Virtual Reality (VR) has come a long way from being a technology primarily associated with the gaming industry and entertainment industry.
Today, VR is making significant inroads into the world of business, offering a wide range of applications that are transforming the way companies operate.
In this blog, we’ll delve into several compelling virtual reality use cases for businesses, illustrating how this immersive technology is enhancing various aspects of business operations.
1. Training & Education
Virtual reality training, or VR training, employs VR technology to replicate real-world scenarios for skill development and education.
It offers an immersive learning experience through headsets, allowing hands-on practice and knowledge acquisition in lifelike virtual situations.
Here are several examples of how you can use VR for training and education in your business:
I. Employee training in VR
One of the most popular virtual reality use cases in business is employee training. This is primarily because it provides a virtual space accessible to every employee worldwide, offering a more engaging and efficient way to deliver information.
Moreover, depending on your settings, VR training can be a cost-efficient approach to educating your employees, as it eliminates the need for physical resources, travel expenses, and can be easily scaled for large numbers of participants.
Case in Point: Konecranes
For instance, our client, Konecranes, has harnessed the power of VR training to enhance the skills of their workforce.
Using Glue, they’ve created an immersive VR training program for their employees, focusing on the S-series hoist. This VR experience allows their staff to engage with the equipment in a simulated environment, facilitating a hands-on learning approach.
Soft-skills training in VR
Soft skills training in virtual reality is gaining popularity as a game-changer for developing crucial interpersonal and communication skills in today’s workplaces. According to PwC’s report titled “The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training in the Enterprise”, VR-based soft skills training has shown impressive results.
The study reveals that VR training can be up to four times faster than traditional methods, allowing employees to learn essential skills like leadership, teamwork, and empathy more efficiently.
PwC’s research also found that VR training significantly boosts employee confidence, with participants reporting a 4.3 times higher emotional connection to the content compared to conventional training.
This emphasizes VR’s unique ability to create immersive and emotionally engaging scenarios, enhancing learning and skill retention.
As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of soft skills, VR training emerges as a powerful tool to equip employees with the interpersonal abilities needed for success in today’s collaborative business environment.
Case in Point: BPI
BPI (Business Performance Institute), a learning consulting company, uses Glue not only for soft-skills training and workshops with their customers but also to maximize collaboration both externally and internally.
Their approach emphasizes how BPI leverages Glue to enhance training experiences and facilitate effective collaboration, showcasing the practical applications of VR in a corporate setting.
Onboarding in VR
Leveraging virtual reality technology for HR purposes, particularly in onboarding, presents a transformative approach that significantly enhances the employee experience from day one.
VR technology empowers organizations to craft immersive onboarding experiences, allowing new hires to explore virtual environments, meet key team members, and simulate real-life work scenarios.
By embracing VR for HR purposes, businesses can establish a more emotionally connected, efficient, and welcoming onboarding process.
This not only sets a positive tone for new hires’ journey within the organization but also reflects a commitment to innovative and inclusive employee experiences.
Case in Point: Accenture
For example, Accenture has achieved notable success in onboarding by integrating the metaverse, resulting in a positive impact on the employee experience. In 2022, 150,000 new hires commenced their journey at Accenture by immersing themselves in the virtual world on their first day.
On our end, we’ve demonstrated the potential of Glue for creating engaging onboarding virtual experiences in our “Glue in Action” videos.
Watch the video to discover how Glue can be effectively utilized for HR purposes.
II. Simulation training in VR
Simulation training in virtual reality (VR) stands at the forefront of cutting-edge learning methodologies, providing highly interactive and immersive environments for skill development.
Through VR simulations, participants are transported into realistic scenarios where they can actively engage and apply their skills in a risk-free, virtual setting.
This virtual reality use case is particularly valuable for industries such as the healthcare sector, aviation, and manufacturing, where hands-on experience is critical.
Medical training in VR
Virtual reality (VR) technology has significantly advanced medical training, providing healthcare professionals with immersive learning experiences crucial for skill development and decision-making.
This innovative approach allows medical students, physicians, and surgeons to practice a diverse range of procedures and scenarios in a safe environment.
Furthermore, VR training can simulate rare or complex medical cases, exposing learners to situations they might encounter infrequently in clinical practice.
Case in Point: Duodecim
For example, Duodecim collaborated with Glue to implement virtual training exercises for healthcare and elderly care practitioners.
Together, they created a real-life scenarios practice environment, allowing enabling students to wear a VR headset, enter a customized Glue space, and securely enhance their skills by practicing on a virtual patient.
This partnership illustrates how VR, utilizing platforms like Glue, effectively converts complex real-world training situations into impactful learning VR experience.
Safety Training in VR
Whether in manufacturing, construction, aviation, or healthcare, employees can engage in lifelike simulations of hazardous situations and emergency scenarios in a controlled environment, without exposing themselves to actual risks.
This hands-on approach not only improves knowledge retention but also enhances muscle memory and decision-making skills.
Moreover, VR allows for repeatable and scalable training virtual reality experiences, ensuring that all employees receive consistent and standardized safety instruction.
By simulating critical safety procedures and environments, VR training equips workers with the skills and confidence needed to respond effectively in real-world situations, ultimately reducing accidents and ensuring safer work environments.
2. Product Presentations in VR
A VR product presentation or showcase offers a fully immersive experience of a company’s product or service in a 3D virtual environment.
With the use of a VR headset, individuals can interact with your products, services, or concepts, surpassing the limitations of traditional 2D product presentation.
Here is how you can use VR for product presentations:
1 . Virtual reality product presentations
Offering an immersive experience, VR product presentations allow customers to engage in a more interactive way, enabling them to see, touch, and fully experience your offerings like never before.
Firstly, it enhances customer engagement by providing a more interactive and memorable way for them to explore and understand your offerings through immersive experiences.
Secondly, it allows for a deeper connection as customers can virtually interact with products, fostering a stronger sense of ownership and satisfaction.
Lastly, the detailed and realistic experience offered by VR presentations often leads to more informed purchasing decisions, contributing to increased sales and customer confidence in your products or services.
Case in Point: IQM
For example, our client IQM, a leading quantum computing hardware company, now relies on VR for every customer meeting and event.
With Glue, they have created a tailor-made virtual reality experience that visually communicates their groundbreaking technology.
2. VR presentations as part of the Sales Process
Integrating VR technologies into the sales process brings plenty of benefits for companies seeking to stand out from the competition.
Salespersons can provide their prospective customers with an interactive and memorable VR experience in a virtual world, allowing them to engage with products and explore intricate details.
This modern approach not only sets companies apart from the competition but also facilitates deeper connections with potential customers.
Case in Point: Maillefer
Maillefer, a global leader in wire, cable, pipe, and tube production technologies, has seamlessly integrated the use of VR in their sales process.
When faced with the challenge of presenting their latest technology to new clients at exhibitions, the large size of their production lines posed a significant obstacle.
Opting for a forward-thinking approach, Maillefer started the collaboration with Glue to find a solution to this product presentation challenge in their sales process.
By leveraging Glue’s VR technology, they discovered a cost-efficient and unique method to showcase their high-tech concepts without the logistical burden of transporting large physical products to exhibitions.
Using virtual reality with VR headsets, Maillefer addresses the challenges of visualization at events and now is able to provide personalized experiences and virtual store for their customers.
3. VR events
Hosting events in VR opens new possibilities for a diverse range of industries and professionals.
Companies looking to engage their global audience seamlessly, educational institutions seeking innovative ways to deliver content, and event organizers aiming to create immersive experiences are finding virtual events in VR to be a game-changer.
Businesses host VR events to harness a multitude of benefits.
Firstly, virtual reality events provide an innovative platform for engaging stakeholders, clients, and employees, creating memorable VR experiences.
These events can facilitate product launches, training sessions, and collaborative meetings, fostering stronger connections and understanding.
Additionally, VR events offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution, eliminating the need for physical venue rentals and travel expenses while reaching a global audience.
This modern approach showcases a company’s commitment to cutting-edge technology, enhancing brand perception and staying ahead in the competitive landscape.
Case in Point: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
A great example of using virtual reality, Hewlett Packard Enterprise hosted an interview with Jeff Fougere & Emiliano Baidenbaum during the TechLaw.Fest 2022 in Glue. The discussion centered around the metaverse, exploring vr applications and insights into HPE’s VR journey.
4. VR meetings & Workshops
A virtual reality meeting, commonly referred to as a VR meeting, is a remote and collaborative experience that leverages immersive virtual reality technology, surpassing the engagement and social interaction level offered by conventional video conferencing.
Attendees, equipped with VR headsets, can seamlessly navigate and interact within a virtual environment, facilitating real-time collaboration through tools like virtual whiteboards, notes, and 3D models.
Integrating VR team meetings into your business operations is among the most straightforward virtual reality applications. In this article, we provided more detailed information about VR meetings.
In virtual reality, you can host a multitude of team meetings, including project collaborations, creative brainstorming sessions, design workshops, scrum meetings, and more.
The immersive environments enhance communication and collaboration across diverse business functions.
Case in Point: Salesforce
We have numerous customers who host both internal and external meetings in Glue.
For instance, Salesforce has crafted a custom virtual space to enhance team productivity during customer meetings, and they have also integrated Glue into Salesforce CRM, taking Glue APIs into use to create a unique meeting experience in the metaverse.
Workshops in VR
VR workshops are at the forefront of innovative approaches to internal team development, fostering collaboration, innovation, and efficiency within organizations.
These sessions, conducted in a VR environment, redefine the traditional team-building experience by providing a cutting-edge platform for participants to immerse themselves in a virtual space.
In immersive virtual spaces, teams can collaborate on projects, brainstorm ideas, and practice decision-making, fostering new and effective ways of working together.
One of the standout advantages of VR for workshops is its ability to overcome geographical barriers, allowing remote employees to fully engage in the workshop and promoting inclusivity within teams.
Significantly, the absence of the need for physical travel translates into substantial cost savings for companies. By eliminating travel expenses, organizations can achieve their training objectives efficiently and cost-effectively.
This cost efficiency is particularly highlighted in our ROI of VR blog, where the financial benefits of adopting VR in team training are explored in-depth.
Case in Point: Deutsche Telekom MMS
Deutsche Telekom MMS, with around 2,100 employees at nine locations, incorporate VR as a cornerstone in their digital transformation journey.
Over the past two years, the Deutsche Telekom MMS team has seamlessly integrated Glue into their operations for various purposes, including workshops, prototyping, planning sessions, and review meetings. Watch our customer story to learn more.
5. Global Project Work
Hosting project work worldwide in VR opens up new horizons for global collaboration, breaking down geographical barriers.
Teams can seamlessly engage in a VR space, contributing to projects from anywhere in the world. This not only enhances efficiency but also promotes diverse perspectives and talents, fostering innovation on a global scale.
I. Seamless collaboration between departments
Effective collaboration doesn’t always require synchronous interactions.
For remote teams, especially those spanning different time zones, the ability to work asynchronously is crucial. Many individuals find value in this flexible approach, allowing them to contribute to projects at their convenience.
Glue facilitates asynchronous collaboration by allowing teams to access shared virtual spaces at their convenience.
This flexible approach encourages dynamic project collaboration, ensuring that project-related content remains accessible in designated spaces. This empowers teams to make progress around the clock, enhancing productivity and adaptability.
II. Savings Through Virtual Reality
VR also provide businesses with a powerful tool to cut costs, save time, and reduce environmental impact.
By leveraging virtual collaboration and training, companies can significantly decrease the need for physical travel, translating into substantial savings in both time and expenses.
This shift towards more sustainable practices aligns with the growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, making VR an eco-friendly choice for modern businesses. Learn more about the ROI of VR in our blog.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the diverse range of Virtual Reality business applications discussed in this blog illustrates the transformative impact it holds for businesses.
From revolutionizing training and fostering soft skills to enhancing product presentations and enabling immersive workshops, VR has emerged as a versatile tool.
With new devices and VR headsets continually entering the market, along with advancements in VR, mixed reality, and augmented reality, businesses can anticipate even more sophisticated VR apps with various training programs in the future.
Companies like Konecranes, BPI, Duodecim, IQM, and Maillefer showcase successful integrations of VR environments and virtual worlds.
Whether applied in medical training, safety procedures, or even virtual tours and events, VR not only enhances operational processes but also influences brand perception and global reach.
Embracing the numerous advantages of VR applications places businesses at the forefront of innovation.
Ready to explore the possibilities of immersive VR learning?
Book a demo to explore metaverse opportunities for your business.
