Gary York
Business leaders are responsible for examining and implementing technologies that are proven, cost-effective and easy to use while also offering long-term solutions that reimagine workflows, speed up processes and increase productivity.
Prior to the pandemic, executives predicted that increasing the use of advanced technologies in their organizations would take more than a year-and-a-half to implement. The actual timeline for advanced implementation over the past couple of years was 27 days. Following that digital transformation, companies across industries are looking to pinpoint tools that support long-term growth and predictable outcomes in a constantly changing landscape.
One such technology proved an especially vital addition to businesses that had to quickly implement tools to meet customer service and training needs while maintaining essential safety protocols. Remote visual assistance software fulfilled those demands by offering users the virtual presence of company expertise through real-time video collaboration.
With augmented reality-enabled solutions now projected to be a $175 billion market by 2026, a technology like remote visual assistance has the potential to seamlessly integrate into current support processes and systems, with intuitive features that make it a good fit for many potential users, including customers and technicians.
Businesses in industries such as office equipment, medical and scientific equipment, telecommunications and industrial equipment have all seen measurable improvement in critical business metrics after adopting remote visual assistance software, particularly in their manufacturing, field service, HR, engineering and customer service departments.
As leaders contemplate how to incorporate AR-enabled technology into their current systems, they’ll need to understand the tangible benefits of the solution, as well as how it will impact existing workflows and the environment needed to optimize its implementation.
Consider these factors as you assess the value of implementing remote visual assistance software into your tech stack.
Workflow reviews
Be prepared to review your workflows in any area where you’re planning to incorporate remote visual assistance software. While the technology will streamline many processes, it may also change who’s involved and when they join the process. The best way to prepare for any changes to those workflows is to scrutinize current processes and identify where remote visual assistance can make the most significant impact.
In the customer service domain, for instance, a customer service agent who can use the software to virtually reach into the customer’s field of view, quickly inspect equipment, and demonstrate how to complete a repair will offset numerous calls from being escalated to additional technicians. In another case, an agent might use the software to help identify and troubleshoot a problem remotely and, in doing so, realize the issue requires a higher level of expertise. The next step for that customer would be another remote visual assistance session, this time with an experienced technician.
In another scenario, a technician could use the software, uncover the problem and see that it demands an on-site visit from a technician. From there, the technician who responds to the call may also utilize the software to contact someone with additional expertise to walk through repair steps or help with troubleshooting, bringing in tools and using gestures to make a point. In each of these cases, remote visual assistance will change established workflows for multiple stakeholders.
Adding remote visual assistance software can also change the timing and pace of ramping up new employees in many fields. Not only can the software be incorporated as an interactive training component, it can also get new employees on the job more quickly with an expert resource in their pocket. Using the software to teach and demonstrate repairs will offset some of the need for location-based onboarding, which will change the rest of your onboarding process.
Transitioning to a remote expert role can extend the careers of experienced workers, offering them more flexibility in their schedules and location. You’ll have to account for how they move off accounts, how they’ll support customers with unique use cases, and the workloads they’ll be able to handle in the new role.
All together, you’ll benefit from completing a thorough inventory of how your team works, and trying out new configurations to find the right fit.
A robust resource hub
Multiple departments can participate in the rollout of remote visual assistance software, incorporating it into their workflows alongside or integrated with current tools. Team members across departments will need a way to share materials during sessions and revisit particularly salient sessions as a resource during on-site work or employee development.
Recording each remote assistance session enables your company to capture institutional knowledge held by long-time employees while also identifying knowledge gaps in teams or training materials. The software you use should allow you to build a robust resource hub that lets teams extract additional value from every session.
To make your sessions more effective, users should prepare to share documents, photos and other helpful files in real time. Whatever is shared during a session (including any annotations) is available after the call so a user can consult the resource in tandem with the recorded session, further increasing the value of a single call. In addition, any screen captures taken during the session should be saved to the hub for review.
By equipping internal experts with a means of sharing supplementary material as part of the call — and storing that information — you can blend current training and support techniques with new ones.
A dedicated web portal
The right tool will offer a dedicated web portal easily accessed by customers and employees. This portal should be customizable with a contact directory to access the person or expert group you need, a way to invite someone who’s not part of your contacts and a way to look back at past sessions.
Since both employees and customers can participate in remote visual assistance sessions, the software you choose should support users connecting from a variety of devices without being required to download an app or purchase additional hardware. That means any customers and employees — even those resistant to new technologies — can join a session via a dedicated web portal, or initiate a session through a mobile browser without having to download an app. The process should work on a variety of platforms such as phones, tablets, or desktop computers.
The portal should also let you create group contact lists that reach out to the first available experienced expert so that technicians don’t have to go through a long list of people to find the right person. With a dedicated web portal, an expert can schedule and manage the assistance and prepare support in advance. The portal should also let customers take advantage of recorded calls and shared resources they can download and reference should they encounter the same issue again. In addition, look for a solution offering an in-depth customer help center.
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