A digital twin is a live virtual image of a physical object. It shows the physical characteristics and business context of the real object, such as a plant, from the initial plan through design, construction and production to the end of the lifecycle.

Such a twin provides real-time information about the configuration, condition and status of the plant. Historical data can be queried via APIs. Digital twins act as virtual proxies, sending alerts and notifications that trigger control flows in the physical world. More complex digital twins map hierarchies or relationships, contain derived data from statistical analysis, machine learning, and physical simulations, and provide service functions. Linking Digital Twins from multiple providers with different customers creates a trusted Digital Twin network.

(Source: SAP)