How Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Overhaul the Workspace
As we can see at the recent technology and trends conferences, the physical design of workspaces is heavily influenced by technology, especially video conferencing, which is becoming more and more popular than ever because we are required to work more flexibly and on an online basis. Many types of technology are increasingly popular in the workplace. Two of the popular technology trends are Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Virtual reality is a term used to describe a computer-generated three-dimensional environment that a person can explore and interact with. While Augmented Reality, though they are part of a similar term, differs from VR in the sense that it adds to the world you see in front of you, it is not ’real’.
So, how can we see the benefits of AR and VR in the workplace environment? Here are 5 of them.
- Improving communication system
- Managing your data better
- Attracting talents for the HR department
- Providing the virtual tour
- Conducting employee training
AR and VR have the potential to solve the problems many enterprises are facing with their employees working remotely. In the near future, broad access to virtual reality technology will allow remote workers and clients to be physically present in meetings and collaboration sessions.
This immersive alternative to (or perhaps a version) of video conferencing has the potential to increase employee engagement and well-being, and thus have a significant impact on business profits. Some companies are already using mixed reality rooms to hold meetings and other important gatherings as if they come directly to the office.
With growing amounts of data and opportunities for access to many things, managing and controlling your data is critical and can significantly impact office performances. Many businesses are now choosing to invest in the mixed reality space. This is a space where employees can manipulate data using a touch screen interface.
Some others use smaller VR office headsets to fill out charts and images and to manipulate data. This way, integrating AR and VR technology with our data can improve collaboration and effectiveness between employees, thus wasting time can be eliminated. Besides, it is also better for the environment!
Companies are also using AR and VR in their Human Resources department to attract and retain the best talents for future employees, especially in such a competitive market these days.
For example, AR and VR allow candidates to 'virtually shadow' existing employees to get a real picture of their future position or role in the office.
In addition, VR has the potential to be used in the interview process itself. For instance, sales candidates could be placed in immersive situations to demonstrate how they would deal with challenging customers.
As noted above, VR in particular can allow candidates, or even clients, to visit and observe the real workplace situation without having to leave their home. Again, this is especially valuable for companies hiring and presenting from distance. Virtual tours can be a great tool for attracting talents and future customers because they allow people to gain insight into the company. In addition, Augmented Reality is used to integrate with the building itself, so an AR tour from the office might be beneficial to guide visitors to certain facilities like a conference room or a specific executive suite.
VR and AR's ability to place people in immersive experiences make them very effective technology tools to conduct employee training by allowing users to manipulate their environment and even carry out activities without having to visit the office.
While the technology is a big investment, training through VR can result in huge cost savings for future businesses, with the spared money that could be saved on training and repairs on some equipment damage.
NASA, Walmart, NFL, and the Armed Forces, are just a few examples of organizations and enterprises that already use VR for training.
