Digital twins: a game changer in customer experience

Purpose Digital twins have been employed in engineering, agriculture, manufacturing, information systems, computer science and digital medicine. This article introduces digital twins to the services and customer experience (CX) literature, addressing complex challenges in CX management. Unlike traditional software tools that rely on static dashboards or front-end interfaces that merely display descriptive statistics or historical data, a CX digital twin integrates real-time data streams with simulation capabilities to anticipate emerging issues and dynamically test potential intervention strategies. We present a conceptual framework for CX digital twins, provide a practical roadmap, and demonstrate its applicability across three diverse service settings: heavy asset B2B shipping service, retail food service and healthcare. Design/methodology/approach This article takes a conceptual approach and draws insights from literature in engineering, manufacturing, information systems and computer science. Findings CX has traditionally been managed reactively, addressing complaints after service has concluded. We advance CX management by integrating journey mapping with dynamic, real-time inputs, allowing for proactive issue resolution, opportunity identification and experience reconfiguration through digital twins. We position CX digital twins as a transformative proactive approach, which recasts CX management to a focus on predicting and intervening in contrast to attempting to address problems only after customers report them. The article concludes with directions for future research. Practical implications We provide a novel approach to CX management with a clear, actionable roadmap. Practically, our five-step roadmap (AAICE) enables organizations to implement CX digital twins by: (1) Assessing their operational environments to uncover inefficiencies, customer pain points and service challenges, thereby anticipating potential problems through advanced data-driven insights before they occur. (2) Analyzing historical, real-time and synthetic data flows to optimize operations and enhance CX and proactively intervening to resolve issues before they escalate, using predictive analytics and real-time monitoring. (3) Identifying opportunities to delight customers by personalizing touchpoints, such as tailoring product recommendations or providing timely support. (4) Co-designing innovative customized service offerings through simulated customer scenarios, enabling organizations to optimize processes and innovate. (5) Evaluating the effectiveness of CX digital twin implementation using sound CX and operational metrics and tools refining systems based on feedback and driving continuous improvement to deliver seamless and superior CXs. Originality/value This article is the first to introduce the concept of digital twins in CX management. We provide a novel approach to thinking about CX through our innovative CX digital twins conceptual framework comprising four dimensions: the asset, data exchange, digital replica (agents) and feedback loop. Further, we offer a practical roadmap (AAICE) for implementation and provide directions for future research.