Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) were once just hyped bits of tech among avid gamers… now, they’re changing the game in the supply chain industry, providing real-time information on manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and warehouse operations.
From order picking to predictive modeling, these technologies have the potential to penetrate every layer and operational structure of your supply chain. On-time deliveries, efficient services, and personalized customer experiences, VR/AR make supply chains much easier to manage.
Retail:
All supply chains operate vastly differently between industries, and hence the use cases for AR and VR within them change too.
Let’s start with retail; one excellent use case Fulcrum has witnessed gaining traction in retail involves improving customer return rates through a more captivating user experience, such as AR fitting rooms. Today, the Nike Fit app combines AR with AI technologies to help customers select the perfect fit shoes and ‘see’ them on their feet from the comfort of their own homes.
These technologies keep adjusting to the market dynamics, growing brand awareness, attaining higher profit, and bridging commutation barriers.
Advanced in-store experience helps offer rich product information to the customers and fosters digital interaction as they would do in a physical store.
In-store virtual navigation offers seamless navigation assistance and helps avoid getting lost while traversing endless aisles for various products.
Virtual product trials empower consumers to try products and find the product that closely fits their needs.
Improved product tutorials provide a stepwise guide and an easy-to-read manual with inbuilt interactive features.
VR/AR-based games for in-store engagement and rewarding customers with coupons, discounts, and vouchers.
This fastest-growing sector is leveraging all the commercial potential of VR and AR technologies, fulfilling user needs with emotionally engaging experiences right through mobile phones, tablets, and desktops.
Automotive:
In the manufacturing industry, things change rapidly. Automotive manufacturers like Caterpillar have been experimenting in recent years with connecting AR goggles with real-time data feedback from their vehicle’s telematics and IoT-enabled components to render mechanical faults not visible from surface detection graphically. This changes the game for maintaining fleets and even spotting faults before they happen with predictive analytics.
Manufacturing:
Closely tied in with the Automotive sector; these technologies enhance numerous operational processes in the manufacturing industry, from design and prototyping to final production and assembly. These technologies play a crucial role in the manufacturing cycle and bring tangible benefits to businesses on a whole host of levels.
Rapid prototyping and product design enhance and augment existing product and service design and enable entirely new techniques in more effective and affordable ways.
Increased precision for every industrial manufacturing process and ensures fast time-to-market and better-quality manufactured goods.
Quality control helps rectify mistakes that could lead to potential disruptions and eliminate them before they hinder operations.
Ongoing maintenance and predictive analytics, as demonstrated by Caterpillar.
Improved security for helping detect and eliminate threats, instruct employees and reduce onsite accidents.
These technologies can undoubtedly enhance safety, design function, and performance, bringing man and machine a bit closer.
Distribution:
VR/AR has created a revolutionizing impact on the wholesale distribution industry. These technologies have improved the overall distribution operations from incorporating a visual sensory journey to providing real-time data.
Make the order picking process faster, are less prone to errors, and better analyze warehouse layout data for the fastest route for collecting the items.
Ensure that products reach the distribution centers on time without damaging a safer and efficient delivery process.
Secured delivery options with face recognition technology make the identity verification process more manageable.
Hands-free picking with barcode scanning directly looks to perform picking tasks effortlessly for warehouse workers.
Wearable technology helps with predictive analysis through intuitive instructions, indoor navigation, and safety features.
These technologies make the movement of goods and services more efficient, cost-effective, and potentially error-free.
Logistics:
These technologies play a crucial role in the shipping and logistics industry, from optimizing pickup to efficient transportation. Major top businesses invest in these solutions to make last-mile delivery, order picking, and pay processes much smoother and quicker.
Optimize pickup with VR/AR-assisted navigation software guides workers to the exact location of parcels with ease and removes erroneous picks.
Depict information about cargo such as weight, easy positioning within the truck for faster takeout, and clear-cut destination indicators.
Digitally remodeled warehouse to convert it into a multipurpose operational hub.
Dynamic traffic-based routing information for drivers on traffic jams, alternative routes, deviations, and shortest routes to reach the destinations.
Reduce the chances of injury or any other accidental fatalities during work.
VR/AR technologies are all set to transform the future of logistics with rising digital supply networks.
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