ANN ARBOR, MI, USA, Mar 19, 2026 – CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the digital transformation it enables, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, Digital Threads and Twins in Theory and Practice: Benchmarked Industry Use Cases.” Hosted by James Roche, Aerospace & Defense Practice Vice President, and Janie Gurley, Director, Data Governance Practice, the webinar will take place on Thursday, 9 April 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) and last for one hour.
Today’s complex engineering systems demand unprecedented levels of data integration. While the vision of Digital Twins and Digital Threads (DTW-DTH) promises to revolutionize product lifecycles, many organizations struggle to translate concepts into tangible implementations. This session will tackle common industry pain points that often stall digital initiatives, moving beyond theory to demonstrate what is practical and achievable with currently available tools and methods.
The webinar will start by focusing on three core pillars of digital twins and threads:
- The “What”: The scope of data required to form a digital thread or combine as a digital twin.
- The “Why”: The tangible value realized from these data interrelationships and combinations.
- The “How”: The architectural principles for designing views that enable collaboration between data creators and consumers along the entire product lifecycle.
Understanding that the theoretical “limitless possibilities” of DTW-DTH can be both a challenge and an opportunity, CIMdata, in collaboration with the Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (AD PAG), engaged with seven leading DTW-DTH solution providers. The group assessed the capabilities of commercially available software and services through a series of rigorous demonstrations using supported industry use cases.
During the webinar, CIMdata will review 7 of the 28 use cases demonstrated. These cases span all lifecycle stages and technical domains, from initial development and production to the utilization and support of complex systems, offering a clear view of real-world performance and value.
The webinar will help attendees:
- Understand the core concepts and interrelationships between digital threads and twins.
- Identify relevant product representations for creators and consumers across the lifecycle.
- Learn basic guidelines for designing effective DTW-DTH structures.
- Gain insights into solution provider implementations.
- Understand the performance and value achieved from various real-world use cases.
According to James Roche, CIMdata’s Aerospace & Defense Practice Vice President, “The essential concepts of digital thread and digital twin are foundational to product lifecycle management (PLM), and examples can be found in industry that go back decades. Today, however, within an enterprise context of digital transformation, there is heightened corporate attention and investment to elevate and extend PLM with digital threads and digital twins that deliver value across all phases of the product lifecycle. And the methods and tools for implementation are advancing rapidly in response. This is an exciting time of challenge and opportunity.”
This educational webinar is essential for anyone responsible for or interested in product program integration, systems engineering, PLM program planning, or digital transformation. Target roles include Product & PLM Program Managers/Planners, Technical Architects, Systems Engineers, PLM & Digitalization Architects, Digital Transformation & Digitalization Strategists, and PLM Business Analysts.
- To find out more, visit https://www.cimdata.com/en/education/educational-webinars/webinar-digital-threads-and-twins-in-theory-and-in-practice-benchmarked-industry-use-cases.
- To register for the webinar, please visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7968032575240541525.
About CIMdata
CIMdata, a global strategic management consulting firm, provides services designed to maximize an enterprise’s ability to design, deliver, and support innovative products and services. For more than forty years, CIMdata has provided industrial organizations, providers of digital technologies and services, and investment firms with world-class insight, expertise, and best-practice methods on a broad set of product lifecycle management (PLM) topics and the digital transformation they enable. CIMdata also offers research, subscription services, publications, and education through certificate programs and international conferences. To learn more, visit www.CIMdata.com or email info@CIMdata.com.
