Opinion: How augmented reality can help business

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If you are anything like me, I did not have a clue about augmented reality; and then trying to understand how this technology can be applied to business - well let's just say I was perplexed.

However, what I was noticing was the increasing global dialogue about augmented reality. We all have some understanding how it relates to the entertainment/movie/gaming applications, but translating that to business performance and how it can improve work productivity was a mystery to me.

The good news is with the joys of Google research I have found a lot of information about augmented reality. I will share this in the hope, as business owners, we start to think about how this technology can be relevant to my business. And if it is, how can it be applied?

In my research, I found a very useful article which is a case study in a manufacturing plant. They compared two identical tasks performed by the same employee and with the magic of video they captured how the employee completed both tasks.

In example one, the employee undertook the task by referring to their paper-based manual, which is common practice in business today.

In example two, the same employee undertook the same task, but in this example, they were wearing specialised glasses; known as augmented-reality (AR) smart glasses. Rather than referring to the paper-based manual, they were guided by line-of-sight instructions overlaid on the job by an AR headset inset in the glasses to complete the task. They could also activate voice commands to search or reply as required.

The results were astounding. The employee using the AR smart glasses completed the identical task in 34.22 minutes; compared to the employee using the paper based manual who completed the task in 51.37 minutes.

The difference in time spent on the job equated to a staggering 34 per cent increase in productivity for the employee using the AR smart glasses.

This example demonstrates clearly the benefits of how augmented reality can improve productivity. However, the costs would be prohibitive for most businesses at this time but as we have seen with the rapid development and expansion of technology, over time costs will reduce and make this technology more readily available.

What is important to take from this is we need to develop a culture of continuous learning and to embrace technology to ensure our businesses, and ultimately our city, reap the rewards of continued economic growth.

Allison Lawton is the interim chief executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.