Value Creation with Digital Twins—Framework Validation and Analysis of Further Development Priorities

This paper presents results of an ongoing research project to explain the systematic value creation with digital twins. Herein a formerly proposed digital twin reference framework is validated, its usefulness in practice is evaluated and development priorities are derived. Therefore, the framework was presented to and discussed with experts from practice. The evaluation of the quality of the framework, its benefits in practice and the applicability for innovation process phases were collected with an online questionnaire consisting of open questions and quantitative ratings. Qualitatively, the study unveiled the systematization and holistic perspective as main strengths and the complexity as major weakness of the framework. Quantitatively, the framework proved to be useful as it provides benefits for practice, especially in the early stages of innovation processes. Finally, development priorities and directions were derived to improve and adapt the framework towards the created insights to foster its applicability in practice.