The metaverse is beginning to expand amidst the global inflection point of business and society. 7 out of 10 of his executives say it has a positive impact on their organization. 4 in 10 recently Accenture research.

Industrial and product companies are among the big bets and are starting to pay off. Siemens Energy, for example, reports that the Metaverse saved its steam turbine business by reducing downtime by 70% through technical applications for maintenance and inspection. $1.7 billion.

A natural extension of the digital twin

What draws companies to the metaverse? It is an immersive environment where multiple users can interact, layering easily accessible information for objects, avatars, and actions.

The great opportunity for industrial and product companies lies in combining the collaborative, immersive, visual and intuitive dimensions of the metaverse with digital twins provided by integrated data pools across departments, systems, operational technology and IT. I have.

This allows you to create a fully immersive and intuitive virtual simulation of your entire enterprise. All its aspects are subject to numerous eventualities, with each projected impact informing other scenarios.

In part, this opportunity is just beginning. However, we find that virtual database replicas of objects, facilities, and processes are playing an increasing role in four compelling metaverse use cases for industrial and product companies.

1: Creative collaboration and product development

What is currently called industrial metaverse, Cross-functional employees can connect in an immersive environment that enables more efficient design, engineering, testing and validation. Employees can connect from anywhere to explore interactive design simulations and operational scenarios.

for example, boeingIn the factory of the future, immersive 3-D engineering designs will work with robots that talk to each other, and mechanics around the world will be linked by HoloLens headsets.

Engineers can also virtually prototype and test products. This is more cost-effective and efficient than testing real products in real-life scenarios. The metaverse allows you to quickly set up your prototype as a digital simulation using engines such as: unityThe result is more customer choice and a faster creation process.

Additionally, the Metaverse provides engineers with the opportunity to “send” key stakeholders directly into the simulated work environment. This is especially valuable in complex and large development projects. ITERMore than 30 countries cooperated in the construction of a large-scale power plant based on nuclear fusion.

Using NVIDIA Omniverse, Unreal Engine for Oculus, Bentley iTwin, and Azure Remote Rendering for HoloLens2, ITER virtually teleported people into the facility’s digital twin and experienced it for the first time.

2. Maintenance and remote repair

general electric (GE) used the metaverse to create a digital twin of a gas turbine to continuously optimize temperatures and send automatic adjustments to control. These gas turbines require seasonal tuning, often a manual process performed by experts after an outage that can take days.

Metaverse not only saves time and manual effort, it also monitors temperature and adjusts gas fuel properties to improve performance. This is a win-win for operations and decarbonisation.

Metaverse solutions for field service workers and technicians don’t necessarily require additional hardware such as AR glasses or VR headsets. In fact, companies are considering using AR on smartphones and tablets.

shell applies augmented reality to industrial operations to make offsite expertise more accessible. The company’s Augmented Reality Remote Assist allows field workers to easily connect and receive assistance from remote experts around the world. These specialists can essentially look through the eyes of field workers to examine problems and guide workers on solutions.

3. Optimization of production operations

By creating detailed virtual visualizations of manufacturing processes on the shop floor that identify potential problems, hazards and bottlenecks, companies can apply the Metaverse to improve operational performance and optimize maintenance.

PfizerFor example, we are investing $450 million to build a sterile injectable plant with a “virtual factory” component that optimizes the value chain and provides more efficient training for employees. Through the virtual factory floor, Pfizer can monitor and optimize the entire supply chain process. Digital twin technology also allows factory workers to do their jobs without ever having to set foot in the factory.

Drone Deploy, on the other hand, 3D walkthrough system, which combines drone and ground imagery to create an accurate image of your site with 1-inch accuracy. Shop engineers can use these virtual replicas to monitor performance, identify problems, and fix problems in the field, while leaders have a holistic view of the business. It can also be done much more efficiently because you can ask for help from off-site experts.

4. Human resource development

according to Accenture research, 90% of senior managers believe the way employees are trained needs to be more effective. The Metaverse bridges this gap by facilitating employee learning and development opportunities, increasing value and competitive advantage.

From field workers to miners to machinists, employees can dive into an immersive virtual training experience.At the same time, the organization Lower It provides a deeper experience than didactic training materials and tools while reducing costs without the risk of injury or damage to the equipment used in training.

BASF ChemicalFor example, we use simulation software that allows trainees to click on any piece of equipment in any workflow to gain insight into how each piece of equipment fits into the process. This makes training faster, more interactive and self-directed. Since its introduction, BASF has reported significant improvements in employee capabilities and productivity.

When it comes to training, the Metaverse challenges the status quo, especially when it comes to the most important part: retention. study show Employees forget 70% of traditional training content within 24 hours and nearly 90% within a month.

Augmented reality uses technology to create fully simulated environments that learners can actually experience. Because trainees can experience an accurate simulation of virtual world conditions, they can make mistakes without fear of detrimental consequences, thus reducing the risk of immediate failure and promoting innovative, forward-looking learning. A new window will open.

The Metaverse is already democratizing how engineers, designers, and customers interact and change processes and operations for the better. To unlock the opportunities offered by the natural extension of digital twins to the metaverse, product and industrial companies must organize their data backbones and build insights into their digital twins from the convergence of operational technology and IT data. . This allows you to simulate different scenarios for engineering design, operational environment, and impact on sustainability.

Sef Tuma is a global engineering and manufacturing leader for Accenture Industry X.

Marc Althoff is CTO and innovation leader at Accenture Industry X.