Can automakers leverage the manufacturing metaverse to enhance the vehicle life-cycle journey?

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The auto industry is uniquely positioned to use product and manufacturing digital twins within the manufacturing metaverse across the entire life cycle of a vehicle—from initial design and production to sales, maintenance, and repair. The industry has already begun to embrace Industry 4.0 technologies, such as automation and digital manufacturing, and is poised to lead the charge into the manufacturing metaverse.Digital twins are indispensable in today’s auto industry. Automakers and any of their tier 1 suppliers that are operating without digital twins in their design and manufacturing spaces are falling behind. Digital twins can aid in research and design, simulate the production process, plan and monitor supply chains, and improve reliability and repairs. And these twins can all talk to each other within a manufacturing metaverse.The metaverse can connect digital twins to allow engineers to try new designs, facilitate virtual test drives, and assess their performance without incurring the cost and time of building physical prototypes. These same twins can collect and monitor real-world performance data from fleets, providing valuable data that can be used to improve the design and manufacture of future models. With the auto industry going through a seismic shift with electrification and the reduction of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) business, automakers can use digital twins to optimize their products and shift production to accommodate market demands.The manufacturing metaverse can seamlessly integrate digital tools from a variety of functions within a production facility, including the following:Collaborative product development. As car companies continue to innovate and move toward electric vehicles, digital twins can be used to scope out what the final car will look and feel like.Supply chain planning. The industry’s chip shortage has revealed the need for proactive supply chain risk management and building contingencies for extreme scenarios. Digital twins can help simulate extreme scenarios and assist with supply chain risk management by identifying areas that are at high risk of disruption.A smart manufacturing floor. All devices are connected to the Internet, allowing 24/7 monitoring of processes. This would then offer feedback to the digital twin model, allowing for real-time pivoting of the manufacturing process.A proactive maintenance system. Problems can be diagnosed before they occur, reducing downtime.Optimized cost structures. Digital twins can be used to simulate business cases to inform strategic decisions. This is especially important for today’s auto industry as many manufacturers are pivoting from ICE to electric vehicles and looking for where to deploy their resources. They can also use digital twins to wind down their ICE business and optimize cost structures.These examples of digital twins have typically operated in isolation of each other, but the next frontier is to create a connected metaverse ecosystem for where various twins can feed data and lower barriers to sharing information and insights. For example, the metaverse can connect the customer experience and product design by providing the following benefits:Virtual tours. Get a taste for what a new model of car will look and feel like with a digital tour of the car itself. The automaker would be able to create launch events in the metaverse to give customers access to the new model.Live feedback. Test out new features in existing models and give live feedback on whether those features should be incorporated or not. Customers would be able to interact with the automaker to create a feedback loop for new features and engage with the company through special offers.Simulated test drives. Take a test drive before even going to the dealership. Using video games combined with virtual reality, customers could “drive” a new car from home rather than visiting a dealership.A tailored offering. Evaluate customizations to determine if a particular feature is wanted or needed.Scenario planning. A metaverse solution can allow testing of how different scenarios affect a business in multiple dimensions. For example, the automaker could test how increasing or decreasing its color offering would impact business operations and customer demand. The net result would be a sensitivity analysis to determine the optimal color offering.The future of the automotive industry is inextricably linked to advances in digital technology, and forward-thinking automakers are taking advantage of the capabilities provided by the metaverse and digital twins. By creating virtual representations of their products, factories, and supply chains, automakers can improve their efficiency, quality control, and customer service.Not sure how to get started? Reach out to Kearney for answers. Our team has years of experience helping automotive industry harness the power of the digital twins and embark on their i4.0 journeys.