In Italy, there are many SMEs in the mechanical engineering and robotics sectors that represent genuine centres of excellence, yet they often struggle to compete with companies from other countries that export products and machinery even at higher price points. The difference? After-sales service. Buyers expect to minimise, or ideally eliminate, machine downtime, which requires immediate technical support—something Italian companies are often unable to provide locally.
So, what can be done? Today, technological solutions make it possible to solve many issues remotely. A Digital Twin is a 3D digital replica of a product or machine that enables technicians and/or operators at the customer’s premises to manage and interact with it digitally, while being remotely guided and supported by the engineers and technical specialists of the exporting company. In other words, it is a “digital twin” on which highly realistic simulations can be performed. These simulations can be used to run tests or replicate a repair procedure, allowing the expected outcome to be verified in advance. As a result, the person carrying out the intervention on site can be guided remotely with an extremely high degree of precision, significantly reducing the risk of error and, above all, minimising machine downtime.
The Digital Twin for after-sales support and the creation of service tickets
The Digital Twin—which has a parallel in the construction sector in the form of BIM software used by international teams to design and manage buildings—makes it possible to provide highly reliable after-sales support quickly and efficiently, thereby restoring and strengthening competitiveness. Italian companies that have introduced this technology have achieved higher sales rates and, above all, have been able to outperform competitors that had previously held a significant advantage precisely because of their after-sales service.
Furthermore, the Digital Twin allows a company to demonstrate its technical expertise and create additional value in the eyes of the customer. In some cases, after-sales support can even be monetised through service tickets charged separately from the products or machinery themselves, generating additional revenue and giving the exporting company a powerful customer-retention tool through the sale of multi-year service packages.
All of this can be achieved with investments that are entirely affordable for an SME—essentially software-based solutions—which can be scaled over time. It also opens up the possibility of developing a new service line whose added value for customers is more than proportional to the effort required from the exporter. Without a Digital Twin, it is not uncommon for companies whose business models rely heavily on engineering and robotics to send engineers and designers directly to customers abroad, consuming substantial resources without necessarily generating a corresponding level of perceived added value for the customer.
The Digital Twin for remote training
The applications of the Digital Twin extend well beyond after-sales support. It is also an excellent tool for technical training, which can be delivered remotely with a high degree of efficiency through immersive simulations. These environments allow users to practise production and machine operating procedures, maintenance activities, responses to unexpected events, the joint management of machine downtime, and much more.
The customer can involve its own operators and engineers, as well as external technicians and/or business partners, creating a level of engagement that would otherwise be difficult to achieve—both in terms of the number of people involved and their familiarity with, and understanding of, the machine and ultimately the supplier itself—in this case, the Italian company.
Interactive operating manuals can also be developed, allowing users to launch on-demand simulations while learning a concept, so that they can immediately put it into practice and test their understanding.
The sectors that have already adopted and tested Digital Twin solutions are numerous. The automotive industry is certainly among the foremost, followed by manufacturing, healthcare, construction and smart cities. There are also several less obvious examples: the Port of Rotterdam has adopted Digital Twin technology to monitor and optimise port operations, while Singapore has developed a 3D model—Virtual Singapore—to support, among other things, the management of mobility, climate-related issues and pollution.