PART 2 : Justifying the Value of Digital Twins in Organisational Transition and Cost Reduction

In this episode, we explore the strategic value of digital twin technology—especially in high-stakes environments where capital investments, operational continuity, and reputational risk are on the line.

Digital twins aren't just a tech trend—they’re a game-changer for decision-making, scenario planning, and minimising costly mistakes.

What we unpack:

• Why capital missteps in EV transitions (like wrong charger placement or overspec’d vehicles) are too expensive to ignore
• How digital twins act as risk-reduction tools, helping you “measure twice, cut once”
• Real-world ROI examples—from 20% reductions in workplace accidents to energy efficiency and better asset utilisation
• Why this technology is as relevant to logistics giants like DHL as it is to smaller fleet operators
• How digital twins offer live forecasting and adjustment, letting teams pivot in real-time to maintain assurance of supply
• Powerful messaging to convince stakeholders: "If it's good enough for Eli Lilly and DHL, why not us?"

This episode is for planners, operators, and executives who need to de-risk electrification, optimise spend, and justify transformation strategies with confidence.

If you're ever asked, “Is this just another expensive tech experiment?”—this podcast gives you the language, logic, and leadership backing to say: “No, it’s our smartest decision yet.”

#DigitalTwin #EVTransition #FleetManagement #CostReduction #DataDrivenDecisions #ROI #RiskManagement #SustainableTransport #SmartTech #ZeroEmission #ZeroMission

www.zeromission.io

Reach out to us on Email: info@zeromission.io

Follow us on LinkedIn

Connect with our team Alan Crowley, Kevin Christopher, Brenda Shanahan, Eduardo Espinal, Stephen Breen, Liam Nolan, Callum Hennessy Cian Kavanagh, Niamh Quinn

Transcript

So with that in mind, I suppose, the return on investment that organizations can identify is a consequence of doing this 'cause I can imagine with a c-... Capital cost has been a major consideration as you try and transition. You, you just can't afford to get it wrong. That's the number one issue. Number two, if you put the charges in the wrong place, continuity of ser- service is affected, so reputationally and commercially that's going to affect you as well.

Uh, and then making sure that the vehicles that you buy are of the correct spec and that you haven't over egg the pudding with batteries that are... you don't need such big batteries. So I suppose by running it through a digital twin, it's the best way that you can move forward and the typical return on investments that people get on that, is it fair to quantify like that or how would you quantify it?

I, I think one thing I would... um, for, for those two pieces around the costs and the return on investment, for, for... And it, it does depend on what you are building and, and to what granularity. So if you have, for example, a hotel that wants digital representation, um, of the hotel so that it can monitor occupancy rates, uh, electricity consumption, temperature control, um, and we'll say, uh, staffing and staff coverage, their digital twin is going to be less complex and, and require less infrastructure- Wow.

... versus DHL's. So DHL's digital twin is, is quite large, quite complex, uh, concerns a lot of real-time updates, concerns a lot of IOT structure, um, and, and but they're doing it for their own benefits. Um, in fact, the other one that I didn't have referenced there, workplace accidents, it's nearly a 20% reduction in workplace accidents. So for them, there's a big safety concern as well, um, so i- in terms of return on investment, um, you know, there's the phrase, measure twice, cut once.

So if you have the ability to kind of model, um, where you're at or where you want to be, that gives you the opportunity, and again, it's just part of the planning phase nearly, to see what's there. And likewise, if you want to see what you have and, and, and get what you have at the moment on screen in front of you kind of a- as a, a simplified form, um, that, again, I, I, I see as, as a great return on investment.

Uh, I couldn't put it down to a euro symbol, but it, it is part of, I think, um, bootstrapping kind of any big business decision, any type of capital decision. Uh, we all do risk assessments. Um, this just seems like a, a sensible addition to any kind of first assessment if you were looking at it from, from that point of view. Yeah. So I suppose the system that we provide then, you're getting a forecast and then you're measuring against it on a daily basis so you can tweak it, uh, and pivot if you, if you need to.

And as well, you can do your staged approach, which I think is, you know, far less risky. So it's more about avoiding mistakes, I suppose, costly mistakes than, than returning on investment, but equally covering off your assurance of supply, which is a massive issue as well. Um, how do you justify the value of a digital twin to stakeholders? So if you're trying to say, okay, you see it, you get it 'cause you're in fleet and you're understanding that and you've been charged with this tricky job of transitioning vehicles who cross and you have to go into the senior leadership team and ask for a few bob to get something to build a digital twin.

How would you justify if they're just like, "Oh, it's just another techy trend"? Um, well, I mean, the first one is, if it's good enough for massive manufacturing products, it, it can be good enough for us. But I think it comes back to that, um, you know, preemptive cost reduction, um, again, fuel savings, energy savings. Um, what, what isn't measured, you know, can't be acted on. So i- is there a piece of...

If you're not measuring what you're using, how could you possibly save on your energy piece as well? Um, i- i-... You want to be utilizing what you have. And again, a lot of the vehicles now, and especially in the transition period, if you are going from your, your standard, um, we'll say carbon emission vehicle, but i- if you're going from there into essentially a computer on wheels, there's a lot of data coming forward.

So you want to be able to utilize that and, um, it is different because, uh, EVs are, let's say, no emission vehicles. They are built from a point of view of data being part of the product, um, which is, is, a- again, a- an unusual path for, for the motor industry in, in itself, um, where kind of everything down to, eh, a granular detail is measured. Now, again, whether that detail is required is, is a separate matter down to each manufacturer.

But from a, a stakeholder point of view, it, it is that case of you have the likes of DHL or gosh, Eli Lilly, doing these master projects and seeing the value from that point of view. Um, from a, a kind of a vehicle point of view, it is a case of, if you don't see it, if you're not measuring it, you can't improve upon it. Yeah. Um, and, and that would be my kind of main points to, to any stakeholders looking at it.