Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are surpassing expectations – stemming beyond personal use to furnish businesses with a myriad of benefits. According to Visual Capitalist, XR is expected to reach a market size of over $209 billion by 2022 – an 800% increase from the company’s 2018 forecast of $27 billion.
Incorporating AR/VR applications into your business strategy can improve productivity, increase employee retention, create a riveting user experience, and provide an innovative way for customers and staff alike to interact with your products and services.
To drive efficiency and enhance your company’s bottom line, it’s imperative to approach the AR/VR implementation process in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. To ensure the long-lasting success of your future extended reality (XR) initiatives, here’s a look at the best practices to follow for the three main stages of implementation: Pre-Implementation, Implementation & Operation, and Post-Implementation.
Pre-Implementation of AR/VR Technology
During the discovery and planning period of the pre-implementation phase, your IT and leadership teams should create a strategic blueprint, focusing on a technology-centered approach, in order to circumvent mishaps and achieve productive outcomes.
It’s important to have a comprehensive grasp of how XR technology operates and the different ways in which it can be utilized. By doing so, you’ll gain a clear picture of where and how the technology will benefit your business. Once you have this information in hand, you’ll need to devise a road map outlining how the technology will be piloted, which departments will be involved, and a detailed checklist of each step involved in executing the implementation.
For example, your team will need to establish data accumulation methods, as well as the key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ll be measuring. KPIs include anything from end-user comfort and safety improvement to first-time quality and task completion time.
XR Technology Implementation and Operation
It’s important to build out a solution with an eye toward a long-term approach. Not only will this provide you with cross-functional features – like establishing data management, proper security, and user accounts – but it’ll ensure the platform is designed to scale as your business expands. Through the use of open development standards, your company can easily introduce new systems or add new teams as needs arise.
Because of the breadth and scope of VR/AR implementations, many businesses are opting to partner with strategy and deployment consultants to ensure both devices and the software & services used to manage them are rolled out seamlessly. After all, to maximize your return on investment, it’s imperative to ensure the platform is well-received by the end user. Deployment of the application includes everything from installation and device distribution to initial onboarding and feedback management.
In a similar vein, guiding employees with robust onboarding and training will ensure they’re equipped with the knowledge needed to properly use the tool and optimize their use of it. This includes things like developing a comprehensive reference guide, constructing a hands-on training program, and setting training goals to measure your success. At Concannon XR, we work with clients to build best practices and training programs designed to maximize comfort and fully engage end-users.
Providing end-users with ongoing support is a crucial piece of establishing the long-term success of your extended reality program. Your business will need policies and procedures in place to handle broken devices, maintain fresh content, and ensure the efficacy of the program continues to operate at a high level.
Evaluating Your AR/VR Technology Post-Implementation
After the initial rollout of the XR application, perform ongoing analyses and check-ins to measure how you’re trending towards goals and KPIs, as well as how end-users are adopting the new hardware. AR/VR technology can be incredibly powerful – opening up the gateway for businesses to realize new revenue streams, increase customer satisfaction and retention, build new business models, and improve employee engagement. However, to reap these valuable advantages, it’s important to have a strategy in place for continuously monitoring the success of your XR implementation.
While the AR/VR implementation can prove to be a bit tricky, the expertise of an experienced XR consultant on your side, it’ll ensure mistakes and risks are minimized during the initial rollout.
Whether your company is looking to deploy XR devices for training purposes on a smaller scale or you’re looking to host a live event with hundreds of participants, the Concannon team has the tools and resources needed to manage and support a full scope of business needs. Ready to get started? Contact us today!
