Digital Ecosystems

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doris Group, Aveva, and Schneider Electric joined forces to implement digital twin technology designed to help oil and gas companies improve asset performance, increase operational sustainability, and maximise ROI—all without the need for physical job site visits. Without partnering with each other, the firms likely wouldn’t have been able to operate with such agility. (The Power Of Ecosystems: How Collaboration Fuels Tech)

This collaboration wasn’t just a crisis response — it demonstrated the power of connected digital ecosystems to unlock capabilities no single organisation could achieve alone.

How Connected Digital Ecosystems Unlock Value:

The shift from standalone digital tools to fully connected ecosystems is reshaping how organisations operate, collaborate, and compete. What once lived in isolated software environments is now part of a fluid, interoperable network where data, processes, and people move with far fewer barriers. The value unlocked isn’t just incremental efficiency — it’s a structural change in how decisions are made, how risks are managed, and how organisations position themselves for long-term resilience.

Interoperability as the Foundation:

Interoperability is the quiet hero of digital ecosystems. When systems can “speak” to each other — whether through APIs, common data environments, or shared standards — organisations eliminate the friction that traditionally slows down projects. In construction, for example, a connected BIM ecosystem allows design models, scheduling tools, procurement platforms, and field applications to exchange information in real time.

A practical example: a contractor using Autodesk Construction Cloud integrated with Procore and a digital twin platform. When a design change is issued, it automatically updates the schedule, triggers procurement adjustments, and alerts field teams. No manual re-entry. No version confusion. The ecosystem handles the coordination.

Further Information on Autodesk Construction Cloud – https://construction.autodesk.com.au/

Further Information on Procore – https://www.procore.com/en-au

Collaboration That Mirrors How People Actually Work:

Connected ecosystems also reshape collaboration by aligning digital workflows with real human behaviour. Instead of forcing teams into rigid systems, ecosystems allow each discipline to use the tools that suit them best — while still contributing to a shared source of truth.

Think of a multidisciplinary engineering team working on a major infrastructure project. Structural engineers might use Tekla, architects might use Revit, and sustainability consultants might use One Click LCA. In a connected ecosystem, these tools feed into a unified environment where clashes, carbon impacts, and constructability issues are visible early. Collaboration becomes proactive rather than reactive.

Tekla – https://www.tekla.com/

Revit – https://www.autodesk.com/au

One Click LCA – https://oneclicklca.com/en-au/

Real-Time Insights for Faster, Smarter Decisions:

Data loses value when it sits in silos. Connected ecosystems unlock real-time insights by aggregating information across the entire project or organisation. This is where the real transformation happens.

A facilities management team using a digital twin is a perfect example. Sensors feed live data on energy use, occupancy, equipment performance, and environmental conditions. Instead of waiting for monthly reports, the team can identify anomalies instantly — a chiller running inefficiently, a space being underutilised, or a safety threshold being approached. Decisions shift from retrospective to predictive.

Risk Mitigation Through Transparency:

Risk thrives in opacity. Connected ecosystems reduce uncertainty by making information visible, traceable, and auditable.

Consider safety management. When site inspections, incident reports, equipment logs, and worker certifications all feed into a unified platform, patterns emerge. A spike in near misses in a particular zone. A subcontractor whose equipment maintenance is overdue. A weather forecast that intersects with high-risk activities.

The ecosystem becomes a risk radar — not just a record-keeping tool.

Automation That Removes the Mundane:

Automation is often framed as a productivity booster, but in connected ecosystems, it becomes something more: a way to elevate human capability. When data flows freely, repetitive tasks can be automated without complex custom integrations.

Examples include:

  • automated quantity take-offs from live models
  • automated compliance checks against design standards
  • automated progress tracking using drone or scanner data
  • automated procurement triggers when inventory drops

This frees teams to focus on higher-value work — analysis, strategy, innovation.

Sustainability Reporting That’s Actually Achievable:

Sustainability reporting is notoriously data-heavy. Connected ecosystems simplify it by capturing carbon, waste, energy, and material data at the source.

A real-world example: Winslow Constructors’ sustainability initiatives (from your open tab) show how integrating environmental monitoring with project delivery systems enables more accurate reporting and better decision-making. When sustainability data is embedded into everyday workflows, reporting becomes a natural output rather than a painful end-of-project scramble.

Further Information on Winslow Constructions – https://www.winslow.com.au/

The Bigger Picture

Ultimately, connected digital ecosystems unlock value by creating coherence — between systems, between teams, and between intentions and outcomes. They turn data into intelligence, workflows into collaboration, and complexity into something manageable.

For organisations navigating digital transformation, the question is no longer whether to build an ecosystem, but how intentionally they design it.

 

Draftech – Your Project, Our Expertise

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