When deciding if new technology implementation is appropriate for your business there are many questions that will come up. Is this something my business will benefit from? Will it save me money? Will my team actually use it? With any new technology it’s important to ask these questions and to gain an understanding on how it will help you. The adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) is no different and over the past year we have seen a huge move to VR training as a new norm.
Let’s talk VR
What exactly is VR? VR usually involves the wearing of a headset that places the user into a simulated virtual world, one where they are fully immersed in their surroundings. In the past VR training was only used by larger companies - it was seen as expensive and/or needed specialist people to write code. Thankfully things have moved on and with the advent of VR content management tools, such as eNetReality, VR is now an accessible and cost-effective way to train your workforce.
But who actually uses VR training?
You may be familiar with the idea of surgeons, soldiers and astronauts training with VR as they have for decades, but gone are the days that VR is reserved just for the high stakes lines of work. Industries such as retail, logistics and customer service are using VR to train employees in “soft skills” to improve customer service and managerial skills. It gives you the ability to put the user in difficult or difficult scenarios and simulations with no risk or consequences. The manufacturing, construction and healthcare industries benefit from using VR training for things such as identifying and dealing with jobsite hazards and learning how to operate essential equipment. Learners are more confident in real life when applying what they have been taught because they’ve had the practice in a low stress, immersive environment.
Is VR more efficient when it comes to learning?
The short answer is yes. For example, in jobs where you need to train operators, you can do so without having to wait for any jobsite equipment to become available, saving you valuable time. This can also improve your safety record since any, potentially costly, mistakes made during training happen in the VR environment, not the actual jobsite. Working in a 3D environment makes things more tangible for the learner - instead of reading about it, they are actually doing it. There have been numerous academic studies on how VR training decreased the amount of time needed to train compared to traditional techniques. It’s all about helping your learners to be more confident on the job and saving you time and money.
What about collecting data?
Having a tool that can collect data in real time will help you track your efforts to upskill your people. Using eNetReality, you’ll get robust data that will help you understand the training, compliance and competency status of everyone who has undertaken VR training in your business. eNetReality has a built in Learning Record Store what allows you to collect granular training data so you can demonstrate both compliance and competency without relying on spreadsheets or using emails to record the information.
But what about cost?
Gone are the days that VR was too expensive, complicated and challenging to deploy outside of a small group. VR experiences are now scalable, realistic and can be used no matter where you or your team are located. This makes it cost-effective compared to traditional training. VR gives your employees hands on training experiences instead of just theory, so they’re better prepared to for their role in real life. This helps them learn faster and put into practice what they’ve learned more quickly, which will save you money.
Still unsure?
Why not try the 90-day FREE Trial and see for yourself how easy it is to create and deliver your own VR learning and assessment experiences (no coding needed). Let us help you get on the road to success.
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