Toward Lifecycle-Ready Digital Twins For Facility Technical Management

Abstract

Digital twins are increasingly promoted as a means to address persistent challenges in the built environment, yet their role in maintenance-focused facility management (FM) remains underexplored. This article explores the practical integration of digital twins into facility technical management through a real-life case environment involving three operational buildings and a two-year deployment period. Using a mixed-method approach combining surveys, interviews, operational observations, and industry feedback, the study investigates the organizational, technical, and information-management-related factors affecting the implementation and usability of BIM-based digital twins in maintenance operations. The findings identify key requirements related to BIM data structures, information management practices, naming conventions, and the involvement of maintenance stakeholders during the design and handover phases. Based on the case findings, the article outlines a four-step BIM process development framework and a four-step BIM enablement framework for facility technical management. The study further highlights the importance of user-friendly graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in bridging the gap between design-oriented BIM environments and the practical needs of maintenance personnel. The findings suggest that digital twins should be approached as continuously managed lifecycle information assets rather than static handover deliverables. The article contributes practice-oriented insights into how BIM-based digital twins can support information continuity and operational usability in facility technical management contexts.

Keywords

• digital twin
• facility management
• building information model

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