As businesses evolve, training methods must also adapt to keep pace. Traditional training methods, while still effective, face growing challenges. VR training integration has emerged as an innovative solution, offering immersive, efficient, and scalable training experiences that revolutionise learning in industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare. In a nutshell, VR training takes a training process, digitizes it, and deploys it to a headset. The trainee then accesses the training as an immersive experience on the headset. Naturally, we at Mersus Technologies believe that VR is an exceptional medium for delivering training, both for the effectiveness that immersion gives the content and for the efficiency and scalability that the medium allows.
There are countless challenges faced by business when it comes to training staff. Training may require production to be impacted if trainees are learning by observing a colleague. Training often requires travel expenses, either incurred by trainees or trainers. It is also well known that people find it difficult to retain knowledge they have gained in training, particularly from a classroom environment. If an industry relies on subject matter experts for training, their availability can be a bottleneck. Coordinating their time and presence for training sessions can be challenging and impact business operations. Training quality can vary based on the trainer’s expertise, teaching style, and mood on a given day. Inconsistent training can lead to uneven skill development among trainees. In industries where safety is paramount, errors made during training or on-the-job can have serious consequences. Traditional training methods might not adequately simulate high-risk scenarios for skill practice. Scaling up training for a large workforce while maintaining personalised attention can be a challenge. One-size-fits-all training approaches might not cater to the diverse learning styles and skill levels of trainees. Keeping track of training progress, certifications, and compliance requirements can be cumbersome and time-consuming, leading to potential gaps in record-keeping. Mistakes made during training can lead to costly errors in real-world situations, affecting product quality, customer satisfaction, and overall business reputation.
Moving from Conventional to VR training can mitigate or even eliminate ALL of these challenges. But how does a company go about implementing VR training in their organisation? This blog is going to explore how Mersus Technologies works with companies to transfer their training content into VR, how to deploy VR training with their staff, and how to access the insights gleaned from the data analytics built into the Avatar Academy platform.
Cost-effective and Efficient Implementation
Developing VR applications to support business processes is now more accessible due to the affordability of VR headsets. While VR development can be costly and time-consuming, the long-term cost savings over conventional training methods are significant. By eliminating the need for physical training environments and reducing travel, VR delivers training at scale with minimal ongoing expenses.
Mersus Technologies’ low-code and no-code solutions simplify the creation and modification of VR training modules, making it easier and faster for companies to develop their own content. This empowers organisations to manage their training programs more efficiently and effectively. Beyond development, Mersus Technologies provides ongoing support to help companies maximise their VR platform and adapt to evolving training needs.
Increased Focus and Reduced Distractions
One of the most significant advantages of VR training is its ability to isolate users from everyday distractions. Unlike traditional computer or mobile-based learning, where external factors like social media can divert attention, VR immerses the trainee in a controlled environment. This isolation leads to more focused and productive training sessions. Studies have shown that typical workplace productivity may be limited to just a few hours each day, but VR provides a solution by offering a distraction-free space where learners can engage fully with the content.
Immersive Learning and Realistic Simulation
The core strength of VR lies in its ability to create an immersive experience, making trainees feel physically present in virtual scenarios. This immersion leads to better retention of training content, as it allows employees to practise tasks in realistic, high-risk environments without real-world consequences. Whether it’s working on expensive equipment or managing dangerous situations like firefighting, VR provides a safe, repeatable training ground. The use of virtual simulations can reduce on-the-job errors, protect staff from potential hazards, and reduce wear and tear on actual equipment.
Industry-Specific Applications
Mersus Technologies offers tailored, industry-specific VR training modules. We have developed VR solutions for a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, medtech, biopharma, safety, catering, and more. By collaborating closely with our industry partners, we identify their specific training needs and create customised VR applications that align with their operational goals. Our goal is to deliver immersive and effective training experiences that meet the highest standards of each industry.
Analytics and Data-Driven Insights
Our Avatar Academy platform is more than just a hub for trainees to access all of a company’s training modules. In addition to hosting training content, it offers a powerful low-code toolkit that allows companies to create and modify their own VR training materials (with a no-code option currently in development). The platform also provides trainers and managers with access to a comprehensive set of data collected from trainees’ VR sessions. This data is presented in an intuitive, easy-to-use dashboard, offering managers valuable insights into trainees’ progress. It helps optimise training processes, drive efficiency, and improve learning outcomes. Additionally, the platform ensures compliance in highly regulated industries by maintaining centralised records of all training activities, making it easier to track certifications and meet regulatory standards.
Flexibility and Scalability
Once developed, VR training modules can be rolled out across an entire organisation with ease. This scalability is particularly beneficial for companies with a decentralised workforce, allowing training to take place remotely, eliminating travel costs, and reducing operational downtime. Training can also be spread out over multiple sessions, enabling a more manageable, continuous learning process that integrates seamlessly with employees’ day-to-day responsibilities.
By implementing VR, Mersus Technologies enables companies to overcome the barriers of conventional training methods, delivering a more engaging, cost-efficient, and flexible learning experience that can be tailored to the specific needs of any industry.
