A Structured Review of Virtual Commissioning: Simulation Fidelity, Industrial Validation, and Design-Oriented Decision-Making

Virtual commissioning (VC) is increasingly used to validate automation systems before physical deployment. However, existing research largely treats VC as a technical tool, lacking a unified framework that connects its capabilities to engineering design processes and industrial outcomes. This study addresses this gap by reframing VC as a design-oriented methodology grounded in engineering design theory. Based on a systematic review of 36 recent studies, this paper introduces key design constructs linking simulation fidelity, performance metrics, and human-in-the-loop reasoning to design decision-making. A thematic cluster analysis structures the literature into seven technological domains, revealing advances in modeling and integration, as well as persistent limitations in empirical validation and standardized performance indicators. A conceptual framework is proposed to explain how VC supports anticipatory reasoning, iterative refinement, and decision-making under uncertainty in early-stage engineering design. By positioning VC as a methodological enabler of design rather than solely as a validation tool, this study contributes to the development of design-oriented VC research and highlights the roles of human interpretation, engineering judgment, and transparent decision criteria in early-stage validation.