1、Expert Insights AR and VR in the workplace Extended reality reimagines how work is done Heidi Fillmore is the Global Vice President and Leader for Mobile and Extended Reality for IBM Global Business Services. She is an appointed member of the IBM Industry Academy, a select community through which IB

2、Ms most eminent and innovative industry visionaries can shape global industry agendas, capitalize on multi-industry collaboration to be essential partners to our clients, and cultivate future industry leaders. Heidi has a deep industry background in aviation and has spent more than 20 years in manag

3、ement consulting, emerging tech, experience design and digital transformation. Tony Storr enables clients worldwide to change how people work and interact through exponential technologies. In 30 years with IBM, hes led strategy and deployment of digital services and built numerous delivery organizat

4、ions for international clients across industries. He also leads the acceleration of IBM Research technologies into mobile solutions, including the IBM Visual Verifier that enables smartphones to detect counterfeit or quality issues. Key takeaways Reimagine how and where work is done with XR Extended

5、 Reality (XR)a collection of technologies including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)is transforming workers training, workflows and engagement. Enhance employee productivity and reduce costs with XR XR workplace solutions have significantly reduced employees time to complete tasks, en

6、abled the quick mastery of skills, and vastly reduced errors and the need for service calls. Cultivate a vibrant, collaborative workplace with XR XR applications are perfectly suited to support remote working by empowering employees to virtually troubleshoot or fix malfunctions, and by creating virt

7、ual environments for hands-on team interaction. Accelerating from aspirational to necessary For businesses adapting to todays different normal, it may seem as if reality itself has shifted. Companies are struggling to cut costs without sacrificing their ability to quickly take advantage of emerging

8、opportunities. Disrupted supply chains are being reshaped. Go-to-market strategies are being redefined. Above all, companies need to build resiliency and flexibility into their processes, work platforms, and employee enablement. They have to stay nimble to respond to a rapidly changing environment a

9、nd customer demands. Which is why they need, as never before, the benefits that Extended Reality (XR) offers. The technologies we collectively refer to as XR are: Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), which includes other hybrid, immersive experiences (see Figure 1 on

10、 page 2). XR has been “just around the corner” for years. The promise of XR appeared imminent with the ubiquity of smartphones and the convergence of exponential technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). 5Gs arrival in waves around the world is providing needed speed and bandwidth. C

11、ompanies across industries have successfully deployed XR solutions, with customer service and support a favorite target for more than half of the organizations planning, implementing, or expanding AR.1 Forty percent of small-to-midsize businesses indicated they are currently evaluating AR/VR, with G

12、artner estimating as many as 70 percent could do so by 2022.2 Yet, despite mounting enthusiasm for XR, by the end of 2019, widespread adoption was still beyond the horizon. And then COVID-19 hit. 1 ARMRVRFigure 1 The collection of technologies that make up XR. XR MR VRAR Augmented Mixed Virtual Real

13、ity (AR) Reality (MR) Reality (VR) Digital content Digital interacts Digital on top of the with the environments real world real world that shut out the real world Source: IBM Instiute for Business Value. Suddenly, remote work was a necessity, travel next to impossible, and companies found themselve

14、s in crisis mode. Doing things differently seemed daunting, but people found creative ways to adapt. As organizations implemented new digital approaches to get work done, the benefits of these changes emerged. Even after the pandemic runs its course, its likely many companies wont want to revert to

15、old methods. Reality has shifted, and with it, the advantages of XR have soared from aspirational to essential. XR is no longer a futuristic technology looking for mainstream usefulness. As workers worldwide become accustomed to video conferencing, interacting digitally in a more immersive, virtual

16、experience is not a big leap. Some XR applications have already morphed from “reality plus” to expectations for everyday experiences. For example, the backup cameras on todays cars with superimposed digital guidelines for parking is a form of XR most drivers now take for granted. The trope of people

17、 wearing cumbersome headsets, oohing and aahing as they reach for objects “not there,” will shortly be a quaint memory, like the 1980s-sized boxes spouting long antennas once called “mobile phones.” XR can provide organizations with opportunities for greater efficiency, accuracy, and productivity fo

18、r their workforces. But equally importantly, it can help deliver what companies sorely need now: the elasticity to prosper despite adversity, trim costs, and act quickly. XR is for real life and real work XR enables digital information to live in the physical world so that people can see, hear, touc

19、h and interact with it. Combined with AI, XR becomes an extension of the human senses and how we perceive physical environments. When organizations implement XR, not only are they improving employee experiences, they are empowering employees to offer improved experiences for customers (see sidebar,

20、“XR at work today: Transforming the way insurers process claims”). Imagine a traditional field service repair. Repair technicians travel to a location and try to diagnose the problem based on previous experience. If unable to resolve it, they call in an expert. In the meantime, the customer waits. N

21、ot a good experience. 2 Despite mounting enthusiasm for XR, by the end of 2019, widespread adoption was still beyond the horizon. And then COVID-19 hit. Now imagine that workflow enabled with XR and AI. In addition to their own insights, the technicians turn to AIs machine learning capabilities to h

22、elp them troubleshoot the issue, drawing on the experiences of thousands of other technicians and historical data. And, to avoid unnecessary delays, the technicians have arrived with the parts most likely to be malfunctioning based on analysis from an AI-enabled inventory system linked to historical

23、 data. AI verifies the solution and walks the technician through the repair using a digital overlay on a tablet or other mobile device. The customer is up and running quickly. A good experience. In addition to improved customer experiences, XR solutions are delivering measurable return on investment

24、 (ROI) to the business. Companies using AR have reported a 46 percent reduction in time to complete tasks, and average productivity improvements of 32 percent.3 As organizations are having to reimagine strategies to provide safe and effective work environments for their employees, its easy to see wh

25、y XR is quickly moving from proof-of-concept prototypes to mission-critical tasks. If XR is to be an essential new approach for working, whats the best way to get started? There are three key areas where XR can have the greatest impact: training, workflows, and employee engagement. Faster, smarter t

26、raining According to a top IT industry trade association, training is one of the most common uses of XR. Compared to traditional training, VR-based training can reduce training time by 40 percent, and improve employee performance by a whopping 70 percent.4 And, once XR becomes the norm for visual re

27、cognition and guidance, overall training becomes simpler. For example, technicians no longer need to be trained on parts numbers and other specifics of a machine if they can rely on XR to recognize the components for them.5 XR at work today: Transforming the way insurers process claims A US-based mu

28、tual insurance company is creating an XR claims solution that leverages AR and AI-powered mobile capabilities. When measuring roof damage, claims assessors turn to an app that uses AR underpinned with visual recognition to interpret what the user is seeing, and AI to offer a conclusion or recommenda

29、tion. This enables assessors to recognize animal, hail, or mechanical damage in real time with a measurable confidence level. The app is designed to work both online and offline, a key consideration for field agents where connectivity might not be available, or in disaster situations when the need f

30、or reliable solutions is paramount. 3 Even after the pandemic runs its course, its likely many companies wont want to revert to old methods. Reality has shifted, and with it, the advantages of XR have soared from aspirational to essential. Written assembly instructions are time-consuming to create a

31、nd often difficult to follow. XR supports a faster learning curve by providing immersive demos and step-by-step tutorials in context with the physical manifestations of the subject matter. For example, complicated 2-D schematics in a manual can become interactive 3-D holograms that walk the user thr

32、ough the process.6 It also enables employees to train for hazardous situations, or learn how to use equipment that could be harmful if used improperly. Much as flight simulators enable pilots to gain experience while still on the ground, XR experiences can safely train workers such as first responde

33、rs and emergency utility crews how to undertake potentially dangerous tasks. No longer are organizations limited by employee proximity, the ability to travel, or the time needed to respond. With XR, the best instructors can quickly be paired with trainees practically anywhere in the world. For examp

34、le, during the pandemic, doctors can use smart glasses during examinations to teach remote medical specialists about the specifics of new potential outbreaks. Companies are facing a threatening brain-drain of experience, skills, and institutional knowledge as Baby Boomers retire. Capturing their val

35、uable insights in a way thats easily transferable is often overlooked until its too late. Before leaving the workforce, older employees can be equipped with smart glasses to record their workflows with commentary, which can be easily accessed later by others. As companies identify new areas where tr

36、aining is needed, XRs experiential learning can help employees acquire skills to meet the necessary performance levels faster. By using AR instead of documentation, one manufacturer reported astounding results: a 90-percent increase in the number of trainees with little or no experience who could pe

37、rform a complex, 50-step operation correctly the first time.7 Productive workflows reduce costs For the greatest impact, XR should be a central part of what a business does, not just an ancillary, one-off application. When integrated effectively to improve how work gets done, its utility can signifi

38、cantly improve productivity leading to reduced costs. Research indicates that AR can reduce mistakes and unnecessary service calls by as much as 90 percent.8 Often simply overlaying the right digital information onto a physical environment can make a big difference. An international shipping and log

39、istics company increased productivity by 25 percent when it provided workers with AR glasses that display a digital pick list and direct them to the product or package location.9 A major international airline is using AR to help reduce the time and effort it takes to determine if a flight is ready t

40、o depart (see sidebar, “XR at work today: Whats on the tarmac?”) As companies design physical products, the data generated can be used to form a digital twin of the product that matches the real-world version. Developers can then use the twin to create an AR experience for the many employees who wil

41、l be handling, selling, servicing, or answering questions about that product. Manufacturing can benefit from XRs product line planning, product development, and iteration using digital prototypes and multi-user collaborative environments. For example, the Audi e-tron GT is the first vehicle in the V

42、W Group to dispense with an actual prototype in their 3P (production, preparation, process) workshops. Using VR glasses and controllers, employees from various departments test all assembly processes entirely virtually.10 When malfunctions occur, the operational impact and cost of being offline can

43、be significant. If there is a critical breakdown on an isolated oil rig, for example, on-site technicians can quickly link to off-site experts via an XR program. The expert can assess the problem and provide step-by-step instructions by annotating the technicians device screen. 4 New virtual employe

44、e experiences need to be designed with the same care and rigor that customer experiences receive. Enhanced employee engagement, better experiences As companies reshape their operations around intelligent workflows, these new virtual employee experiences need to be designed with the same care and rig

45、or that customer experiences receive. By providing meaningful enhancements to physical experiences, XR can, at times, even compensate for deficiencies in an employees physical environment. When the pandemic caused employees around the world to work remotely, they had to pivot overnight to collaborat

46、e digitally, often via videoconferencing platforms, which are typically limited to a grid of faces, conversations, and static screens being shared. XR can give remote collaboration a huge boost. Isolated workers can come together in a virtual environment, gaining a fuller sense of being in the same

47、“place” as their colleagues. With the rich engagement possibilities XR affords, team members in different locations can virtually manipulate digital objects as they might physical onesbut with the retention, search, and analysis advantages digital content and objects have over physical ones. In resp

48、onse to COVID-19, companies are prioritizing the need for employees to feel engaged and connected to their colleagues and leaders. While this area is nascent, there are signs that XR is helping to fill the gap. One company, in response to the sudden need for so many remote workers to find better way

49、s to collaborate productively, launched a VR collaboration and meeting app, then made it available free-of-charge as part of an open beta program.11 Conversely, XR can also provide employees with a private virtual workspace. This can be especially helpful and appreciated if employees physical locati

50、ons dont afford them the privacy they need. XR at work today: Whats on the tarmac? Currently in field trials internationally, a container ID scanning app can visually recognize cargo containers on the airport tarmac. It displays a content overlay that shows the goods inside, along with container pos