Treedis CEO Omer Shamay says industrial digital twins need to give workers more than a realistic 3D model. For factories, ports and heavy operational sites, the value comes when the twin connects assets, procedures, data and guidance to the job happening on site.
The test for an industrial digital twin is becoming evermore practical: can it help someone complete a task, reduce downtime, follow a safety procedure or find the right information without jumping between systems?
Omer Shamay, CEO of Treedis, puts the change plainly:
“A visual walkthrough is where a digital twin starts, not where it ends.”
From Visual Walkthrough to Working Interface
Treedis builds digital twin software for industrial and operational environments, with a focus on connected-worker workflows, AR guidance AI and site-based execution.
For Shamay, the 3D model has to become more than a map of the site. It needs to help workers understand the asset in front of them, find the right information and know what to do next.
“Instead of only seeing the plant, the line, the machine or the room, the worker can understand what is there, what needs to be done, which asset they are looking at, and what action to take next.”
A visual walkthrough can help remote teams understand a site, but industrial buyers usually need more than recognition. On industrial sites, workers need the right procedure, asset context and live information in front of them while the job is being done, not buried across separate systems.
Digital Twins Supporting Established Systems
Most industrial companies already have the core systems in place. SAP, Maximo, IoT dashboards, PDFs, P&IDs, work orders and training videos are common across large operational sites. The problem is often access, context and timing.
A worker may technically have the right information available, while still having to move between a document, a dashboard, a maintenance platform and someone on the phone.
Shamay says the industrial digital twin can become the layer that joins those systems to the physical environment.
“A worker is no longer jumping between a PDF, a maintenance system, a dashboard and someone on the phone. The digital twin becomes the context layer that brings all of that information to the exact location, asset and task.”
Treedis is not trying to replace the systems companies already use. Shamay says the platform sits around them and makes them easier to access in the field.
“The digital twin becomes the visual and spatial interface. It can point the worker to the right system, the right document, the right asset data, or the right workflow from the exact place where the work is happening.”
AR Belongs at the Coalface
AR guidance adds value when a worker needs guidance in the physical environment. In practice, that can mean step-by-step instructions, wayfinding, asset identification, live information, training support or confirmation that the worker is looking at the right equipment.
The job for AR is to reduce uncertainty on site.
VR still has a role, especially for training, onboarding, simulation and remote familiarisation before someone enters a high-risk or complex environment. AR fits better when the worker is already on site and needs support while doing the job.
“In the field, people usually do not want to leave reality. They want digital support inside reality.”
AI Makes Site Knowledge More Accessible
Industrial companies often have huge amounts of knowledge locked inside SOPs, manuals, training material and site records. Workers may have access to those resources, while still struggling to find the right answer during live work.
Shamay says AI changes the digital twin “from a place you navigate into a place you can talk to.”
The worker can ask for a procedure, the next step or an answer to a site-specific question. The digital twin gives the AI more context because it understands the place, the asset and the workflow.
Treedis is also working on faster workflow creation through TAI Flows, which can turn videos, PDFs or digital-twin recordings into guided workflows.
For industrial teams, that tackles one of the slower parts of rollout: content creation.
Shamay says:
“Everyone agrees procedures should be digital, but nobody has time to manually rebuild every SOP.”
Tablets First, Glasses When Hands-Free Helps
Worker adoption usually suffers when technology asks people to change too much at once. New processes, duplicated reporting and disconnected systems can slow down even well-funded deployments.
Shamay says Treedis usually starts with existing procedures rather than asking companies to rebuild how work gets done. The maintenance process, safety procedure, inspection workflow or training programme already exists. Treedis digitises it, connects it and makes it easier to access.
Phones and tablets are part of that adoption path because many workers are familiar with them already.
“Phones and tablets are the natural starting point because workers already know how to use them. They are familiar, available and easy to deploy.”
Smart glasses come into the picture when the job needs hands-free access.
“Smart glasses become valuable when the worker needs both hands free. During maintenance, inspection, troubleshooting or safety-critical work, glasses can provide guidance and information while allowing the worker to remain fully focused on the task.”
Industrial Digital Twins Are Becoming Fully Integrated Work Tools
Visual quality still has a role because workers need to recognise and trust the environment. Industrial buyers will increasingly judge digital twins by whether they help workers reduce downtime, follow procedures, access knowledge and document work in the flow of operations. Of course, another big consideration is their potential ROI.
Shamay sees the market moving away from digital twins as visual assets and toward digital twins as operational systems.
“The industry is moving from digital twins as a visualization tool to digital twins as a work execution platform. In the future, customers will judge digital twins less by how realistic they look and more by how effectively they help people perform real work.”
