Why Digital Twins Only Matter When They Solve Real Problems
From digital innovation to real-world outcomes
This Tuesday, Crysp's COO, Sian Purver, attended the EDMA Data Vision event, where she spoke as part of the Digital Twin Consortium. Bringing together leaders from across industry, technology and academia, the event explored how data and digital innovation are shaping the future of infrastructure, operations and decision-making.
During the panel discussion, Sian focused on a topic that sits at the heart of Crysp's approach to technology: digital solutions should solve real problems, not simply showcase impressive technology.
While digital twins have become an increasingly common topic of conversation, Sian highlighted that their value extends far beyond creating a virtual representation of a building or asset. When supported by accurate, connected data, digital twins become powerful decision-making tools that enable organisations to better understand their environments, identify emerging risks and make informed decisions with greater confidence.
One of the key themes of the discussion was that organisations rarely struggle because they lack data. More often, they are overwhelmed by the volume of information available and face the challenge of turning that data into meaningful insight.
Drawing on Crysp's experience across education, healthcare, commercial property and critical national infrastructure, Sian explained that the greatest opportunities come when organisations connect existing information into a single, accessible view. By doing so, they can move away from reacting to issues after they occur and instead begin preventing them altogether.
Whether it's identifying compliance risks before they become failures, planning maintenance more effectively or giving leadership teams greater confidence in strategic decision-making, digital twins have the potential to deliver measurable operational improvements when implemented with a clear purpose.
The discussion also reinforced the importance of collaboration. As a member of the Digital Twin Consortium, Crysp works alongside organisations from a wide range of industries, each bringing different perspectives and expertise. Sharing practical experiences and real-world use cases is helping to accelerate innovation while ensuring that digital twin technologies remain grounded in operational needs.
Reflecting on the discussion, Sian said:
"The conversation around digital twins is no longer about what's possible—it's about what's practical. Organisations don't need more data; they need better ways of connecting it, understanding it and using it to make confident decisions. When we put people at the centre of technology, that's when digital twins become genuinely transformative. They help us move from reacting to problems to preventing them, creating safer, smarter and more resilient organisations."
Events such as EDMA Data Vision continue to demonstrate the growing importance of collaboration between technology providers, industry experts and asset owners. As digital transformation gathers pace, conversations like these play a vital role in ensuring innovation delivers meaningful outcomes rather than simply new capabilities.
For Crysp, the message remains clear: technology should always be built around people. Whether improving compliance, strengthening governance, enhancing operational efficiency or creating safer environments, digital twins have the potential to transform the way organisations manage their assets—but only when they are designed to solve genuine business challenges.
Crysp would like to thank the organisers of EDMA Data Vision and the Digital Twin Consortium for the opportunity to contribute to such an insightful discussion and looks forward to continuing to support the development of practical, people-focused digital twin solutions across the industries it serves.
