script.
Equipped with buzzword mandates like process optimization and data-driven decision making, it’s all too easy to make small adjustments that sound like you’re headed in the right direction but aren’t necessarily getting you there any faster.
How do you drop the coconuts and get on the horse (metaphorically speaking)? What does it look like to use data to drive optimization in real terms? We’ve got our eye on digital twins.
Before you run away (how’s that for a deep cut Monty Python reference?) from yet another data buzzword, it’s worth another look at this practical application of machine learning and data analytics.
Digital twins are most often used to optimize physical assets and processes like manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics. Using sensors to collect data on a product, machine, or physical process, the digital twin feeds real-time data to a machine learning algorithm to test variables and scenarios faster — ultimately leading to actionable process improvement insights.
These days, we’re starting to see more businesses use digital twin frameworks to optimize and innovate non-physical business processes like accounting, HR, and marketing as well. A digital twin simulation can help you surface interdependencies and inefficiencies that might otherwise be blind spots, especially if they’re baked into your business culture as “the way we’ve always done it.”
In the quest for digital transformation, don’t settle for coconuts. Instead, let’s talk about the ways your data can carry more of the weight for you.
Get smart: If all this talk of Monty Python and the Holy Grail puts you in the mood for an old-school movie night, good news: it’s available on Netflix. And if you’re looking for a more literary scratch for your Middle Ages (ish) itch, we’re reading Cathedral by Ben Hopkins. It’s a fascinating look at the complex processes involved in constructing architectural marvels in the days before edge computing. We may handle optimization differently now, but human nature stays the same.
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