Digital Twins and the Rugby World Cup. It’s all about solving the people problem

Data and complex systems are increasingly central to our built environment. But it is people, not technology, that are usually the key to change.

I spent the recent, six week long 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC19) up to my eyeballs in spreadsheets, algorithms, and statistics. Running an online tournament to predict match scores with a bunch of mates from all around the world takes an alarming amount of time to organise.

It was, however, great fun and a fantastic way to use some pretty simple Google Sheets technology – technology that kept me entertained and occupied for more than a few hours as the tournament meandered its way to the (not-so-good-for-England) final on 2 November; and technology that will soon be repurposed in the name of fun and charity fund raising for the 2020 Rugby Six Nations and then the 2020 Football Euros.

Being immersed in technology is an increasingly common feeling. As Mark Enzer, chair of the Centre for Digital Built Britain’s Digital Framework Task Group (DFTG), reminded us at the last TwinTalks breakfast, the use of data and digital technology is now a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives – both at home and at work.

Admittedly, RWC19 is not the first tournament of this kind that I’ve run. Yet, each time that I set forth to create new spreadsheets for the latest sporting tournament, I’m always amazed by the list of minor problems that need to be solved leading up to the first match.

It amazes me because, given that each tournament is technology driven—with new scoring nuances, assumptions, and bonus systems added regularly—my problems are rarely attributable to the technology. On the contrary, any problems almost universally stem from the people.

The list of issues is long: last-minute entries; last-minute dropouts; last-minute team name changes; late prediction entries; missing home scores; last-minute input changes; time zone confusion; forgotten passwords; home Wi-Fi failure; unexpected work deadlines. The list goes on.

By comparison, the need for a few new Boolean operators, plus a splattering of Excel INDIRECT and CONCATENATE commands, holds no fear.

Funnily enough, this sentiment was echoed by Enzer as he informed the TwinTalks delegates about the actions being taken by DFTG to address the challenges and potential bumps in the road towards creating a National Digital Twin.

“I have a strong suspicion that technology is not going to be the issue that slows us down,” he said. “Rather, it is going to be people, dealing with the rules and procedures that humans have put in place.”

Human response to new technology always varies from the early adopters and innovators, to cautious followers, and to the deniers. It is clear, therefore, that encouraging a conservative and traditional sector like the built environment to change will require clear incentives that help remove the cultural and commercial blockers, including the legal and regulatory issues that the sector has had for too long.

Profits are tight across the supply chain. As Enzer put it, “if a business has to invest money and resources for somebody else’s benefit, then they most likely will not do it.” Any investment in digital twin technology must make sense through driving and delivering measurable value – whatever that value is and however it is measured. Only by articulating that value will the blockers be removed and people be convinced of the need for change.

But Enzer was very clear. Given the massive impact that the creation of a National Digital Twin has, and the potential to boost the quality of our lives, the removal of these people-related blockers is vital.

He argues that if we don’t change, the industry will severely struggle.

It’s a tough message. By contrast, my approach to dealing with pre-RWC19 people problems is a bit less dramatic – I simply hit them with a financial penalty via a £5 charity fine. It’s actually very effective.

The next TwinTalks event will be held on 10 December in London and will feature a conversation with Jon Kerbey, Digital Director at Heathrow. Reach out if you'd like to join us.