The data source filter that sorts providers
When you sit down with digital twin vendors, feature lists blur together. A sharper first cut is what the platform actually ingests. Does it take a static 3D file and stop? Does it pull numbers already sitting in dashboards? Or can it accept a live RTLS feed so the twin keeps moving with the floor?
That distinction decides whether you get a layout picture or something you can use during the shift.
Static files stop at the model
Plenty of platforms begin with geometry. You upload an FBX, OBJ, or cleaned CAD file and the system renders the plant. Some accept BIM after polygon and object-count reduction. The model looks right, which helps with training or layout talks.
Once the file is in, nothing moves unless someone re-exports and reloads. Forklift positions, material locations, and people stay frozen. If a demo runs on a pre-loaded scene with no sensor stream, treat the twin as static. Useful for planning, not for real-time decisions.
Live RTLS feeds put assets in motion
A narrower group of platforms can take continuous position streams. RTLS data from BLE beacons, UWB tags, RFID, or SLAM-based forklift localization arrives as data points. The 3D model becomes a live map where assets appear where they actually are.
Twinzo works in this category. It acts as an umbrella layer that ingests RTLS together with MES, ERP, WMS, and SCADA feeds. Position updates arrive every few seconds for tracked objects. Historical location data can be replayed, and movement shows up in spaghetti diagrams or heat maps.
Accuracy depends on the technology chosen. UWB can offer sub-meter accuracy while BLE typically provides 1-3 meter accuracy. The evaluation question is whether the vendor can connect the hardware you already run or plan to install, not whether one modality fits every zone perfectly.
Dashboard numbers stay flat even inside a 3D shell
Other systems call themselves digital twins yet mainly re-display KPIs calculated elsewhere. OEE values, throughput counts, or inventory totals appear as charts or floating labels. The numbers may be current, but they carry no spatial or temporal context for individual assets.
Ask whether a data point can sit at a specific location and timestamp, or whether the platform only shows aggregates. If the answer is aggregates only, the 3D view is packaging for an existing dashboard. Twinzo can display externally calculated OEE values with spatial context after ingesting them through APIs, without computing those values itself.
Three checks that fit inside a short pilot
You do not need a full-plant rollout to sort providers. Ask for a pilot that runs three concrete tests in order.
Upload a static model of a small area and confirm it renders cleanly, including any stated size limit such as 100 MB. Connect a live or simulated RTLS feed and watch at least a few assets update their positions. Bring in one existing KPI stream and verify whether it appears with location context or simply as a number.
The platform that clears all three sits in the live operational group. Twinzo offers a one-month free trial and can run on public cloud, private cloud, or fully on-premises, so the tests stay low-commitment. If the vendor cannot demonstrate the live feed step, the rest of the feature list matters less for day-to-day floor use.