Maximizing Value-To-Effort Using Digital Twins in a Rapidly Moving Spare Parts Supply Network
(2026) MTTM05 20252Production Management
Engineering Logistics
- Abstract
- Abstract
Title: Maximizing Value-to-Effort using Digital Twins in a Rapidly Moving Supply Network
Authors: André Laurent – Hedlund & Oskar Helén Cedergren
Supervisors: Sandeep Jagtap, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Digitalization Manager at The Company
Examiner: Andreas Norrman, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Background: The Company’s spare parts network currently operates in functional silos, with teams optimizing their processes independently. This siloed structure limits end-to-end visibility and cross-functional collaboration, causing fragmented information flows and reactive decision-making. As customer... (More) - Abstract
Title: Maximizing Value-to-Effort using Digital Twins in a Rapidly Moving Supply Network
Authors: André Laurent – Hedlund & Oskar Helén Cedergren
Supervisors: Sandeep Jagtap, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Digitalization Manager at The Company
Examiner: Andreas Norrman, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Background: The Company’s spare parts network currently operates in functional silos, with teams optimizing their processes independently. This siloed structure limits end-to-end visibility and cross-functional collaboration, causing fragmented information flows and reactive decision-making. As customer excellence is a key performance indicator, the lack of transparency increases the risk of delays, inefficiencies, and unfulfilled expectations. To address these challenges, The Company has initiated the “Command Centre” project, aiming to enhance visibility, coordination, and responsiveness across the network.
Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how a Digital Twin (DT) can enable end-to-end visibility, improve decision-making in the spare parts network, and serve as a cross-functional platform that fosters collaboration and breaks down silos. Additionally, the implementation of a DT will be examined through a value-to-effort analysis, and a framework will be proposed to support its adoption.
Methodology: The thesis is based on an exploratory single-case study consisting of 20 semi-structured interviews and a follow-up survey, iteratively combined with a systematic literature review. The research is grounded in the theoretical concepts of Supply Chain Visibility and Digital Supply Chain Surveillance. Specifically, the four pillars of visibility and the SDAR (Surveil, Detect, Action, Response) framework serve as the primary analytical lenses. Furthermore, a Value-to-Effort prioritization matrix is utilized as a strategic lens. Thematic analysis identified key challenges and desired capabilities, while the Value-to-Effort perspective guided the evaluation and prioritization of potential solutions.
Conclusions: The results show that DT technology can address key challenges in the spare parts network, including fragmented systems, reactive processes, lack of visibility, and prioritization gaps. Current operations lack end-to-end visibility and proactive decision-support, limiting responsiveness and in turn reducing customer satisfaction. Applying a value-to-effort lens revealed that quick win capabilities such as integrated order visibility, role-adapted dashboards, threshold-based detection, and action recommendation, offer high value with relatively low effort. At the same time, more advanced features require greater effort but promise transformative benefits. A three-phased implementation roadmap, aligned with an SDAR framework, is proposed to ensure scalability and progressive value creation. Ultimately, DTs can shift operations from reactive to proactive, enabling a customer-centric supply network, and lay the foundation for future automation and predictive capabilities.
Contribution: This thesis has been a complete collaboration between the two
authors. Each author has been involved in every part of the process and contributed equally.
Keywords: Digital Twins, Supply Chain Visibility, Surveillance Digital Twin, Spare Parts Network, End-To-End Visibility, Decision Support, Control Tower, Value-To-Effort (Less) - Popular Abstract
- A machine breaks down, and every second costs thousands due to stalled production. Finding a spare part should be simple, yet supply chains can often be a maze of silos and trapped knowledge. Enter Digital Twins that solve this maze.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9221484
- author
- Laurent Hedlund, André LU and Helén Cedergren, Oskar LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MTTM05 20252
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Digital Twins, Supply Chain Visibility, Surveillance Digital Twin, Spare Parts Network, End-To-End Visibility, Decision Support, Control Tower, Value-To-Effort
- other publication id
- 6053
- language
- English
- id
- 9221484
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-29 17:15:25
- date last changed
- 2026-05-29 17:15:25
@misc{9221484,
abstract = {{Abstract
Title: Maximizing Value-to-Effort using Digital Twins in a Rapidly Moving Supply Network
Authors: André Laurent – Hedlund & Oskar Helén Cedergren
Supervisors: Sandeep Jagtap, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Digitalization Manager at The Company
Examiner: Andreas Norrman, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Background: The Company’s spare parts network currently operates in functional silos, with teams optimizing their processes independently. This siloed structure limits end-to-end visibility and cross-functional collaboration, causing fragmented information flows and reactive decision-making. As customer excellence is a key performance indicator, the lack of transparency increases the risk of delays, inefficiencies, and unfulfilled expectations. To address these challenges, The Company has initiated the “Command Centre” project, aiming to enhance visibility, coordination, and responsiveness across the network.
Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how a Digital Twin (DT) can enable end-to-end visibility, improve decision-making in the spare parts network, and serve as a cross-functional platform that fosters collaboration and breaks down silos. Additionally, the implementation of a DT will be examined through a value-to-effort analysis, and a framework will be proposed to support its adoption.
Methodology: The thesis is based on an exploratory single-case study consisting of 20 semi-structured interviews and a follow-up survey, iteratively combined with a systematic literature review. The research is grounded in the theoretical concepts of Supply Chain Visibility and Digital Supply Chain Surveillance. Specifically, the four pillars of visibility and the SDAR (Surveil, Detect, Action, Response) framework serve as the primary analytical lenses. Furthermore, a Value-to-Effort prioritization matrix is utilized as a strategic lens. Thematic analysis identified key challenges and desired capabilities, while the Value-to-Effort perspective guided the evaluation and prioritization of potential solutions.
Conclusions: The results show that DT technology can address key challenges in the spare parts network, including fragmented systems, reactive processes, lack of visibility, and prioritization gaps. Current operations lack end-to-end visibility and proactive decision-support, limiting responsiveness and in turn reducing customer satisfaction. Applying a value-to-effort lens revealed that quick win capabilities such as integrated order visibility, role-adapted dashboards, threshold-based detection, and action recommendation, offer high value with relatively low effort. At the same time, more advanced features require greater effort but promise transformative benefits. A three-phased implementation roadmap, aligned with an SDAR framework, is proposed to ensure scalability and progressive value creation. Ultimately, DTs can shift operations from reactive to proactive, enabling a customer-centric supply network, and lay the foundation for future automation and predictive capabilities.
Contribution: This thesis has been a complete collaboration between the two
authors. Each author has been involved in every part of the process and contributed equally.
Keywords: Digital Twins, Supply Chain Visibility, Surveillance Digital Twin, Spare Parts Network, End-To-End Visibility, Decision Support, Control Tower, Value-To-Effort}},
author = {{Laurent Hedlund, André and Helén Cedergren, Oskar}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Maximizing Value-To-Effort Using Digital Twins in a Rapidly Moving Spare Parts Supply Network}},
year = {{2026}},
}