AR helps people solve real challenges in business and beyond. That is, after all, the overarching point of any new technology that gets introduced. If technology doesn't solve challenges, then it's a diversion, not a tool. While AR CAN be a captivating diversion, its greatest potential is acting as a transformative tool for the enterprise. AR can change how the enterprise does business. It can solve real challenges. It can cut costs, improve efficiency, and make life easier.
Here are a few augmented reality examples that solved real challenges:
"It's too expensive to move this equipment"
For businesses that have large products (earth moving equipment, planes, cars, etc.) it can cost a fortune just to move said products to a showroom floor or a trade show. The cost of freight has to be factored into that company's budget. With Augmented Reality, you can build virtual representations of those products and place them anywhere. You can pack an airplane in your Google Tango device before you hit the road. When it's time to display the product, AR enables viewers to walk around the item, examine features, and get all the info they need.
"I can't find enough qualified technicians"
Good help is hard to find, as they say. When your business deals in complex equipment and complicated service procedures, you need technicians who are able to complete service jobs efficiently. But, it can be hard to find technicians with the right experience and highly expensive to train those who don't have it. AR can solve that challenge by providing technicians with real-time step-by-step instruction for service procedures. That can cut down on the required training hours and make servicing complicated machinery as simple as putting on glasses.
"Training takes too long"
If training hours can't be cut down or sped up (think learing surgical procedures or law enforcement scenarios), then the best way to improve efficiency is to enable trainees to train on their time, with little required set-up and a wealth of available equipment. Understandably, 'little set-up' and 'available equipment' is not something most businesses have on hand. That leaves some trainees sitting on the sidelines, watching others practice procedures. AR solves that by allowing for simultaneous virtual training, with no physical equipment required.
"It's hard to close a sale if I can't show my product"
ABC: Always Be Closing. A classic movie moment and generally decent advice for salespeople. But, going for the close is harder if you can't show your product to customers. That's a problem that many salespeople face on a daily basis. If your company sells an impossibly huge item (as referenced in the first example), you can't exactly bring that to the pitch meeting. So, sales gets stuck with pamphlets or videos instead of the genuine article. AR can solve that challenge by giving sales the ability to show off virtual models of oversize products.
"People keep getting lost in my facility"
Wayfinding can give employees and clients alike fits. If you have a facility that is difficult to navigate, AR can help. Using an app, visitors (or new employees) can point their smartphone, tablet, or headset at AR triggers and receive help with directions, leading them to where they need to be, without installing a ton of new signage (which will be far less effective anyway). AR can solve common challenges like wayfinding by enhancing the physical environment with more information. If you notice any area that needs more information, AR can be the answer.
"My marketing collateral is being ignored"
If your marketing materials are boring, that can be deflating. Sadly, traditional marketing materials are easy to ignore. Brochures are easy to tuck into a briefcase, never to be seen again. Promotional videos get 30 seconds to impress before the window closes. AR can give your company something different. It's interactive and it can make your product or service come to life. Instead of showing someone a video of a new motorcycle, why not let them walk around the model, seeing the features and hearing the engine in action?
There are numerous other augmented reality examples that have helped the enterprise solve real business challenges. AR is a powerful, largely under-utilized tool the enterprise can use to improve. If your business is facing challenges you can't solve for, AR could be the answer. Reach out to an experienced Digital Product Studio who can help identify how your business can leverage AR.
Posted byMark Hemmer
From Blog OnFire.com
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