The Volkswagen Group will use an augmented reality hub to train employees across the globe.
In 2013, Volkswagen demonstrated a new process by which service workers could use augmented reality to service a vehicle. During the demo, attendees watched as Volkswagen technicians manipulated virtual parts that corresponded to real world actions.
This year, the Volkswagen Group has revealed the next step of it’s VR training plans in the form of a global initiative that would bring VR training to 10,000 employees of Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA and Volkswagen. Over 30 VR training experiences cover everything from vehicle assembly, new team member training, and customer service.
Each Volkswagen VR training experience was created by the VR studio, Innoactive, with the goal to educate employees across multiple brands and create a more efficient workflow in a way that allows employees to train at a pace they’re comfortable with without having to travel. They can even begin training before a factory even exists.
To accomplish this, Innoactive created a hub that would bring all employees of the Volkswagen Group together through an HTC Vive.
Volkswagen sees the biggest benefit of VR training when employees are exposed to as many training experiences in as many plant locations worldwide as possible. With a stable infrastructure in place, they are able to upload brand new content to different plants worldwide, depending on the brand and type of training needed, with ease and efficiency.
“The thing about VR training is scalability,” said Gregor Wynnyczuk, Training Consultant for RockPaperPartners during an interview with VRScout. “Once organizations make the investment in creating the systems and infrastructure – they can easily connect their entire workforce, no matter how many people they have and no matter where they are,” said Wynnyczuk. “As a result, VR/AR favors very large, global businesses like Volkswagen.”
Volkswagen is making a bet that being an early adopter of VR training will lead to advantages in productivity and efficiency over time.
Currently there are several large corporate companies using VR training for their employees. Walmart, KFC and UPS are all using AR or VR to get employees up to speed in their workforce; and with the cost of AR and VR hardware being more approachable, smaller businesses are now looking at how they can take advantage of the technology.
For Volkswagen – the company is really looking to leverage virtual reality to “empower brands and business departments” and create partnerships within the organization as well with different suppliers to build the car company of the future.