HC Online, Australia: Head of Cognizant Digital Business for Asia Pacific and the Middle East Says Augmented Reality Empowers Workers to Perform to a Higher Standard

“Augmented and virtual reality technologies burst into our consciousness via the gaming and entertainment industries a few years ago, but the enterprise and workforce management sectors are where this technology is having the biggest impact today,” writes Dr. John Burgin. “The applications for VR and AR will transform the workforce in areas including business processes, workflows and employee training.” Excerpts:

“Sectors that will benefit most from implementing VR and AR training programs have physical products and environments at the heart of their businesses. These include manufacturing, automotive, medical, engineering, and retail.

For example, new manufacturing recruits previously had to rely on manuals and demonstrations when learning how to operate machinery. This can be replaced with immersive experiences through AR as it imitates the real world. Not only is this more effective, but it also removes any interference with company operations, as the actual machines don’t have to be switched off or reserved for training purposes.

Virtual and augmented environments have diverse applications, and can be used to increase efficiencies and business outcomes, as well as improve training.

Imagine workers on the factory floor. They don’t need to refer to a manual or rely on their supervisors. Instead, AR empowers them to trouble-shoot on their own with the support of company-approved guidelines. This is efficient, practical and effective.

This technology is being deployed to more effectively mobilize workers across multiple industries. Field service engineers, for example, can use wearables to access checklists and work manuals, and interact with objects hands-free while working on a job. Also, healthcare workers can use the technology to learn about upcoming surgeries, model organs, and explain medical procedures to patients. The possibilities are growing exponentially as trials proliferate particularly across retail, education and tourism.

As AR and VR mature, it is now possible to produce experiences that mimic real environments accurately and allow real-time interactivity. This can reduce hardware and people dependencies, and empower workers to perform their jobs to a higher standard.”

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