Digital Twins for “Zero-Touch” Changeovers: Add SKUs Without Ripping Out Hardware

John Stikes
Jun 12
2 min read

Warehouse worker in a yellow hard hat and vest examines a labeled cardboard box. Boxes stacked in the background. Calm, focused mood. — Changes in operations can be a headache when not managed well. There are easy ways to manage through changes that help keep up with the rapid pace of business.

Changeovers used to mean new tooling, re-tuning conveyors, and weeks of trial-and-error. A well-built digital twin lets you test routes, buffers, robot tasks, and cycle times virtually—so launch day is mostly a config change.

What you actually need

Geometry: CAD for cells/fixtures, aisle maps, racking; floor elevations/tolerances.
Process data: Cycle times, PLC tags, task libraries, traffic rules, pack patterns.
SKU attributes: Dimensions, weight, fragility, labeling, handling constraints.
Systems: WMS/MES events (order release, status, exceptions), API endpoints.

Fidelity: how “real” is real enough?

Level 1 (routing): Discrete-event sim for queues, buffers, and throughput—great for DC flows.
Level 2 (motion): Add paths, acceleration, turns—validate AMR interactions and headways.
Level 3 (physics): Detailed robot/tool paths and collisions for tight tolerances.

Start at Level 1; only add detail where decisions depend on it.

The changeover loop

Model current state (baseline throughput & blockers).
Inject new SKU/process (routes, tasks, constraints).
Run scenarios (volume bands, shift plans, “what-ifs”).
Publish a go/no-go with expected cycle time and staffing.
Deploy config (WMS/WES/PLC), then compare actual vs. predicted.

30-60-90 plan

30 days: Build Level-1 twin; validate with one lane/cell.
60 days: Add motion layer for AMR/cobot interactions; link to test WMS/MES.
90 days: Run two changeovers in sim, then push to production with a roll-back plan.

Common pitfalls

Over-modeling details that don’t change decisions
Missing exceptions (relabel, rework, returns)
Unversioned configs—make every scenario reproducible

Let us help you with your CAD/flow diagrams and one week of order data; we’ll talkthrough a twin + “zero-touch” playbook for your next project.