Asset Position Data – The Foundation of the Digital Factory  

Imagine the following scenario: the maintenance team receives a work order to inspect a leaking valve. The equipment tag exists in the system, yet several identical valves are installed across the plant. Perhaps the old P&ID no longer reflects reality, and no photos are attached to the documentation. So where is the valve physically located? 

At this point, the supervisor may try to identify the correct asset by calling the process operator. The operator might guess that “it’s probably the valve that was replaced during the last shutdown.” 

The maintenance technician heads to the field but must search from one production line to another. Eventually the right valve is found, but more time has already been spent locating the equipment than carrying out the actual maintenance task. 

The next day, another team may face a similar task on another line and repeat the exact same process from the beginning.   

A Small Positioning Problem Can Become a Major Operational Challenge

Even if asset data exists, it is not always accessible, up to date, or visually connected to reality. Asset positions exist in theory, but the link between documentation and the actual equipment in the field is weak. 

This situation is unfortunately common in many industrial facilities. Reasons include: 

• A maintenance system has been renewed but not all data was migrated 
• Documentation is scattered across formats and systems 
• Equipment has been moved or replaced without updating the records 
• When staff change, tacit knowledge disappears 

 The result is a set of costly, recurring problems that may go unaddressed because an upcoming system upgrade, such as SAP, Maximo or another CMMS renewal, seems to promise a “fresh start”. Meanwhile, data continues to degrade, errors accumulate, and maintenance is forced to rely on guesses and tacit knowledge. 

At SolidComp, we provide a solution: consolidating asset information and structure in a visual, step-by-step and system-independent way, supporting both daily maintenance work and future system upgrades.   

Reality Twin Makes Asset Data Visible and Usable

Reality Twin is designed so that equipment positions can be created and managed independently of the maintenance or document management system currently in use, or the one chosen in future. The core principle is simple: the same visual truth of the factory environment for everyone.   

1. System-Independent Position Structure

In Reality Twin, equipment is placed in a hierarchical structure (e.g., site – area – system – equipment – component) and visually linked to its exact location in the 3D or 360° environment. 

Each asset position becomes its own information object, with an ID, location, and key metadata. This structure can later be connected to a CMMS or ERP (such as SAP or Maximo) once a renewal or development project begins. 

2. One View for the Asset and Its Information

Reality Twin consolidates: 

• Equipment positions and their precise locations 
• Photos, 3D data, and 360° imagery 
• Drawings and P&IDs 
• Documents and operating instructions 

Users can instantly see both “where the equipment is” and “what is known about it”, reducing search time and lowering the risk of working on the wrong asset.  

3. Open API for Integrations

Reality Twin supports a REST API and common data formats such as Excel/CSV. This enables: 

• Importing asset data from existing systems into Reality Twin 
• Exporting the structure later into CMMS or document systems 
• Keeping data structures aligned across systems 

This means asset mapping can begin immediately, without needing to replace any existing system. 

4. A Practical, Step-by-Step Start

Reality Twin makes it easy to begin. The mapping can start with a single production line, one system, or one maintenance scope (e.g., lock-out instructions, critical valves, or main processes). Data can be imported directly from 3D or 360° models, Excel/CSV lists, or existing systems. 

The process progresses incrementally, and benefits appear already during the pilot.  

Use Asset Position Data Even Before Your Next CMMS Upgrade

Mapping asset positions into Reality Twin is not tied to your current CMMS. Even a small start allows you to: 

• Create a clear visual position structure for a selected area 
• Test how the information supports maintenance, engineering and operations 
• Build the foundation for future SAP, Maximo or CMMS upgrades 

When the system renewal eventually begins, most of the groundwork, identifying correct positions and clarifying structure is already completed. Reality Twin then acts as the visual and technical reference point to which new systems can be connected.  

How an Asset Position Inventory Project Proceeds

1. Assessment of Existing Material

We review the customer’s current data (e.g., equipment lists, P&IDs, documents) and align it with the Reality Twin environment. If information is partly outdated, the 3D or 360° model acts as a reference for validating correct locations. 

2. Positioning and Creation of Identifiers

Equipment is placed in its correct visual location using computer vision models, 3D geometry, and manual tagging. Later, these assets can be linked to other systems such as the CMMS or ERP. 

3. Data Enrichment

Each asset can have linked or attached: 

• Maintenance history and service records 
• Documents and operating manuals 
• Drawings and P&ID references 
• Other customer-specific metadata 

Each item becomes a single, clear information object where everything is centralised. 

4. Integrations and Expansion

Once the structure exists, it can be used for: 

• Integrations with CMMS, document management, or other systems 
• Shutdown and turnaround planning 
• Induction and safety walkthroughs 

Expansion is controlled: start small, then grow based on real-world use. 

5. Deployment and Training

Users can navigate to equipment locations directly in Reality Twin via browser, desktop app, or mobile field app. Early benefits usually appear during the pilot phase: faster locating, better shared understanding, and reduced guesswork.  

Benefits Through Faster Work and Reliable Data

• Faster asset location
  → Shorter downtime, less unnecessary movement, more efficient fieldwork 
• Shared, up-to-date overview for Maintenance, Engineering and Operations
  → Fewer misunderstandings, reduced duplicate work, smoother collaboration 
• All documentation in one place
  → Less time searching, more time doing 
• Easier ERP/CMMS updates (SAP, Maximo, etc.)
  → Less manual work, lower project risk 
• Improved data integrity and traceability
  → Fewer incorrect orders, fewer unnecessary tasks, higher trust in information 
• Higher safety and operational reliability
  → Critical items are located faster, planning improves, deviations and costly interruptions decrease 

 In practice, these benefits translate directly into financial value: shorter shutdowns, reduced resource needs, faster onboarding, and more consistent work quality, especially when staff turnover risks the loss of tacit knowledge.  

A Small Mapping Effort Becomes a Permanent Improvement

Adding asset positions to Reality Twin is simple but strategically significant. It: 

• Improves equipment traceability and data quality 
• Reduces everyday inefficiencies and errors 
• Builds the foundation for future system updates and integrations 

 Reality Twin enables organisations to start small, grow steadily, and build lasting visual information capital, independent of system environment. It is an investment that supports processes, people and technology far into the future. 

Read more about SolidComp's Asset position inventory

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