What is the role of augmented reality in field service?
Field service providers are under pressure to deliver an optimal service experience, and their customers expect one. But a widening skills gap and increasing product complexity can create efficiency challenges. AR is giving technicians the information they need at their fingertips, transforming paper-based materials into in-context digital instructions, and enabling knowledge sharing.
What are the challenges in field service?
Increased complexity and skills gap
Products and processes are more complex than ever before, challenging technicians to interpret complicated, paper-based instructions to complete a repair or maintenance correctly and efficiently. Paired with the widening skills gap in manufacturing, both new hires and experts alike are struggling to meet service-level agreements (SLAs) and provide the best possible service experience.
Meeting customer SLAs
Meeting customer SLAs requires technicians to solve problems quickly the first time—but that can be a difficult task without the right tools. Repeat service visits can lengthen downtime, impact SLAs, increase truck rolls, and reduce efficiency overall. Failure to meet strict SLAs can result in costly penalties for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), so it’s more important than ever in today’s competitive market to keep customers happy—or they will look elsewhere for a quality service experience.
High customer demand
While manufacturers face increasing complexity and a growing skills gap, customers are also demanding more from the service experience. As digital solutions make their way into every aspect of our lives, customers expect to see those same innovations in service. To meet these demands and keep up with their competitors, field service organizations must explore technology that improves service efficiency and quality.
How is augmented reality transforming field service?
Augmented reality is transforming field service by equipping technicians with 3D work instructions in the context of their physical environment, enabling remote assistance from anywhere, transforming training and onboarding, and improving inspections with AI. By using AR for field service, organizations can significantly reduce service costs and improve customer satisfaction.
3D work instructions
3D work instructions delivered through the user’s tablet, mobile device, or headset are improving service efficiency and quality. Rather than flipping through a paper-based manual—which can be easily misplaced or quickly outdated—technicians get real-time visual guidance and instruction in the context of the physical equipment so they can complete the repair easily and accurately, no matter how complex it is.
Connect with remote experts
Should a technician arrive on site and have questions about a specific service procedure, AR enables real-time remote assistance. Field technicians can connect with an expert from anywhere and leverage AR technology to collaborate and problem solve on a shared view of the equipment. With remote assistance, technicians can complete the repair confidently and SMEs can return to their tasks quickly.
Training and onboarding
Classroom learning can provide effective training and onboarding, but it lacks the opportunity for hands-on experience. While in the field, service technicians must rely on their own knowledge and any other tools provided. AR provides an effective way to train and upskill employees with in-context instructions and can also be used as a job aid while in the field.
AI-enhanced service inspections
Using AI in field service inspections ensures that the service or repair was completed correctly and that critical components were replaced properly. Afterward, a final report is generated automatically as proof of service completion.
Case studies
Augmented reality field service products
Vuforia Studio is a flexible, user-friendly AR authoring solution that can use existing product data to build 3D AR experiences.
Vuforia Expert Capture enables service providers to capture knowledge, scale work instructions, and complete AI-enhanced inspections.
Vuforia Chalk enables AR remote assistance for real-time problem solving and collaboration with experts.
Improve field service productivity with connected technologies
Augmented reality provides field technicians with the in-context work instructions they need to get the job done—but there are even more opportunities for improvement when it’s combined with other technologies. By leveraging AR with IoT and service management solutions, organizations can enable remote diagnostics, ensure service parts are on hand, and provide real-time information overlaid on machines. Discover how combining PTC technologies can help improve your field service productivity.
Upskill service technicians with AR training
To ensure service technicians are trained and up to date on complex product portfolios, many organizations have begun supplementing traditional training with new innovative methods of onboarding and upskilling employees.
This video explores how an industrial leader, Atlas Copco, supplemented traditional training with augmented 3D visualizations of equipment and exploded depictions of components to provide technicians with a deeper understanding of their machines. By leveraging AR, their technicians were trained faster, retained more, and got personalized hands-on training without an instructor present.
