In any training program, it’s important to cross your t’s and dot your i’s as you prepare new hires for the reality of their roles. When we look at the checklist for warehouse training, there are typically two pieces of criteria underlined and in bold: reduce errors and boost productivity. Yet, safety is the underpinning of training for any specialized role in a warehouse.
Injury is the leading obstacle in the industry, especially when the average warehouse proudly posts the number of days since their last safety incident. Simply put– organizations cannot afford to be casual about the safety standards in their warehouses. VR training is forging new and improved measures for mitigating the risk of injury on the job and reaping major benefits specific to the industry.
While we know what we want to get out of training, warehousing organizations are thinking differently about what they put into their programs. Learning on the job has been a practical standard in warehouse training because it allows employees to practice with a coworker– but the number of training errors that disrupt the flow of products can be an interruption to operations. VR training prepares the workforce to step into roles with confidence and the technical skills needed to operate safely and efficiently.
This article will cover the three biggest benefits of VR in warehousing.
1. Learner Engagement
Immersive learning facilitates experiential training where learners are fully engaged. With VR, your workforce gains the experience that on the job training provides, empowering them to make the right decisions once they start at their assigned location.
VR training creates opportunities for employee enrichment beyond salary, benefits, and job stability. The attractive new technology hones the science of learning by activating the brain with life-like experiences.
We want learners to absorb as much information as possible in any training program. By optimizing learner engagement, employees retain the knowledge they need to boost their performance.
Think of it this way. Learner engagement ensures employee engagement.
2. Improved Safety
The warehouse floor is not for the faint of heart. The fast-paced, buzzing atmosphere practically invites injury. The technical skills that allow warehouses to operate require a workforce with environmental awareness. VR training programs allow learners to familiarize themselves with the environment and learn to identify hazards and risks.
In 2021, transportation and warehouses experienced the highest injury and illness rate involving days away from work per 10,000 workers. With statistics like that, it’s no wonder why organizations are eager to invest in new ways of streamlining their warehouse efficiency.
By helping employees recognize common warehouse hazards and dangers, VR prevents future injury and the price tag that comes with it. By practicing dangerous tasks in a virtual environment, learners remember the dangers associated with the job, allowing them to step onto the work floor with a higher level of preparation.
Safe workers have higher productivity because a safe warehousing environment ensures a consistent workflow. VR enhances the benefits of experiential training and, at the same time, eliminates the top safety risks involved with warehousing. After experiencing VR training, warehouse employees can perform their essential roles without harm. Your pockets will thank you, too!
3. Cost Effective
VR warehouse training is impressively cost-effective. VR saves organizations by reducing costly turnover and safety incidents. In addition to minimizing everyday warehouse expenses, VR generates outstanding ROI.
In any given VR program, warehousing management has the ability to measure key performance indicators during immersive training. This helps them to highlight the level of productivity workers are achieving during their training and proactively correct any mistakes. This allows hires to walk into the warehouse with confidence and role readiness, eliminating premature walk-outs and rehabilitating the industry turnover rate.
Did you know falls and slips totaled $48,575 between 2019 and 2020? Without paying workers' compensation left and right, warehouses can save on major injury expenses with safety training in VR.
And let’s not forget the benefit of scalability that VR offers, helping organizations reach all learners and accessible pricing with off-the-shelf content.
In Summary
In the ever-evolving industry, warehouses are embracing innovative training to help their workforce gain virtual learning experiences that translate to enhanced job performance. It all begins with the people who make the product move.
Dated training practices have been slowing down warehouse production for too long. Training employees on the job interferes with productivity and slims the chances that you’ll hit your numbers for the day.
The warehouse is a fast-paced, high-intensity environment that involves close attention to detail. VR bridges skill gaps in warehouses and helps organizations reap the long-term benefits of immersive training. We can see it now – safer, more efficient warehouses with economical operations.
At the end of the day, training shouldn’t be counterproductive. VR recreates distribution centers in a virtual environment so learners can visualize what it will be like to work there, understand what their job entails, and practice their roles safely.
The benefits of VR training in the warehousing industry are setting a new standard for picking, packing, and shipping. This cutting-edge training solution is transforming the way warehouses operate, onboard, and upskill their workforce.
See an example of VR warehouse training here:
Safety is essential, but slow operations are a top concern for every warehouse. A large and well known food and beverage distributor needed help moving their products out into the world faster. The problem was that employees, like in most warehouses, were getting hurt left and right because they didn’t retain what they learned in during their inital onboarding. Roundtable Learning created a custom VR start of shift and order selection training to combat these issues.
A little healthy competition never hurt anyone. In fact, it's great for warehouse morale. We partnered with a multinational wholesaler of food and kitchen products to create an original VR warehouse training to transform their efficiency. Like many leading distributors, this wholesale corporation wanted to try something new and innovative. To spice things up, we incorporated gamification into their VR training program. We designed a custom “perfect picking game” that randomized different scenarios during the picking process. Learners earn a score and compete with other distribution centers, aligning them all with a shared goal for proficient picking.
