Accelerate Service and Repairs and Save Millions on Warranty Costs with XR
In today’s digital age, technology is ever-evolving, revolutionizing the way businesses operate and interact with customers. Companies that leverage the power of XR technology in the workplace are capitalizing on a plethora of procedural and cost-saving benefits. From headsets to head-mounted displays, XR technology allows companies to deliver support, conduct routine maintenance, and perform repairs in a more efficient and streamlined manner.
XR technology is proving advantageous across a number of sectors and service areas. Whether it’s reducing machine downtime and operational costs or improving productivity and minimizing human error, XR is demonstrating wins in manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and construction. By allowing our physical world to converge with virtual ones, these immersive devices are transforming the way businesses and technicians perform service and repairs, ultimately saving them millions of dollars on warranty costs.
How XR Technology Impacts Maintenance Needs
For technicians, AR and VR devices enhance accessibility and can be leveraged for a number of applications, including:
- Access to equipment manuals, technical documents and training resources.
- Real-time remote support and the ability to collaborate with specialists (regardless of their location) to optimize service delivery, address an unexpected failure, or rectify a complex error – ensuring operations are resumed in a timely manner.
- Utilize digital overlays, like illustrations, images, or charts to provide visual support when assembling or disassembling complex parts and equipment.
- Leverage data and smart technology to forecast maintenance needs, identify potential issues and accelerate the resolution process.
XR solutions have become an invaluable tool for cutting down error rates and increasing efficiency. For instance, GE Boeing decreased its production time by 25% and essentially eliminated error rates altogether. Similarly, GE healthcare experienced a 46% increase in worker productivity, while their aviation division saw an 8–12% improvement in service efficiency.
Large-scale factory and equipment breakdowns are not only common, but costly. That’s why more and more organizations are leveraging XR technology to overcome these hurdles.
Troubleshooting & Repairs
When it comes to the repair process, XR technology is able to provide valuable touchpoints from the initial diagnosis to the final resolution. All too often, technicians wind up misdiagnosing equipment issues. Over time, this type of error causes compounding problems – especially when travel to and from a worksite is factored into the equation. Precious time spent in transit not only costs the business dollars, but detracts from time that could be spent on rectifying the issue at hand.
XR technology has the power to vastly decrease, and even eliminate, the need for travel, allowing technicians to gain on-demand access to valuable repair data or remote assistance. As a result, technicians have the opportunity to train, learn and understand issues quicker. What’s more, real-time access helps reduce operational costs, eliminate downtime and decrease human error.
Using XR for Remote Assistance
Through XR devices, on-site workers can collaborate with a remote expert anytime, anywhere. Whenever a complex or new issue crops up, service techs can quickly receive highly-specialized support from remote personnel to accelerate the diagnosis and repair process – which effectively saves both time and money.
XR devices have real-time two-way video and audio capabilities, allowing tech teams to provide those in the field with guidance on everything from troubleshooting assistance to assembly instructions. Remote support technicians even have the ability to provide users with on-demand access to crucial analytical data and control actions.
Speaking to the benefits of XR for real-time support, Coca-Cola’s VP of Supply Chain, Helen Davis, shares: “We no longer need to fly in people from Germany – where our main equipment suppliers are based – to troubleshoot our machines. Now they can virtually see what we are seeing, instantaneously, and help diagnose and solve issues without stepping foot in a plant. This allows us to operate ‘virtually’, unencumbered by time or distance.”
Organizations are bleeding dollars when it comes to equipment breakdown, lost production time, and warranty costs. In addition to cost-saving benefits, the ability for workers to collaborate with one another is a key factor driving the implementation of XR technology into enterprise-level processes and systems.
XR technology has the power to help organizations scale, increase ROI and eliminate inefficiencies. To learn more about how the experts at Concannon XR can help your business move the needle forward and drive down costs, contact us today.
How Hands-Free Devices are Changing the Way Technicians Work
Assisted Reality devices are being adopted at a rapid pace across the industrial sector. From the oil and gas industry to automotive corporations, RealWear’s hands-free solutions are increasing productivity, reducing costs, allowing businesses to scale and enhancing the customer experience. With more and more organizations leveraging hands-free devices, it’s completely transforming the way technicians work.
A Hands-Free Experience
Wearable assisted reality devices enable technicians to operate at an optimal level – without the need to hold a phone or tablet in one hand while simultaneously working with the other. Oftentimes, field technicians are geographically dispersed, making it difficult to receive support when conducting maintenance or repairs.
With RealWear devices, technicians can connect and collaborate with specialists via hands-free video and audio. Additionally, they can playback training videos, capture images and videos, refer to equipment manuals, and more without having to stop to interact with a laptop or tablet. This ensures any issues that arise are solved quickly and efficiently, using real-time data to drive decision-making. On average, RealWear devices reduce downtime by 29%.
Assembling & Disassembling Products
Through the use of assisted reality devices, the assembly and disassembly of equipment and parts – an often complex process – can be simplified. Through RealWear’s two-way video call feature, experts can connect with on-site technicians and collaborate remotely to identify and rectify issues. This level of on-demand assistance is vital to ensuring operations are resumed as quickly as possible, dramatically reducing maintenance costs.
Access to Real-Time Data
Another way assisted reality wearables help technicians is by allowing them to view real-time data. Access to information is crucial for servicing equipment, rectifying an unexpected failure and receiving remote support when needed. Speeding up the troubleshooting process – whether through remote assistance or via the device’s resource library – will reduce operational costs, eliminate downtime, minimize errors, and ensure technicians have a firm understanding of how to resolve the issue at hand.
Decreased Training Cost & Time
Valuable information can be stockpiled by an assisted reality system through a library of on-demand resources. Service calls, for instance, can be recorded to capture the knowledge of experienced engineers and technicians. These audio and video files can be leveraged for training newly hired technicians.
Similarly, when a new technician is on location at a customer site, they can collaborate with an experienced technician (regardless of their location) to optimize service delivery while providing hands-on education. This functionality will reduce training time as well as save corporations the cost of sending multiple personnel to a client’s site.
RealWear’s hands-free devices can be customized for a myriad of business needs. From the ability to view technical manuals to improve productivity and safety, to reducing operational errors through on-the-go digital workflows, there’s no shortage of use cases when it comes to leveraging assisted reality within the industrial sector.
To learn more about how assisted reality technology can provide cost-saving benefits and drive ROI, contact one of our experts today.
The Cost-Saving Benefits of Remote Support with AR Technology
According to a March 2021 Statista Report, VR and AR technologies will enhance more than 2.3 million jobs by 2030. Capitalizing on the features of assisted reality devices provides cost-saving power for businesses in industries like healthcare, automotive, tourism, architecture, construction, aerospace, and beyond by keeping the workforce efficient and connected while saving production time and personnel hours in a variety of ways.
Remote Support with Assistive Reality Devices
One of the most efficient cost-saving benefits of RealWear technology like the HMT-1 device is the availability of remote support. Service techs no longer need to travel to assist their organization in finding solutions in real-time. With the use of AR devices, businesses have access to faster tech support— which means less downtime, and more productivity and forward momentum.
Along with the cost savings from AR’s efficiency improvements, RealWear devices offer a variety of industries increased safety and reduced costs by giving workers in hazardous environments access to improved safety protocols via remote assistance, high resolution cameras, and noise-canceling communication.
Looking at Support Strategies In a New Light
Investing in AR/VR technologies means you can refocus, refine and customize your hiring strategy by utilizing fewer personnel who can efficiently share their expertise throughout your organization in real time.
With Assisted Reality, financial resources can go towards investing in support leaders who will now have the capacity and time to remotely empower a highly trained, skilled workforce from anywhere in the world because they have the resources they need to serve others throughout the organization more efficiently.
Cost Savings with Training and Materials
Training with remote assistance provides the next level of tech support with shared views and guides. This means lower travel expenses, limited physical product expenditures, and the ability for more people to have virtual access to resources without risk of deterioration and consumption of valuable assets and materials.
With AR you can guide your employees through procedures using videos with realistic projections that can interact with each other, and functions that give step-by-step training instructions for conceivably any industry.
Playing the Long Game
Businesses can experience immediate benefits and cost savings over time by maintaining consistent communication and sharing the best information across channels within your supply chain and building new innovations and efficiencies in a more seamless way with remote virtual technologies in place. In short, AR helps increase productivity while decreasing production time and benefitting the consumer in the long run.
If you are interested in further discussing the benefits and cost savings of empowering your support team with assistive reality technology? Contact an expert with ConcannonXR today.
Connected Workers: Hands Free Solutions for Front Line Jobs
As digital transformation continues to shape the future of enterprise corporations, the accompanying technology is being integrated at all levels of the business. Beyond a screen, accelerated uses of virtual and assisted reality are being used to raise standards for forward-thinking design, onboarding and training, customer service expectations, and employee safety. The technology leading the way in industrial applications? Assisted reality.
What is assisted reality?
Assisted Reality (AR) is a form of digital technology that allows a user to view relevant information through a hands-free display, usually mounted on a helmet or glasses for convenience. Due to the work environments of front job line jobs and industrial workers, assisted reality is the go-to solution for an immersive digital experience.
Safety for Front Line Workers
Nothing is more important than protecting your front line. The ability to ensure the safety of frontline workers is one of the core reasons that assisted reality devices are being implemented and proving their tremendous return on investment. Overcoming this financial and budgetary obligation combined with the numerous, now available, studies on safety within various industrial environments, makes assisted reality adoption quicker and less likely to encounter obstacles and concerns with management and executive buy-ins.
Assisted reality devices have gone through rigorous testing and safety assessments. While they assist workers in the day-to-day functions of their current task loads by ensuring they are hands-free and that information is accessible, they are also setup with individual characteristics based on the environment they will be used in to ensure exceptional and safe usage. These types of situational opportunities or concerns may include questions like:
1. Do you work outdoors or indoors?
2. How large should the digital display be based on the surrounding environment?
3. How much digital content should be shown to the connected worker?
4. What is the maximum amount of data that can be shown?
5. How bright should the display be?
6. Does it need to be compatible with PPE?
And most importantly, how can the product ensure connected workers are able to perform their tasks efficiently and safely?
Hands-Free Access to Information
The workforce of the future is being looked at holistically in terms of both the individual as well as the hardware and software that will be required to engage in their positions. Devices need to address the problem being solved, especially those which are mission-critical, often immediately. With hands-free access to this critical information, the worker can stay engaged and aware on the job site while still having documentation and remote tech support at their fingertips.
Assisted Reality Devices Available Now
In 2019, US workforce laborers suffered nearly 3 million job-related injuries. These rates are significantly higher in manufacturing positions and equipment maintenance. Assisted reality devices, when implemented correctly, help increase visibility, sensory processing, and ensure relevant and timely information is available to assist workers in their tasks. Interested in how AR may help improve the performance and safety of your workers in an industrial or manufacturing environment? Reach out to the team at Concannon XR today for more information on our AR packages and ready-to-implement programs.
Top 3 Benefits of Assisted Reality
Assisted Reality (AR) is a form of digital technology that allows a user to view relevant information through a hands-free display, usually mounted on a helmet or glasses for convenience. This new way of giving workers on-demand access to information and help is taking the industrial field by storm. And, despite the media focus on more complex reality technologies under development, such as Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality, industrial enterprises are finding that assisted reality is both ready and valuable today. Here are the top three benefits of adopting Assisted Reality (AR) in your industrial enterprise:
1. Easier access to relevant and reliable information
Relevant and reliable digital information is now within an industrial worker’s line of sight with the aid of an assisted reality (AR) technology device. These devices are useful for displaying hands-free two-dimensional content, usually in various forms of multimedia such as documents, images, videos, diagrams, and the like. This allows simplification of multi-step tasks and eliminates the necessity of paper-based processes, content, and documentation. And since assisted reality devices are designed to be used with voice and eye tracking controls, workers don’t have to stop what they are doing to refer to a checklist or page through a service manual.
2. Increased productivity and efficiency of the industrial workforce
Choosing the proper piece of wearable assisted reality technology is essential in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of your industrial workforce. Assisted reality technology devices such as those from RealWear provide the utmost convenience to workers by using headsets to perform tasks traditionally provided by Android tablets or rugged laptops.
Such tasks include, but are not limited to: accessing digital resources, capturing videos and images, completing checklists and forms, performing location-based tasks using GPS, etc. Additionally, industrial companies such as Boeing and General Electric Ventures have recorded increased productivity rates of up to 46 percent, reduced error rates by 30 percent, and production time and first-time quality improvement rates as much as 25 percent when using assisted reality devices.
Also, multinational companies using an assisted reality software platform have reported an average performance improvement rate of 32 percent. With stats like these, assisted reality technology has proven to be invaluable for several industries.
3. Significant cost reductions
Industrial work has always taken place in hazardous environments from factory floors to gas pipelines. The use of assisted reality technology devices, such as those from RealWear, offer hands-free and voice-enabled controls to safely keep worker attention on the task at hand. These headsets also come equipped with high-resolution cameras and noise-canceling microphones and headphones so that workers can clearly communicate with supervisors and guidance experts remotely. This allows significant cost reductions and increased safety through remote monitoring and collaboration rather than traditional on-site support. It’s no wonder that many industrial and manufacturing companies are turning to assisted reality as the next major step in their technology toolset. And with increasing options in both hardware and software for assisted reality applications, deploying an AR solution in the field is both cheaper and quicker than you might think.
Interested in incorporating assisted reality technology into your enterprise? Contact our experts at Concannon XR now for an AR consultation.
How to Utilize Assisted Reality for Real Time Support and Training
Technological advancements have revolutionized the way businesses train, communicate and provide support. Assisted Reality – including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are now reshaping the way companies deliver procedural guidance and navigate the troubleshooting process.
From headsets to head-mounted displays, assisted reality offers users a fully immersive experience, allowing support teams to provide guidance and collaborate with customers and colleagues from anywhere across the globe.
Implementing assisted reality for real time support has proven to yield a plethora of benefits. For example, GE healthcare experienced a 46% increase in worker productivity while GE Boeing reduced production time by 25% and essentially eliminated error rates altogether.
From decreasing machine downtime and human error to reducing costs and improving first-time fix rates, utilizing AR for real time support can benefit customers, employees and service technicians in the field.
Leveraging AR for Support & Maintenance Needs
Years ago, machinery was less complex – meaning systems were easier to learn, demand was lighter and breakdowns weren’t so disruptive to business operations. Today, however, new and emerging technology has led to a much more intricate and challenging working environment.
AR-powered solutions offer a cost-effective and streamlined approach to providing remote support to on-site technicians who are using unfamiliar equipment or performing repairs. Tech teams can provide on-the-spot guidance covering anything from operator assembly instructions to troubleshooting assistance. They can even supply users with real-time access to vital data like analytics or control actions.
Speaking to the benefits of AR/VR for real-time support, Coca-Cola’s VP of Supply Chain, Helen Davis, shares: “We no longer need to fly in people from Germany – where our main equipment suppliers are based – to troubleshoot our machines. Now they can virtually see what we are seeing, instantaneously, and help diagnose and solve issues without stepping foot in a plant. This allows us to operate ‘virtually’, unencumbered by time or distance.”
Through AR and VR technology, companies can ensure specialized expertise is readily available anytime, anywhere. Field service technicians can collaborate with tech support to address and diagnose issues quicker, conserve valuable time and reduce costs associated with downtime. With two-way video and audio capabilities, AR/VR technology can effectively increase efficiency by removing the need to travel from site to site from the equation.
Using AR/VR to Train Customer Support Agents
For businesses juggling a multitude of products in their repository of offerings, assisted reality offers a way for workers to interact and even deconstruct 3D projections of various products for training purposes. By doing so, companies circumvent unwanted wear and tear or breaking while simultaneously conserving dollars otherwise spent on purchasing products and equipment solely for onboarding and training.
Not only does this provide a more hands-on and personalized approach, but it gives workers the opportunity to take a deeper dive into how products operate and interface with one another. Utilizing AR/VR for training purposes will ultimately allow support personnel to strengthen the customer experience – boosting client retention, referrals and revenue.
From improving processes and accelerating knowledge transfer to reducing costs and providing faster solutions, AR/VR for real time support is an effective solution for a myriad of industries and applications. Today’s savvy business leaders know that technology is the key to laying the foundation for both short and long-term success.
At Concannon XR, we have extensive experience providing organizations with everything from designing and implementing successful programs to hardware selection and deployment. To learn more about how assisted reality can benefit your organization, contact our team of AR/VR consultants today.
The Benefits of HMT-1 Devices for Remote Tech Support
After the onset of Covid-19, businesses across the country discovered the advantages of providing remote technical support. As companies analyze and refine the efficacy of their tech support initiatives, Assisted Reality continues to play a pivotal role in bolstering the success of these programs.
Realwear’s HMT-1 and HMT-1Z1 devices, for example, furnish tech personnel with the ability to support, train and collaborate with both customers and colleagues remotely – regardless of where they’re located, while freeing their hands for the work.
From optimizing workflow and enhancing revenue to increasing efficiency and decreasing travel costs, companies like BMW, Colgate-Palmolive and industrial equipment maker Krones are reaping a number of benefits from using the 100% hands-free HMT-1 device.
Capabilities of RealWear’s Assisted Reality Solutions
The Android-based voice-controlled wearable can be utilized for a myriad of purposes – troubleshooting product failures, quality insurance inspections, emergency technical support, performing installations and machine maintenance, training new staff members and more.
The head-worn device is PPE compatible and comes with a voice-controlled operating system, a high-resolution camera, an array of four digital noise cancellation microphones and hands-free document and file navigation. The device can be used even in high noise environments of up to 95 dB. There’s also a number of world-class apps that work with the device, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex Expert on Demand, TeamViewer and OverIT Geocall.
Available voice-optimized applications for the leading assisted reality devices are able to perform a number of advantageous tasks to the frontline worker, like IoT Data Visualization for running machine diagnostics, analyzing predictive data and viewing historic trends.
Benefits of RealWear’s Assisted Reality Devices for Remote Tech Support
Reduces downtime: Any type of downtime – whether it’s downtime of a machine, an entire plant or an employee – can lead to revenue loss and increased expenditure. In fact 70% of downtime in a factory comes from process and human errors rather than broken components such as bearings.
Minimizes training time: New employees and field agents are able to handle job-related tasks quicker. When AR and VR technology is used in lieu of traditional training methods, research shows it can improve employee performance by 70% and decrease training time by 40%.
Decreases travel & related expenses: With remote tech support, there’s no need for travel – assistance can be provided anytime, anywhere. This decreases travel and business expenses while also offering an eco-friendly solution for companies.
Preserves & repurposes expert knowledge: The HMT-1 is fitted with recording functionality, allowing anything from simple troubleshooting and repairs to more complex processes to be documented for future use. This allows staff to revisit recordings for clarification if needed, as well as frees up tech support to focus on other matters in instances where video instructions can be substituted for live assistance. Whether the frontline worker is in a loud factory, climbing a ladder, or deep in a mine, choosing the right tools for the right environment is key, and consumer handhelds or AR/VR devices simply don’t cut it.
With the wide spectrum of benefits that businesses can reap from AR & VR technology, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are adopting these devices – utilizing them to encourage growth, productivity and cost-savings. Learn more about how this innovative technology can improve your remote tech support by contacting our experts today.
How AR/VR Technology Can Improve Remote Technical Support
Many businesses are continuously evaluating the efficacy of their remote technical support capabilities, seeking solutions to bolster the overall success of their programs. In today’s ever-evolving technological landscape, innovation and advancements are causing an influx of tech-related issues – which companies must be able to easily and quickly resolve.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology are opening the doorway for businesses to guide employees and customers through the troubleshooting process. AR for remote technical support leverages a real-time overlay of visual instructions to help IT staff instantly train, support, and collaborate with clients and colleagues from anywhere in the world. This removes physical traveling to an on-site location from the equation, effectively decreasing time and costs.
Here’s a look at some of the ways businesses can incorporate AR/VR for remote technical support into their workflow to improve IT initiatives.
Enhancing Tech Support Using AR/VR Technology
Whenever a customer or employee faces a tech issue, your IT department must be able to rectify the matter as soon as possible to avoid any negative customer experiences and maintain high staff productivity levels.
From computers and equipment to Android and iOS devices, IT teams can leverage AR/VR’s digital simulations and immersive environments to fully engage end-users throughout the resolution process. With visual renderings to interact with, employees will receive a “hands-on” approach for both troubleshooting needs and training programs. What’s more, when compared with traditional training methods, using AR and VR technology can improve employee performance by 70% and decrease training time by 40%.
For clients, the enhanced support ensures products and devices are functioning at an optimal level while contributing to customer loyalty, retention, and referral numbers due to the swift, unparalleled service provided.
Technicians can clearly lay out what sequence of steps the end-user needs to take to resolve the issue at hand. Miscommunication is one of the biggest obstacles remote tech support faces. With AR and VR technology, however, IT teams can use visuals to identify problems in lieu of trying to approach issues blindly.
This decreases the likelihood of your support team engaging in repeat sessions to fix a single issue – saving time and money. In a similar vein, using AR for remote technical support enhances personalization, allowing the end-user to feel as if they’re in the same physical space as IT personnel even from a distance.
Simplifying the Support Process for Better Outcomes
Vonage’s 10th Annual Customer Engagement Report revealed that U.S. businesses lose an estimated $62 billion due to poor customer experiences alone. Providing customers with a frustrating tech support experience can have a significant impact on your company’s reputation – leading to negative reviews, the loss of repeat business, and more. Through AR and VR technology, however, businesses can streamline and maximize the quality of their remote IT support processes, leading to a better user experience.
With augmented reality and virtual reality remote technical support, your company can quickly and efficiently connect with end-users to troubleshoot, train and collaborate on tech-related issues. From device setup to equipment maintenance, immersive technology provides a powerful cost-savings strategy while enhancing the overall efficacy of your IT support initiatives.
At Concannon XR, our team of expert consultants helps enterprises take their business to new heights through the use of AR/VR technology. Want to learn more about how your organization can benefit from our solutions? Get in touch with us today!
