How Low-Code Platforms Support Process Digital Twins

Process Digital Twins (PDTs) extend the concept of Digital Twins by providing a virtual representation of real-world processes that enables continuous real-time data sharing for monitoring, simulation, and optimization. Their development and maintenance are complex, requiring detailed modeling, integration of data from multiple sources, real-time synchronization with physical systems, and coordination among various stakeholders. Traditional process modeling approaches such as Business Process Management and BPMN are not designed to handle the dynamic, data-driven nature of PDTs. Meanwhile, Low-code development platforms (LCDPs) offer ready-to-use toolboxes that allow rapid application creation with minimal programming effort, reducing time and costs. Although LCDPs have been explored in relation to Digital Twins of physical objects, their combination with PDTs has not yet been concretely addressed. This work investigates how PDTs can be developed with LCDPs by formally identifying PDT characteristics and evaluating, through three case studies, how LCDPs can support these features, providing lessons that may guide future research.