AR and IoT are beginning to transform the way organizations are interacting in their industrial environments.
With the ability to integrate technology everywhere, products, processes, and people now have the ability to be connected like never before, allowing enterprises to drive product and service differentiation and promote operational effectiveness, workforce productivity, and unmatched quality.
Some might refer to this concept as the idea of digital transformation…but what does that really even mean? This article breaks it all down for you.
Digital Transformation with IoT and AR.
Today, innovative Augmented Reality tools have the ability to connect with powerful IoT data while working seamlessly in a service and training environment. With a mobile device or AR headset, technicians can easily learn to work in tandem drastically reducing training time and downtime simultaneously.
To better understand a concept of ‘digital transformation’, I’ll walk you through a real-life scenario involving one of our customers.
For this specific customer, the combination of AR and IoT has drastically improved the efficiency of their operations.
With the use of an AR application, our customer is able to provide their off-site workers with a digital model of one of their products immediately.
Placed alongside the digital model of their product, they are also able to see real-time data from the physical product that is off-site or working in the field.
This is possible because their AR experience also leverages a connection with their IoT platform, known as ThingWorx.
Their ThingWorx IoT platform connects to their disparate data systems, such as their ERP and CRM systems. It also connects to their PLM software, which provides them with the ability to pull a configuration from their PLM software, known as Windchill. This allows them to showcase unique product information, such as the VIN, model, customer and purchase information.
By having this data available and in context, remote technicians are better informed and empowered to make the best decisions possible.
As technicians launch their AR experience, they are able to see step by step instructions on how to repair or service the specific product.
They are also able to see warnings and replay steps that are integrated into the AR experience so they can be assured they are working in a safe environment without missing any procedures.
With the additional use of Vuforia Chalk, a remote video assistance app, employees are also able to instantly access remote subject matter experts or SMEs who can answer questions related to the experience and interact with the experience directly by drawing on the screen.
Finally, with time tracked throughout the experience, this service data can then be sent back to their ThingWorx IoT platform to assess performance, training, and to improve the CAD design leader.
By combining the use of AR and IoT, training and servicing is no longer hindered by traditional learning for our customer. Instead, their technicians are able learn from an experience that is enriched with data and context.
By leveraging ThingWorx, our customer is able to merge the digital and physical worlds of service providing their organization with an efficient and productive work environment.
This is the idea of digital transformation.
Curious how digital transformation might apply to your organization? We would love to have a conversation. Click the banner below to learn more.
