The Digital Shadow of Services: A Reference Model for Comprehensive Data Collection in MRO Services of Machine Manufacturers

Abstract

Today, machine manufacturers generate a significant share of their revenues with the provision of services. At the same time, they are confronted with the challenge of adopting of Industrie 4.0. One of the most important Industrie 4.0 concepts is the idea of the digital shadow, which contributes to the comprehensive structuring of different kinds of data from different data sources. It can be defined as the sufficiently precise, digital representation of reality in real-time. Thus, it also functions as a database of the considered area of a company that can be used for numerous applications. It serves as a central platform for the aggregation and distribution of data. Thereby, it helps to open isolated data silos. A system architecture that enables extraction of data from various sources and the aggregation of that data is an important prerequisite for the digital shadow. In addition, the merger of data from different sources requires a model of the part of the company to be mapped digitally. In this paper, we focus on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services of machine manufacturers. The scope comprises the whole order processing of a service including the utilized resources and the obtained results. MRO services and their single elements are mapped and structured using a case study research in a first step. Those elements provide a basis for designing the digital shadow. A second contribution of this paper is a data model for the digital shadow of MRO services that entails a comprehensive representation of that department.