How Augmented Reality will Transform the Workplace of the Future

“I don’t think there is any sector or industry that will be untouched by AR,” claimed Apple CEO Tim Cook, but how will this alter the workplace of the future? 

With the potential use cases for augmented reality ranging from improving remote collaboration to bringing new levels of efficiency to core HR processes like the hiring and onboarding of new recruits, let’s take a deeper look at the ways in which AR can transform the workplace of tomorrow: 

Reaching New Levels of Inclusivity

With more companies utilizing digital transformation to build hybrid workplaces, there’s ample room for technology to make remote work more collaborative and immersive. At present, video collaboration technology like Zoom or Google Meet struggle to deliver the level of collaboration that employees are used to. Only 19% of employees feel more present in meetings through video conferencing, and only 15% agreed that they lead to better levels of collaboration. 

“Companies need to think about the immersive experiences that will support distributed teams and build culture and connection in a virtual environment,” explained Brynn Harrington, vice president of People Experience at Meta. “Interestingly, 69 per cent of workers and leaders say they would like meetings to be more immersive and engaging, and 55 per cent think it should be easier to join virtual meetings when they’re on the move.”

“We are building for the metaverse in a way that works across 2D and 3D surfaces; is interoperable across devices, from mobile and desktop to VR; and suits a range of user circumstances, such as working in the field or on the go,” Harrington added.

Augmented reality collaboration could mean that colleagues will be able to hold more immersive meetings in remote locations and utilize visualizations to better share complex insights into vital processes. AR could also be used for in-house meetings where participants can effectively illustrate their suggestions, points, and hypotheses. 

Effective Data Management

For many companies, the matter of keeping client data safe and secure is essential in maintaining a healthy reputation. Augmented reality technology can transform how businesses can store and sort the data that they compile. 

Rather than waiting for access to be granted for documents between team members, teams can access different forms of data via AR interfaces. With both augmented and virtual reality technology, firms can manipulate and access data in a more collaborative manner. 

Not only can this pave the way for more effective real-time data management, but it can also help businesses to work more efficiently with time-sensitive data. 

As we touched on earlier, augmented reality can also be a great means of making complex data more immersive. Through the use of repurposing infographic presentation templates, it could be possible through AR to share big data in a more engaging way for presentation participants. 

Taking Employee Training to the Next Level

One of the most impactful areas that augmented reality can help to benefit the workplaces of tomorrow is through employee training and onboarding. It’s through the likes of AR and VR that businesses can deliver effective training programs to employees regardless of whether they attend the office every day or are based on the other side of the world. 

In all, XR solutions can be a great asset in helping learners to retain information up to four-times faster than typical classroom settings, and this more in-depth approach to education can easily be implemented into working environments for a broad range of industries. 

With platforms like ARuVR, an extended reality (XR) solutions provider focused on enabling enterprises to onboard students through a variety of reality technologies, the prospect of incorporating augmented reality into existing HR processes are likely to become commonplace sooner rather than later–the benefits of which will be well received across physical and remote working environments. 

Although both AR and VR technology in the workplace is still in its fledgling phase, we’re starting to see them both evolve into the mainstream and begin to deliver on their promise to improve the future of work. These new technologies are likely to transform the workplace through more efficient measures and greater levels of personalization and collaboration for employees. It’s likely to be through the implementation of AR technologies that companies can truly deliver on digital transformation and hybrid working initiatives. 

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