In recent years, digital twin technology has emerged
as one of the most transformative tools for the built environment, enabling
smarter buildings, more efficient operations, and more sustainable cities. Yet
despite its growing adoption, the term “digital twin” is still widely
misunderstood. Many organizations remain hesitant to invest in it, often
because of misconceptions that limit their understanding of its true potential.
Here are some of the most common
misconceptions about digital twins — and how Senfi, G Element’s
flagship digital twin platform, is proving them wrong.
1. “A Digital Twin Is Just a 3D Model.”
One of the most widespread misunderstandings is that
a digital twin is merely a visual representation — a fancy 3D model of a
building or asset.
✅ Reality: While visualization is a foundational layer,
a true digital twin goes far beyond 3D modeling. It integrates real-time
data from IoT sensors, systems, and devices to reflect the current state of
a building, system, or city. More importantly, it enables analysis,
automation, and predictive insights.
� How Senfi Helps: Senfi unifies 3D visualization with live sensor data, video feeds, and operational data streams — delivering a single source of truth for facility operators. Instead of just “seeing” your building, you can understand and act on what’s happening inside it, in real time.
2. “Digital Twins Are Only for New Buildings.”
Another misconception is that digital twin technology can
only be applied to new, state-of-the-art buildings designed with digital
systems from the ground up.
✅ Reality: Digital twins
can be created for existing buildings and infrastructure too. Through
retrofitting with IoT sensors, integrating with existing systems (like BMS,
CCTV, or access control), and digitizing legacy data, older buildings can
benefit just as much from digital twin capabilities — often improving their
performance significantly.
� How Senfi Helps: Senfi’s open integration architecture connects seamlessly with legacy systems and protocols — from BACnet and Modbus to ONVIF and MQTT — making it easy to digitize existing infrastructure without major overhauls.
3. “It’s Too Expensive and Complex.”
Many decision-makers assume that implementing a digital twin
is a large-scale, high-cost project requiring huge budgets and complex
integration.
✅ Reality: Modern digital
twins are more modular, scalable, and cost-effective than ever. Organizations
can start small and scale up as value is proven.
� How Senfi Helps: Designed as a modular, SaaS-ready platform, Senfi allows organizations to start with a single use case — such as energy monitoring or facilities management — and expand over time. Its flexible cloud, on-premise, or hybrid deployment models also make it budget-friendly and future-proof.
4. “Digital Twins Are Only for Monitoring.”
Some view digital twins as passive dashboards that simply
display what’s happening in a building.
✅ Reality: Modern digital
twins do much more — enabling simulation, automation, and prediction.
� How Senfi Helps: Beyond real-time monitoring, Senfi transforms raw data into actionable intelligence. Facility teams can use Senfi to automatically adjust HVAC and lighting systems based on occupancy patterns, improving energy efficiency and reducing costs.
Senfi
even enhances incident response and safety workflows. For example, when
a security breach or system fault is detected, the platform can automatically trigger
alerts, notify the right teams, and provide visual guidance in 3D to
resolve the issue faster. This level of automation helps organisations move
from reactive responses to proactive, intelligent building operations
5. “It’s Only for Large Enterprises or Governments.”
Because many early adopters have been major corporations or
city-scale projects, smaller organizations often assume digital twins are out
of reach.
✅ Reality: Digital twins
are increasingly being adopted by mid-sized companies, campuses, hospitals,
and even individual buildings.
� How Senfi Helps: Senfi is designed for scalability — whether you’re managing a single building, a hospital campus, or an entire city district. Its low-code environment allows even non-technical teams to configure dashboards, workflows, and alerts tailored to their needs.
6. “A Digital Twin Is a One-Time Project.”
Some believe that once a digital twin is deployed, the job
is done.
✅ Reality: A digital twin
is a living, evolving ecosystem that grows more powerful over time.
� How Senfi Helps: Senfi’s continuous data ingestion and analytics capabilities ensure the digital twin evolves with your building. As new systems are added, the platform adapts — delivering deeper insights and improving decision-making over time.
7. “It’s Just a Trend.”
Skeptics may dismiss digital twin technology as a passing
buzzword.
✅ Reality: Digital twins
are quickly becoming mission-critical infrastructure for smart buildings
and cities.
� How Senfi Helps: Deployed across commercial towers, hospitals, data centres, campuses, and even smart city command centres, Senfi is already helping organizations improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and achieve ESG goals — proving that digital twins are here to stay.
From Misconception to Mission-Critical
Digital twin technology is far more than a visual tool —
it’s a powerful platform for data-driven decision-making, predictive
intelligence, and operational transformation. Solutions like Senfi
are leading the way, turning the digital twin vision into real-world impact —
from energy savings and predictive maintenance to safer cities and more
sustainable operations.
In an era where the physical and digital worlds are
converging, embracing digital twin technology isn’t just a technological
upgrade — it’s a strategic imperative. And with platforms like Senfi, it’s also
more accessible, scalable, and impactful than ever.
In an era where technology shapes the way we design, operate, and maintain our built environment, digital twin technology has emerged as a vital tool for enhancing efficiency, decision-making, and innovation. At the very basic, a digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object, process, or system that enables real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization. But not all digital twins are created equal — they evolve through distinct levels of maturity, each bringing unique capabilities to the table. In the market today, digital twins are categorized into different levels based on their complexity, capabilities, and integration depth. Understanding these levels is essential for businesses seeking to adopt the right digital twin strategy.
Level 1: Informative Twin
This entry-level digital twin acts as a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of buildings and assets, and a depository of building information.
Level 2: Insightful Twin
Here, the twin begins to provide real-time sensor and IoT data for monitoring operations, charts, and reports, often limited to a focused data integration from a single source like CCTV or IoT systems.
Level 3: Integrated Twin
The twin begins to combine different systems into a unified solution with specific configurations. It integrates with other systems for seamless data exchange, monitoring, and control.
Level 4: Interoperable Twin
Here, the twin interoperates systems using open/standard protocols on open platforms. It supports SOP processes, workflow, and external communication gateways, enabling communication without extensive custom integration.
Level 5: Intuitive Twin
The twin now has asset planning capabilities. It presents unified data, alarms, and live 3D views on a single dashboard and provides clear visual cues for wayfinding. It offers city-wide overviews to detailed building layouts.
Level 6: Inclusive Twin
This digital twin platform is a Low-code/No-code solution that supports cross-industry collaboration. Its open APIs enable systems to interact without needing full integration, ensuring connectivity and interoperability for global brands.
Level 7: Intelligent Twin
The digital twin uses AI and machine learning to learn and adapt in real-time. It autonomously controls and optimises physical systems, enhancing energy efficiency. AI integration also allows for straightforward data queries and insights beyond predictive monitoring.
Level 8: Infusive Twin
This twin represents a breakthrough in the current digital twin technological advancement. Built Environment Simulations and AI models are used for actionable insights on asset performance.
These capabilities can be utilized in areas such as emergency planning, urban planning and training simulations.
Level 9: Immersive Twin
This concept involves a 3D projection of a digital twin, enabling users to navigate through the twin in Extended Reality, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (XR), and Mixed Reality (MR).
Level 10: Impossible Twin
This is the perfection of a digital twin which is not yet possible. Digital twins are still developing, and current technology limits their capabilities. Complete integration with financial systems, sustainability initiatives, and cybersecurity has not been achieved yet.
Choosing the Right Level
The choice of digital twin level depends on the organization’s objectives, resources, and technological readiness. While some businesses may benefit from a simple informative twin, others may require the advanced capabilities of a prescriptive or autonomous twin. Scalability is also crucial, as companies often start with a lower-level twin and evolve toward higher sophistication over time.
Why It Matters
Understanding and advancing through these maturity levels is key to unlocking the full potential of the Digital Twin technology.
To navigate the complexities of modern urban life, we need dynamic, data-driven simulations: AI-powered digital twins…. By integrating real-time data, advanced analytics, and immersive visuals, digital twins empower decision-makers to understand and manage increasingly complex and vulnerable interconnected urban systems with unprecedented clarity. Time is of the essence. This technology allows us to optimize resource allocation, preemptively mitigate risks, and construct resilient urban environments- critical in a world of rapid change.
– Extracted from ‘AI Digital Twins: Your City’s Edge In A World Of Unprecedented Change’ By Timothy Papandreou (https://www.forbes.com)
Conclusion
Digital twins offer a spectrum of capabilities, from basic visualization to full autonomy. As the technology matures, the adoption of digital twins across industries will continue to grow. By understanding the different levels and their applications, businesses can make informed decisions that align with their digital transformation goals.
