AR/VR monitoring and field simulation: Next-level worker training

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• August 14, 2023

Insight highlights

Virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) technologies revolutionize supply chain training by creating realistic, risk-free simulated workspaces and enabling workers to perform tasks with enhanced efficiency. These technologies allow for tailored training experiences, offering on-the-job assistance, real-time safety alerts, and reduced training costs and resources. Wider implications include standardizing supply chain management training globally, shifting job demand towards AR/VR content creators, and propelling advancements in digital twins and wearable tech.

AR/VR monitoring and field simulation context

Virtual and augmented reality transforms supply chain training by replicating any imaginable workplace, from shops to vast warehouses. It offers risk-free, realistic experiences for learners to hone their skills, utilizing pre-recorded footage or complete simulations. Starting in 2015, DHL introduced a "vision picking" system at Ricoh, which uses smart glasses for hands-free product scanning, cutting down on picking errors. 

Workers can use the camera in wearable glasses to scan barcodes, confirming tasks without needing a separate scanner. Besides display and scanning features, smart glasses come with speakers and microphones, enabling workers to use voice prompts and speech recognition for interactions. Using voice commands, employees can ask for help, report issues, and navigate the application workflow (e.g., skip an item or aisle, change work area).

Honeywell's Immersive Field Simulator (IFS) leverages VR and mixed reality (MR) for training, creating various scenarios without interrupting work shifts. In 2022, the company announced an IFS version that includes digital twins of physical plants to train and test personnel on their skills. Meanwhile, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions used AR to train technicians for repairs, making learning available anytime, anywhere. JetBlue employed Strivr's immersive learning platform to train Airbus technicians under realistic conditions. The food industry also harnesses AR, using digital twin technology to monitor storage conditions and set guidelines for the shelf lives of fruits and vegetables. 

Disruptive impact

Augmented and virtual reality can simulate diverse and complex supply chain scenarios, allowing workers to train and adapt in a risk-free virtual environment. Workers can rehearse their tasks, get acquainted with new technologies, and practice emergency procedures without the potential cost of real-world mistakes. These technologies also allow for a high degree of customization in training programs to meet specific industry or organizational needs, which can result in a more competent, confident, and versatile workforce.

The use of AR/VR can also bring significant cost savings in the long run. Traditional training often requires substantial resources like space, equipment, and instructor time. With VR, however, these requirements can be minimized or eliminated entirely, as training can occur anytime and anywhere, significantly reducing both capital and operational costs. Furthermore, AR can offer on-the-job assistance, providing workers with real-time information and guidance, thereby reducing errors and boosting productivity.

Finally, AR/VR can enhance worker well-being, an often-overlooked aspect of supply chain operations. These technologies can provide real-time safety alerts, identify potential hazards, and guide workers on safe practices. For instance, smart glasses can monitor a worker's environment, helping to prevent accidents caused by stacked products. This proactive approach to safety can help reduce workplace accidents, improve worker retention, and lower associated costs such as health insurance and compensation claims. However, there needs to be enhanced regulation on protecting worker privacy as these tools may track employee activities.

Implications of AR/VR monitoring and field simulation

Wider implications of AR/VR monitoring and field simulation may include: 

• A global standard in supply chain management training, leading to political discussions around regulations, accreditations, and certifications.
• The standardization of the quality of training democratizing learning opportunities across various demographics.
• Reduced need for physical resources such as paper manuals or physical models, reducing the carbon footprint of supply chain training. Additionally, less travel is needed for training programs, which reduces CO2 emissions.
• Demand for traditional trainers decreasing, while the need for AR/VR content developers and technicians will increase. 
• Long-term use of AR/VR raising concerns regarding physical and mental health, such as eye strain or disorientation. There may be a need to study and address these effects, prompting a focus on designing more human-friendly devices.
• Advancements in digital twins, smart glasses and gloves, head-mounted devices, and even full-body VR suits.
• Startups focusing on providing AR/VR training solutions beyond the supply chain, including healthcare and education.

Questions to consider

• If you work in a supply chain, how is your company adopting AR/VR for training?
• What are the other potential benefits of AR/VR training?