NTT DATA Launches Digital Twin Sustainability Solution

December 21, 2022

NTT DATA introduced an end-to-end sustainability solution that utilizes digital twin technology to optimize energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions. The solution, which was developed with e-Magic, utilizes Microsoft Azure Digital Twins and provides organizations with the ability to model the real world and connect enterprise and IoT data at the edge to their digital twins in the cloud.

“This solves the issue of data silos that create blind spots which prevent organizations from seeing if their systems are not running efficiently or sustainably”

"Sustainability is a key strategic imperative but for many organizations, it has been too challenging to measure their environmental impact, let alone reduce it in meaningful ways,” said Tanvir Khan, Chief Digital Officer, NTT DATA Services. “This solution delivers value to clients in the short term with the ability to integrate large, connected ecosystems. The collaboration between e-Magic, NTT DATA and Microsoft allows us to create long-term sustainability roadmaps to take our clients to carbon net-zero emissions while also reducing costs, creating new products and services, and improving operational efficiency, employee experience, and the overall brand. We see this as giving them a competitive advantage.”

NTT DATA’s solution begins with a foundation of measuring energy consumption to deliver real-time visibility in a consistent and reliable manner. By integrating meters, sensors, systems, devices, ERP and more into a single view, clients will be able to see their impact in near real time, track their energy performance and leverage insights to reduce their carbon footprint. With real-time data sources connected to digital twins, organizations can move away from manually consolidating data into spreadsheets or collecting data from different disparate systems. This automation accelerates data integration, eliminates data silos, and provides the ability to measure carbon emissions across various scopes, generating accurate, actionable results.

Once a client has the ability to view their energy usage patterns, the next step is understanding how efficiently assets and equipment are performing in their environment. Analytical insights powered by the digital twins and historical data allow for fault detection and diagnosis of operational equipment, which can identify issues that waste energy, prevent maintenance, minimize equipment downtime and prolong the life of an asset.

“This solves the issue of data silos that create blind spots which prevent organizations from seeing if their systems are not running efficiently or sustainably,” said Tony Harris, President & CEO, e-Magic. “The data has been there, but there hasn’t been a solution that allows for measurement across the value stream within an enterprise. But the successful co-innovation from NTT DATA and e-Magic has yielded a solution that will benefit business operations and our environment.”

While energy reduction and cost savings might be the initial drivers for sustainability programs, this solution can be evolved to achieve the sustainability goals of an organization, including getting to carbon net-zero emission.

“This solution not only benefits our environment, but it also enables organizations to innovate and transform,” said Elisabeth Brinton, Corporate Vice President, Sustainability, Microsoft. “Sustainability is no longer an option but a business imperative. It’s critical for organizations to consider sustainability to drive competitiveness, growth and help to increase shareholder value. We’re empowering organizations to make informed decisions, giving them the tools to make data-driven choices that benefit business outcomes, their employees and the environment.”