The way the word "digital twin" is used in the industry seems to convey a type of process that provides quick results from visualization alone, but that's not exactly what a digital twin is, and it's also not how a digital twin should be used.
With GMB, we're introducing the concept of a "scan-first digital twin" to explain why the shift from reality capture visualization to usage across operations is so needed.
Many people have data from a scan-first approach, but it isn't utilized to its full potential.
That's where GMB provides an excellent step-by-step process of how they started with a scanning approach and used that data to accelerate the work they did in their water infrastructure, including residential wastewater and city-wide sewage pathways, projects.
With the data GMB collects, they're able to transform scan data into operational insight, connecting Ultimo metadata to as-built conditions and using P&IDs compared to their 3D environments to find things that had been missed completely, including whole valve heads.
This shift matters because operations depend on accuracy. Maintenance teams, engineers, and planners need confidence that what they see digitally matches what they’ll encounter in the field. Scan‑first digital twins deliver that confidence by grounding every decision in reality, not assumptions.
GMB will walk through how they transform raw scans into trusted, operational digital twins by enriching reality capture with:
Asset tags that identify and organize critical equipment
Metadata that adds context and meaning to scanned assets
P&IDs that connect spatial reality with engineering documentation
The result is a digital twin that supports day‑to‑day operations, maintenance planning, and long‑term infrastructure management across complex water systems.
Below, see Lars Hesselink, Innovation Engineer at GMB and the session's speaker, discuss the digital twin transformation that occurred in his team:
The session will conclude with a look at how Cintoo provides the foundation layer that makes scan‑first digital twins possible. Cintoo serves as the system where reality capture becomes structured, connected, and ready to integrate, bridging the gap between raw scans and operational systems.
You’ll see how scans evolve into connected digital assets that can be enriched, managed, and reused across teams and over time.
Enrich reality‑capture scans with asset tags, metadata, and P&IDs
Use scan‑based digital twins to support operations, maintenance, and long‑term infrastructure management
Move away from a model‑first mindset to unlock practical, day‑to‑day operational improvements
Apply scan‑first digital twins to complex environments like water infrastructure
👉 Register now to join GMB + Cintoo on May 28 and discover how scan‑first digital twins are transforming operations!
