Immersive Learning in the Automotive industry
Organizations that have seized the opportunity to reinvent training and communication through Virtual Reality are now continually finding new relevant use cases, that come along with strong value creation possibilities.
For anyone interested in such topics, it is worth diving into the PSA case study, and understand why and how a leading car manufacturer is successfully deploying Immersive Learning at scale.
Onboarding on Production Lines
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Disease prevention program
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Showroom &
Interactive visits
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Transfer knowledge
& know-how
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Optimize Onboarding on Production Lines
Ease the transition from theoretical training to production line by training new operators on technical know-how, in order to free up time for operational managers and optimize the productivity of newcomers.
Results:
– 1.5 days saved on onboarding time
– 15% gain in productivity of new comers
Context
New employees onboarding used to lead to significant interruptions of the production lines, in addition to a great amount of time dedicated by local managers. In order to ease the transition from theoretical training to production line, PSA was interested in a solution that would help operators pre-visualize their future work environments and get familiar with a range of best practices beforehand.
Solution
Operational managers can take 360° pictures/videos of the workstations, and use them to create realistic and explicit training experiences. Such immersive experiences help newcomers visualize their future work environment while getting trained by actively interacting with visually/spatially contextualized information.
Results
1.5 days saved on onboarding time.
Once they arrive on site, operators already know their workstation, as well as many ad hoc processes and best practices (including on security). They have indeed been able to practice at their own pace, throughout the experience. As a consequence, the duration of line interruption due to the onboarding of newcomers is reduced, and the amount of time dedicated by local managers are reduced, resulting in significant productivity gains. This saved time also helps managers stay fully responsive to other issues and focus on quality.
Contribute to the occupational disease prevention program
With respect to the prevention of occupational disease, one experience created at PSA makes it possible for operators to follow a physiotherapist through their typical circuit at work and benefit from his advices and demos of tailored workout and stretching exercises.
Operators can get familiar with the gestures by repeating them simultaneously, as well as mentally projecting them into the course of their daily life, hence a better memorization.
Context
In addition to the group’s general guidelines for occupational health and safety in the workplace, some plants’ teams had taken the initiative to develop specific trainings for operators to enhance musculoskeletal health. Such trainings cover a set of tailored workout and stretching exercises meant to improve pre-work physical preparation and post-work recovery. PSA wanted these best practices to be formalized and shared effectively with the other sites, in order to generalize their adoption throughout the group.
Solution
The medical department of one of the sites has created an immersive experience, which makes it possible for operators to follow a physiotherapist through their typical circuit at work (from arrival on site to changing rooms and then work station). The physiotherapist gives fun, pedagogical and contextualized demos of easy-to-practice exercises. Operators can get familiar with the gestures by repeating them simultaneously, as well as mentally projecting them into the course of their daily life, hence a better memorization.
Results
Since 16 October 2018, 4,500 operators have successfully completed this immersive training module in Europe and Latin America. PSA plans to reach between 40,000 and 50,000 people trained in 2019.
Immersive customers from all over the world into the brand’s universe
PSA is also leveraging on immersive technologies for external communication purpose: through VR, PSA can immerse its customers into the world of its DS brand, by virtually walking them through a guided tour of the DS World flagship store in Paris. Detailed information punctuates the visit as the customer goes through the different areas and helps convey the brand’s universe.
Context
DSWorld is an emblematic store dedicated to the DS brand’s universe, and a venue for experiences and emotions. Fronted by an Art Deco façade and laid out on three levels, DSWorld Paris is meant to celebrate the spirit of the legendary 1955 DS and incorporate the very best of French luxury and craftsmanship. PSA was looking for ways to enhance its international outreach, beyond its Parisian location.
Solution
An interactive 360° visit of DSWorld Paris, immersing visitors into the brand’s universe and conveying the store’s very atmosphere and best attractions. Visitors can explore the DSWorld at their own pace and interact with the exhibits, as the 360°-environment is augmented with relevant information in the form of various media and pedagogical interactions.
Results
This experience is shared on the DS brand’s digital platforms through various brand communication actions. One only needs a simple URL (or QR code, or iframe) to share the experience, hence it is very easy to foster a wide and multi-channel access to it and reach a large audience.
Share best practices between peers from different manufacturing pants, at no cost
Another PSA experience makes it possible for plant employees to share know-how and skills from one site to another. There is no need anymore to make the trip to another plant to get trained by peers, which means a great deal of savings on travel costs and a better use of time.
Context
When transformations are being implemented in a production site, it is often very common to organize peer training with teams from other plants where a similar process or vehicle is produced. However, the trip to another site can be very expensive and time-consuming.
Solution
Teams create immersive training modules based on 360° photos/videos taken on their own site and workstations, and can give access to such modules to other plants. Detailed information about a machine or a process can be shown in context. Training materials can then be customized to take into account local specificities and updated regularly if need be.
Results
Plant teams can now easily share know-how and skills from one site to another, which means a great deal of savings on travel costs and a better use of time. Yet, the immersive dimension of the experience still makes it possible for employees to learn by doing and living.