Off-the-shelf VR: Is It for Me?

Are you sensing the urgency to keep up with technology that will optimize your business goals? Virtual reality (VR) has been proven to transform the way people learn. As immersive technology continues to shift the corporate training landscape, it’s important to consider what entry point makes sense for your training needs.

Black-and-white thinking doesn’t serve anyone. When we think in extremes, our decisions – both personal and in business, can have blind spots. Throw out the idea that technology is a replacement system. Instead, spark your curiosity about how the process of implementing XR technology can be a slow, gradual change that enhances your existing training program. The reality is that most organizations are eager for a taste of what VR training can do. 

Off-the-shelf programs offer ready-made VR content for foundational topics of training. From safety to technical skills, off-the-shelf content has been delivering universal warehouse training. OTS gives organizations a peek into the VR world to see what impact can be made.

Is VR for My Organization?

Organizations that are looking for learning impact in their training programs are adopting XR technologies to enhance their programs. VR delivers experiential learning that improves knowledge retention in employees. The results have shown that when people learn by doing, they are better equipped to fulfill their roles in the real world with self-assuredness that hones efficiency.

For those newly entering the workforce, VR training signifies a cultural shift and a new opportunity to reimagine lifelong learning. By effectively capturing the attention of the learner, organizations gain employee engagement in the earliest stages of the employee lifecycle with the help of immersive technology.

You may be asking – will my business feel the impact?

The short answer is yes. VR delivers benefits in specific ways. Onboarding, safety, and turnover are just a few of the heavy-hitting advantages that VR training delivers. You are not alone if these three topics made your ears perk up. The top organizations using VR training have successfully addressed these areas in addition to many other forms of ROI.

Early adopters are looking to add off-the-shelf programming to expand their VR libraries, while others are just in time to adopt the technology.

VR training is fun, engaging, and effective. It draws on experience and the science of learning, narrowing the learner’s focus and providing useful feedback. If your employees would benefit from experiential learning, VR is the training modality that will unlock what’s possible at your organization.

So, let’s check your bases. Here’s a list of questions that can help you determine if off-the-shelf VR is the right solution for your organization.

Is It for Me? Off-the-shelf Checklist

• Does my organization need a scalable solution for training?
• Is my organization considering the integration of technology?
• Did you consider VR but feel hesitant to invest in custom?
• Do you have a tight timeline for new training?
• Are you looking to create an innovative training program?
• Are there knowledge gaps among your workforce?
• Is your organization consistently evolving/having a shift in your business model? Or does training content have a short shelf-life?
• Are you looking for a cost-effective, innovative learning solution?
• Do you have a preference to buy over build?
• Do you want VR, but your budget can’t accommodate the investment for a custom training program?

If you’ve answered yes to three or more of these questions, off-the-shelf VR is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to test the waters with XR technology.

Off-the-shelf VR can work with your timeline to deliver immersive learning at an affordable entry point. Created by expert instructional designers and XR developers, off-the-shelf content is a low-maintenance, scalable training solution.

Even a small step towards innovation is a step worth taking.

While many companies still find themselves on the battlefield of reluctance when debating if they should devote their resources to new innovation, off-the-shelf VR is actually saving organizations time and money. For a moment, let’s play devil’s advocate.

Drawbacks

Although off-the-shelf training content will help organizations meet their business objectives, custom-built programs are tough competition. Here are a few drawbacks to consider.

Off-the-shelf means you’ll receive content that isn’t specific to your organization. In other words – universal also means generic. If you don’t mind the shelves being a different color than what is in your distribution center, this is a non-issue.

Off-the-shelf is “as is” training material, meaning you can’t make any changes to it. Organizations cannot change or edit ready-made content. While some of these limitations are worth bearing in mind, you can only get so creative when it comes to teaching someone how to stack a pallet, load a truck, and receive new product.

It’s important to remember that off-the-shelf is best used for training on foundational skills. We often find that these one- size-fits-all trainings work as a great solution to standard procedures shared between most warehousing facilities.

Benefits

Off-the-shelf content is an added benefit to any training program. Off-the-shelf masters the convenience of VR training with ready-made content that can get your training program into action. In high-stress work environments, the luxury of convenience cannot be emphasized enough!

If you are looking for an affordable entry point to VR, OTS is far less expensive than committing to a custom project. The factor of affordability alone is worth noting if you plan to grow your organization. OTS is ready-made content that’s ready to go. Once you have your equipment, your training program can be up and running in as fast as 2 weeks, getting your organization to meaningful results faster.

OTS allows you to promote performance at your organization with meaningful metrics. The ability to measure KPIs will help streamline your operations, adding more value to your off-the-shelf training content. You’ll be able to track completion rates and training errors so that you can better prepare your workforce to fulfill their roles efficiently. 

There are even XR Management tools out there to help organizations manage and deliver off-the-shelf content while tracking the performance rates of their employees during training. These tools complement your training program by making progress even more tangible.