Arundhati Ghosh
I’m a customer adoption specialist for Autodesk Tandem, a cloud-based digital twin technology platform. In my role, I help Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, and Operations (AECO) professionals understand and utilize digital twin technology in their work, enabling them to take advantage of the potential benefits of digital twins and improve their facility operations. Like a coach, I provide valuable guidance and support, helping our customers develop new skills and strategies to overcome any obstacles they may face in their digital transformation by showing them new workflows that are possible with data-driven 3D visualization and digital twin technology. By doing so, I enable them to take their facility management to the next level and achieve amazing results.
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a dynamic replica of a physical asset that has the behavioral awareness necessary to simulate, predict, and inform decisions based on real-world conditions. At Autodesk, and within the AECO industry, a digital twin gives a multi-dimensional view of how a facility is designed, built, and performing throughout its lifecycle. As the digital replica is enriched with operational building data, it becomes possible to predict system failures before they happen, perform “what-if” scenarios, and provide rich insights into the operation, performance, and utilization of the built asset.
Autodesk leads the way in making digital twins accessible to all industries. In manufacturing, Fusion 360 supports design-to-manufacture workflows to help bring products to market faster through a connected product development process. For water infrastructure, Innovyze provides end-to-end solutions from design to operations and creates a clearer path toward a sustainable and digitized water industry. And for the AECO industry, Tandem is the cloud-based digital twin technology platform that enables projects to start digital and stay digital, transforming rich data into business intelligence.
Digital twins and digital transformation are inextricably related. Autodesk’s portfolio of products in AEC Design and Autodesk Construction Solutions are all essential to this mantra of “start digital and stay digital.”
A new era of efficiency and sustainability
Digital twins are new to our industry. I compare it with the time when the AEC industry started doing coordination using multi-disciplinary 3D models in place of using mylar on light tables or 2D CAD overlays. It ushered in a new era of BIM, VDC, and Lean in Construction, and it revolutionized how we construct and deliver facilities with complex systems to enable a safe, sustainable, and faster time-to-market for complex construction projects. And it’s a similar transformation for owner operations and facility management. I’ve spent the beginning part of my career working with owners and facility operators to help define their asset standards and data requirements and paint the vision with digital twins.
It is extremely exciting to see digital twin technology come to life in a very meaningful way – and to see how simple it is to use. Last year, I supported the booth at Autodesk University in New Orleans, which was exhilarating! Our team got a chance to interact with customers face-to-face. It was cathartic to watch the inherent worry some people have with any new technology simply fade away. (This speaks volumes about our extremely talented product, engineering, and operations teams, who are dedicated to making the customer experience our top priority.)
I interact with Autodeskers and customers daily, sometimes multiple times a day. It is motivating to meet new people from different geographies, backgrounds, and experiences. I thoroughly enjoy diving into technical discussions with our product and engineering teams and painting visions for the future with our sales and marketing teams.
Customer interactions can be exciting and challenging, especially since you are introducing a new technology that can change the way people work. During meetings, you see them think — about their work, their teams, and their processes. It is great to learn about our customers’ businesses, visions, and challenges. For example, I recently met with a museum owner who is embarking on a multi-year capital improvement project to upgrade their infrastructure to meet their sustainability goals. We were discussing the potential to use proximity and occupancy IoT sensors in their exhibit spaces, and they realized that with Tandem, not only can they see the data points associated with a space, but they can also visualize a live heat map in 3D informing them of exhibits that have high occupancy in context with the lighting and HVAC system for that space, enabling them to have granular control on energy management. Moments like this — when you realize you can bring the future to the present — are phenomenal!
The team behind Tandem
To make digital twins accessible to all, the industry needs a solution that works for everybody. Autodesk has a long history of being an industry leader in AEC technology. The team here is strategic, focused, and disciplined in how we are designing and building Autodesk Tandem, considering the needs of customers, and supporting them in their journeys.
It’s an exciting time to work at Autodesk Tandem – our leadership has assembled a stellar team of highly experienced individuals and empowered them with the right structure, and processes to innovate while remaining laser-focused on customer adoption. There is a high degree of transparency, accountability, and support. I can set the right expectations for myself, balance my work and my second job as a mom, and further my personal dream of becoming an authentic leader in this industry through continuing professional development opportunities, without compromising on my health and overall well-being.
Most of all, I truly value the culture of Autodesk, and the Autodesk Tandem team is a great example of being true to the vision of the company.
Learn more about Autodesk Tandem here.