The Benefits of Implementing Virtual Reality in the Workplace

Workplace virtual reality has the power to revolutionize many of the everyday processes, saving time and increasing innovation and creativity.

Implementing virtual reality (VR) has the possibility to revolutionize your workplace. It’s the key element that can make your organization truly global. It’s predicted that the near future will see workers from all over the world interacting with each other in real time in a 3D workspace.

Efficiency, product quality, and the speed at which products make it into the hands of consumers can all be improved with the use of virtual reality. It’s likely that virtual reality’s full potential for changing the way you work isn’t totally known yet. Here’s what implementing workplace virtual reality could actually look like.

Implementing workplace virtual reality for more collaborative environments

Get ready for a change in what your business meetings look like. You already have the capability to conduct audio, video, and web conferencing. These methods are probably already in use at your workplace. While they’ve effectively brought people from different places together, they also have their downsides.

It can be hard to read body language and facial expressions. Sharing certain documents or information can be problematic, too. Though it may take a little while for it to be widely available, workplace virtual reality could resolve these issues. Imagine having meetings with your colleagues in which they’re (virtually) standing in front of you. You would be able to see them, their workspace, and pick up on their non-verbal cues. VR could revolutionize global collaboration of teams, giving them the ability to work “side by side” on shared projects.

Recruiting new employees

Conducting meetings isn’t the only innovative use of workplace virtual reality. There are definite perks for human resources, too. VR gives potential employees the chance to take a virtual tour of their possible workplace. They can also get a more in-depth view of what their job could look like.

It’s clear that an effective training and onboarding process increases the longevity of an employee in many cases. Failure to properly prepare someone for their position is also costly – constant turnover isn’t good for business. Virtual reality can come to the rescue in these situations, too.

It’s especially helpful in industries in which an improperly trained employee can be a potential danger to those around him. An example of virtual reality at work is the U.S. space program. NASA is already using VR to train astronauts, using flight simulators that mimic the space experience.

Marketing and product testing

Finding new and better ways to advertise and test products is also a benefit of virtual reality. You’re able to use larger focus groups with subjects at various locations, which is a plus for organizations with limited resources.

Here are some examples of specific industries in which VR can help.

Retail. A virtual shopping experience can be created for the test subjects, allowing them to pick up items and examine the things they want to buy. This data can be analyzed to determine the best layout of stores and which processes are the most successful.
Hospitality and travel. Hotel chains are able to virtually transport subjects to lodging options in various exotic locations in order to collect valuable feedback.
Home improvement. Some leading home improvement stores are using VR to let customers visualize and create remodeled rooms in their homes.
Mechanical repairs. An elevator company is using VR to let repairmen visualize a fix before they get to the site to do the actual work. Once they get there, they can use augmented reality to view manuals and other materials.
Vehicle manufacturers. Designers can use virtual models of cars to collaborate with other members of the team, negating the need for a physical prototype. Engineers now have the ability to try more creative designs.

The future of workplace virtual reality

The amount of data that can be collected from VR activities is astounding. Being able to use three of the five senses (sight, touch, sound) makes the data more engaging and more actionable. Keep in mind that any new technology will gain a following just because it’s the latest thing. It’s important that you don’t get swept away with popularity. Make sure to look at your unique situation realistically and decide if VR fits with your organization’s vision and culture. Once you decide it’s for you, it won’t take you long to realize the benefits workplace virtual reality offers. Before you know it, VR will be a part of the everyday flow of your work life.

Contact our team at Designing Digitally, Inc. to discuss virtual reality solutions we can build for your organization!