This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Workforce

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Today’s dynamic and changing manufacturing workforce needs continuous learning and performance support to effectively sustain and deliver effective on-the-job performance.

by Chris Kuntz -

Every day we hear about the growing “Skills Gap” associated with the industrial frontline workforce. The story is that 30% of workers are retiring in the near future and they are taking their 30+ years of tribal knowledge with them, creating the need to quickly upskill their more junior replacements. In an attempt to solve the knowledge gap issues, an entire generation of companies set out to build “Connected Worker” software applications, however, they all relied on the existing training, guidance, and support processes – the only true difference with this approach has been the creation of technology that takes your paper procedures and puts them on glass.

Along with tribal knowledge leaving, today’s workforce is also more dynamic and diverse than previous generations. The 30-year dedicated employees are no longer the norm. The average manufacturing worker tenure is down 17% in the last 5 years and the transient nature of the industrial worker is quickly accelerating. An outgrowth of the COVID pandemic brings forth the Great Resignation, where workers are quitting in record numbers, and worker engagement is down almost 20% in the last 2 years. 

This new workforce is changing in real-time – who shows up, what their skills are, what jobs they need to do, is a constantly moving target. The traditional “one size fits all” approach to training, guidance, and performance support is fundamentally incapable of enabling today’s workers to function at their individual peak of safety, quality and productivity. 

Digitizing work instructions is a great start to helping the skilled workers issue but alone, it won’t help completely solve the problem. We must go a step further to overcome the lack of a skilled and qualified manufacturing workforce. 

Enter the 2nd generation of Connected Worker software, one based on a data-driven, AI-supported approach that helps train, guide, and support today’s dynamic workforces by combining digital work instructions, remote collaboration, and advanced on-the-job training capabilities. 

These 2nd generation connected worker solutions are designed to capture highly granular data streaming from connected frontline workers. These platforms are built from the ground up on an artificial intelligence (AI) foundation. AI algorithms are ideal for analyzing large amounts of data collected from a connected workforce. AI can detect patterns, find outliers, cleanse data and find correlations and patterns that can be used to identify opportunities for improvement and creates a data-driven environment that supports continuous learning and performance support.

This approach aligns perfectly with the dynamic, changing nature of today’s workforce, and is ideally suited to support their 5 Moments of Need, a framework for gaining and sustaining effective on-the-job performance.

For example, Augmentir’s AI-powered connected worker platform leverages anonymized data from millions of job executions to significantly improve and expand its ability to automatically deliver in-app AI insights in the areas of productivity, safety, and workforce development. These insights are central to Augmentir’s True Proficiency™ scoring, which helps to objectively baseline each of your team members for their level of proficiency at every task so organizations can optimize productivity and throughput, intelligently schedule based on proficiency and skill-levels, and personalize the level of guidance and support to meet the needs of each member of the workforce.

This provides significant benefits to Augmentir customers, who leverage Augmentir’s AI in conjunction with the platform’s digital workflow and remote collaboration capabilities, allowing them to deliver continuous improvement initiatives centered on workforce development. These customers are able to utilize the insights generated from Augmentir’s AI to deliver objective performance reviews, automatically identify where productivity is lagging (or has the potential to lag), increase worker engagement, and deliver highly personalized job instructions based on worker proficiency.

Traditionally, there was a clear separation between training and work execution, requiring onboarding training to encompass everything a worker could possibly do, extending training time and leading to inefficiencies. Today, with the ability to deliver training at the moment of need, onboarding can focus on everything a worker will probably do, significantly reducing onboarding time. In one particular case, Bio-Chem Fluidics was able to reduce onboarding time for new employees by up to 80%, while simultaneously achieving a 21% improvement in job productivity across their manufacturing operation.

As workers become more connected, companies have access to a new rich source of activity, execution, and tribal data, and with proper AI tools can gain insights into areas where the largest improvement opportunities exist. Artificial Intelligence lays a data-driven foundation for continuous improvement in the areas of performance support, training, and workforce development, setting the stage to address the needs of today’s constantly changing workforce.

How AI is Transforming Lean Manufacturing

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Earlier this month, Augmentir CEO Russ Fadel and Bio-Chem Operations Manager Conor Puckett sat down to discuss how technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence and Connected Worker technology, are transforming lean manufacturing, driving continuous improvement and optimizing overall worker effectiveness in the manufacturing sector.  For quite some time, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) has been used in lean […]

by Chris Kuntz -

Earlier this month, Augmentir CEO Russ Fadel and Bio-Chem Operations Manager Conor Puckett sat down to discuss how technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence and Connected Worker technology, are transforming lean manufacturing, driving continuous improvement and optimizing overall worker effectiveness in the manufacturing sector. 

For quite some time, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) has been used in lean manufacturing to evaluate the effectiveness of factory equipment, yet still, many manufacturers ignore the human aspect of a lean strategy. Unfortunately, this leaves manufacturers with a missed opportunity. Although measuring worker productivity and labor efficiency is not a new concept, the rise of digital technology is making it easier and more practical for the manufacturing workforce to connect with the support tools, real-time data and insights needed to propel them to do their best work.

In this webinar, Conor shares how Bio-Chem is driving their lean initiatives forward using technology and data to gain insight into how their workforce is performing, why that is important to them as a business and how they are using that information to drive continuous improvement efforts across their operations.

Russ provides his insights into how AI is really becoming transformational in terms of understanding the manufacturing workforce, optimizing their performance, and being used to gain insight into improving performance, quality, and productivity.

Watch the full webinar recording to:

  • Learn how to extend the principles of OEE to the manufacturing workforce
  • Discover proven approaches that leverage AI and connected worker technology to digitize manufacturing processes and uncover continuous improvement opportunities for improved worker efficiency and effectiveness
  • Uncover best practices for optimizing worker performance and enhancing workforce development program
  • Hear how Bio-Chem Fluidics uses AI and digital worker tools to improve quality and productivity within their manufacturing operations

Remote Expert in Field Service – The Danger of Treating the Symptom not the Cause

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As a leader in the connected worker software market, we have experienced the highs and the lows that the pandemic has brought to the industrial frontline worker market. One area that stands out in particular is the equipment field service space. Equipment OEMs typically support the installation, startup, maintenance, and repair of their products through […]

by Russ Fadel -

As a leader in the connected worker software market, we have experienced the highs and the lows that the pandemic has brought to the industrial frontline worker market. One area that stands out in particular is the equipment field service space. Equipment OEMs typically support the installation, startup, maintenance, and repair of their products through some combination of a direct service force, a dealer service network, or their customers. For sophisticated equipment, much of this work has required visits to the customer site, which was made virtually impossible when the COVID pandemic spread.   

This created a real problem, since the “instructions” available to support these services were designed for technicians that already knew how to perform the work.  OEMs had to quickly find a way to project some type of virtual presence, to mimic being on-site as closely as possible. 

This led to a rush to implement either industrial “remote expert” tools, enterprise collaboration products like Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams, or consumer products like FaceTime.

While these solutions have been good at providing a short term band-aid to relieve the symptom, they don’t really address the underlying problem – the lack of rich, interactive workflows that are able to guide technicians with a wide range of skills to perform these tasks safely, correctly, and at an acceptable level of productivity. It’s a similar scenario to taking aspirin to treat a fever from an infection – aspirin may provide short-term relief, but ultimately it masks the presence and reduces the urgency to treat the underlying cause. Without looking forward and taking the next step in the connected worker journey, OEM’s will forever be required to provide 100%, synchronous, live support to make sure these tasks are done correctly and that customers are satisfied.

Achieving Digital Maturity to Reduce Support Costs and Improve Customer Satisfaction 

At Augmentir, we see “Digitally Mature” organizations as those that are continually moving forward on the digital continuum and have the ability to drive continuous improvement through the adoption of tools that help digitally connect their workforce. 

For equipment OEMs, we see digital maturity happening over four stages of the connected worker journey: 

Connected Worker Journey in Field Service

Step 1 – Remote Assistance

Industrial AR-based remote assistance solutions that provide worker guidance and support are a simple first step in the connected worker journey. Designed to be used by field service technicians or customers, these industrial solutions allow companies to provide rich interactive (chat, voice, video) support to field techs or customers to solve an immediate need.

Step 2 – Augmented, Guided Instructions 

With a connected workforce, equipment OEMs can drive greater efficiency by digitizing paper-based work instructions and maintenance/repair procedures. Digital work instructions help intelligently guide technicians (or customers) of all skill levels to complete these tasks independently and correctly. 

In this scenario, remote assist plays a supporting role (as it should) to ensure customer satisfaction. Customers have higher satisfaction rates because the work is done on their time schedule and OEMs see a reduction in their direct support costs.  

Step 3 – AI Support Bots

OEMs can drive further service optimization through AI support bots that provide autonomous, digital assistance.

Service technicians that require additional support can benefit from AI bots that autonomously deliver answers to questions, digital content such as drawings, pictures and videos, and rich sets of digital work instructions, to help workers resolve issues and complete the work independently. This allows a portion of customer remote assist requests to be handled autonomously, further increasing customer satisfaction and reducing direct support costs.

Augmentir Remote Assist for Field Service Technicians

Step 4 – AI-based Opportunity Insights

As workers become more connected, companies have access to a new rich source of activity, execution, and tribal data, and with proper AI tools, can gain insights into areas where the largest improvement opportunities exist for their service delivery. Artificial Intelligence lays a data-driven foundation for continuous improvement in the areas of productivity, quality, and workforce development, setting the stage to address the needs of a constantly changing workforce.

For example, after Augmentir is deployed for a number of months, our AI engine will start identifying patterns in the data that will allow you to focus your efforts on the areas that have the biggest customer satisfaction, productivity, and field service workforce development opportunities. This will allow you to answer questions such as:

  • Where should I invest to get the biggest improvement in customer satisfaction?
  • What service tasks have the largest productivity or quality opportunity?
  • Where would targeted training give me the biggest return?

Augmentir’s True Opportunity™ engine continuously updates its insights to enable companies to focus on their largest areas of opportunity, enabling you to deliver year over year improvements in key customer service metrics.

What is Your Digital Maturity?

Imagine, as you move forward on your connected worker journey, increasing customer satisfaction while reducing support costs, all while making your service delivery more productive – across your direct staff, dealers, or end customers.

Contact us today to take our digital maturity assessment and start your journey towards a digitally connected enterprise.

Contact Us

Augmentir Highlighted in Gartner Hype Cycle for Frontline Worker Technologies, 2020

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Gartner recently published their annual Hype Cycle for Frontline Worker Technology, and Augmentir was recognized as an important player and solution provider. The report covers emerging tech categories for frontline workers including Connected Factory Workers, Remote Expert Guidance solutions, and Augmented Reality. Digital Technologies for Frontline Workers This Hype Cycle focuses on the leading-edge technologies […]

by Chris Kuntz -

Gartner recently published their annual Hype Cycle for Frontline Worker Technology, and Augmentir was recognized as an important player and solution provider. The report covers emerging tech categories for frontline workers including Connected Factory Workers, Remote Expert Guidance solutions, and Augmented Reality.

Digital Technologies for Frontline Workers

This Hype Cycle focuses on the leading-edge technologies that are transforming the workflows in which frontline workers participate, while also improving the safety, quality, and productivity of the activities they perform.

According to the report, “The COVID-19 crisis has led organizations to ask frontline workers to work in new ways or to perform new tasks. To optimize efficiency, organizations are investing in mobile technology, including wearable technologies for frontline workers. These technologies transform the workflows in which these workers participate. Gartner predicts that up to 70% of new mobile and endpoint investments over the next five years will be for frontline workers”.

This Hype Cycle highlights several key mature and emerging technologies that are focused on helping frontline worker productivity, including the following:

  • Remote Expert Guidance Solutions: Remote expert guidance solutions provide industrial-level collaboration between subject matter experts and remote workers or customers utilizing mobile or wearable devices. Typical features include chat, live video, file sharing, and annotations, which provide visual cues that overlay the worker’s view. These tools help guide remote workers as they perform tasks, and are used across a variety of use cases – maintenance and repair procedures, remote factory acceptance tests, post-task audits, or training.
  • Connected Factory Worker: Connected factory workers use various digital tools to improve the safety, quality, and productivity of the jobs they perform. This technology helps connect workers to the “digital fabric” of the business, providing insight into the tasks they perform so that they can be optimized and continually improved on.
  • Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality (AR/MR): Connected workers use augmented and mixed reality technologies to improve and integrate their interactions with both physical and virtual surroundings. Through the use of digital work instructions, as well as augmented/mixed reality delivered through mobile and wearable devices, they are able to make faster and better decisions that optimize and improve a process or workflow that they participate in.

Augmentir’s Approach to the Connected Frontline Worker

Augmentir sits on the intersection of these innovation profiles, using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to amplify the value that digital technologies bring to the connected worker.

Augmented Work Instructions and digitized workflows help guide connected workers with visual aids while AI-driven insights provide contextual information that enable workers to perform at their best.

Remote Expert Guidance helps companies virtually connect and collaborate with their frontline workforce and their customers to provide remote guidance and support.

AI-based Operational Insights help companies identify the largest opportunities in improving the skills of the frontline workforce, and helps to drive continuous improvement throughout the organization.

At Augmentir, our AI identifies patterns and generates insights based on analyzing data from connected workers. These insights improve worker performance as well as provide positive impact on training, operational workflows, and quality. According to Gartner, “The possibility of predicting performance is extremely attractive for manufacturers. This is driving the strong interest in ML. ML is an essential enabler of artificial intelligence (AI), smart factories and intelligent automation.”

Our view at Augmentir is that the purpose of a connected worker platform isn’t simply to deliver instructions and remote support to a frontline worker, but rather to continually optimize the performance of the connected worker ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is uniquely able to address the fundamental macrotrends of skills variability and the loss of tribal knowledge in the workforce. With an ecosystem of content authors, frontline workers, subject matter experts, operations managers, continuous improvement engineers, and quality specialists, there are dozens of opportunities to improve performance.

If you’d like to see how our AI-Powered Connected Worker platform improves safety, quality, and productivity across your workforce, schedule a demo with one of our product experts.

Schedule a Demo

Augmentir Included in Gartner Hype Cycle for Innovation in Manufacturing Industries

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Gartner recently published their annual Hype Cycle for Manufacturing Operations Strategy and Innovation in Manufacturing Industries. These two Hype Cycles focus on the leading-edge technologies and methodologies that will significantly change how manufacturers innovate, deliver and support products and services. Augmentir was recognized as an important player in both Hype Cycle reports. Emerging Technologies in […]

by Chris Kuntz -

Gartner recently published their annual Hype Cycle for Manufacturing Operations Strategy and Innovation in Manufacturing Industries. These two Hype Cycles focus on the leading-edge technologies and methodologies that will significantly change how manufacturers innovate, deliver and support products and services.

Augmentir was recognized as an important player in both Hype Cycle reports.

Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing

According to the report, “manufacturers that adopt the breakthrough opportunities presented as innovation profiles on this Hype Cycle will accelerate digitalization that increases the agility and ability to innovate products and business operations”.

These Hype Cycles, which reflect the convergence of the physical and virtual worlds, present several key mature and emerging technologies, including the following:

  • Connected Worker: Connected workers use digital technologies to improve and integrate their interactions with both physical and virtual surroundings. Through the use of digital work instructions, as well as augmented/mixed reality delivered through mobile/wearable devices, they are able to make faster and better decisions that optimize and improve a process or workflow that they participate in.
  • Immersive Experiences – Manufacturing Operations: According to Gartner, immersive experiences refer to enabling the perception of being physically present in a nonphysical world or enriching people’s presence in the physical world with content from the virtual world. The report covers three kinds of immersive experiences: Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR).
  • Machine Learning: Machine learning is a technical discipline that identifies patterns and generates predictions based on analyzing large sets of data. According to Gartner’s research: “In manufacturing operations, machine learning (ML) can take advantage of available data and rely on the algorithms to identify patterns and correlations. It can also use them to predict outcomes, to find the best course(s) of action and to control processes. Typical use cases include eliminating unplanned downtime and stoppages, increasing yield optimization, reducing energy usage, improving product quality or stabilizing production processes.”

Augmentir is mentioned in the context of Connected Workers and Immersive Experiences in Manufacturing Operations as software and solution provider.

Augmentir’s Approach to Connected Workers and Immersive Experiences in Manufacturing

Augmentir sits and the intersection of these innovation profiles, using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to amplify the value that digital technologies bring to the connected worker.

Digital Work Instructions help guide connected workers with visual aids and augmented with AI-driven insights and contextual information enable workers to perform at their best.

Integrated Remote Expert assistance helps workers resolve issues faster using insights from Augmentir’s AI and information from the guided procedure.

Augmentir’s AI uses granular data  to identify the largest opportunities in improving the skills of the frontline workforce, and helps to drive continuous improvement throughout the organization.

At Augmentir, our AI identifies patterns and generates insights based on analyzing data from connected workers. These insights improve worker performance as well as provide positive impact on training, operational workflows, and quality. According to Gartner, “The possibility of predicting performance is extremely attractive for manufacturers. This is driving the strong interest in ML. ML is an essential enabler of artificial intelligence (AI), smart factories and intelligent automation”.

Our view at Augmentir is that the purpose of a connected worker platform isn’t simply to deliver instructions and remote support to a frontline worker, but rather to optimize the performance of the connected worker ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is uniquely able to address the fundamental macrotrends of growing skills gaps and the loss of tribal knowledge. With an ecosystem of content authors, frontline workers, subject matter experts, operations managers, continuous improvement engineers, and quality specialists, there are were dozens of opportunities to improve performance.

Remote Assistance: The 1st Step in your Frontline Worker Digital Journey

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By now, most of us have heard the phrase – “the global pandemic has changed the way we work”. This has proven to be true for all industrial companies, where the changing workplace dynamics, increased safety, and supply chain disruptions have forced companies to rethink how they support their workforce and empower them to perform […]

by Chris Kuntz -

AR-based remote assistance for frontline workers - start your digital journey with Augmentir

By now, most of us have heard the phrase – “the global pandemic has changed the way we work”. This has proven to be true for all industrial companies, where the changing workplace dynamics, increased safety, and supply chain disruptions have forced companies to rethink how they support their workforce and empower them to perform at high levels of safety, quality, and productivity.

Many companies have shifted and adopted remote work policies to offset travel limitations and ensure safety. Despite the shift to remote work, there are still nearly 2 billion frontline or field workers in the global workforce. Most of these frontline jobs cannot be done remotely, yet these workers still need access to digital information, guidance, training, and support, which was previously given in person.

Bringing Remote Assistance Tools to the Frontline

Unfortunately, typical office videoconferencing and virtual collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams), which are designed for desktop-based knowledge workers, are not always appropriate for the workplace of the frontline – workers on factory floors or healthcare facilities, engineers on oil rigs, or field service technicians out in the field.

Industrial connected worker solutions that include augmented reality (AR) based remote assistance are uniquely suited for the operating environments that frontline workers participate in, and for the mobile and wearable devices they use. These industrial solutions combine live video streaming with augmented reality to create a powerful collaboration tool for frontline teams.

Value Across a Range of Industrial Use Cases

  • Remote Support for Direct or Dealer Field Technicians – Remote expert guidance and assistance tools now enable support for service teams, allowing technicians that are on-site to perform maintenance and repair procedures with improved safety, quality and efficiency with the help from virtual subject matter experts.
  • Remote Support for Customers –  For companies that are unable to offer on-site service technicians, remote assistance tools provide the ability for customers to be more self sufficient and provide an improved level of self-service. Remote assist tools allow customers to connect with subject matter experts to safely and efficiently perform routine service and maintenance routines.
  • Remote assistance tools are also being used for internal manufacturing collaboration, where many companies are using remote assistance tools to virtually connect frontline workers in factories with remote subject matter experts (SMEs) to improve troubleshooting and support workers during changeover, maintenance, or other operational processes.
  • Manufacturers are also extending remote assistance tools out to OEMs and 3rd party SMEs for remote equipment maintenance, virtual factory and site acceptance tests, and troubleshooting when they are unable to travel onsite.

A Digitally Connected Workforce

Now is the time to consider remote assistance and collaboration solutions, and to begin on your journey towards digitizing and connecting your frontline workforce. In addition, with integrated digital workflows, frontline workers can be guided to independently complete jobs safely and correctly. AI & Human Feedback capture tribal knowledge, while AI is used for continuous improvement efforts. These technologies are proving to be practical and effective ways to close skill gaps and transform training efforts – allowing your frontline workers to work safely and efficiently in today’s new normal.

Learn more about how connected worker solutions that include augmented reality (AR) based remote assistance are uniquely suited for the frontline workforce. Check out our comprehensive guide and checklist of requirements for evaluating and selecting augmented reality (AR) based industrial Remote Assistance solutions.

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Industrial Manufacturers are Facing a New Normal During COVID-19 and AI-Powered Connected Worker Technology is Here to Help

As the nature of work for manufacturing and services companies changes possibly forever, using emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and connected worker software to transform the enterprise has become more relevant than ever. For industrial companies, improving the safety and productivity of frontline workers in the COVID-19 era and beyond […]

by Jamie Morgan -

As the nature of work for manufacturing and services companies changes possibly forever, using emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and connected worker software to transform the enterprise has become more relevant than ever.

For industrial companies, improving the safety and productivity of frontline workers in the COVID-19 era and beyond will be critical to business success and continuity. Tools like remote assistance, augmented work instructions, and knowledge sharing will be crucial to helping these companies transform their operation and continue to support their customers.

COVID-19 is forcing manufacturers to change how they operate
The industrial frontline workforce – skilled technicians, associates and engineers that are performing hands-on jobs in manufacturing, installation, and service – are facing unprecedented times. Already challenged by an aging and retiring workforce and increasing skills gap, a new set of challenges has emerged during this recent pandemic.

While manufacturers aren’t stopping operations because of COVID-19, they are running into major issues as a result of it, including:

  • The need for social distancing
  • Travel limitations and restrictions
  • Disruptions in workforce due to quarantining and shelter in place

You could look at these challenges as temporary, but one of the things that manufacturing and service companies have always relied on is face-to-face visits, in-person training, and “over the shoulder” problem solving to get the job done. However, we may never go back to the day where we can rely on face-to-face interactions to keep operations running.

While temporary measures like social distancing will eventually be lifted, some changes, like remote assistance and instant-skilling, will remain because they enable employees to perform their jobs independently, without requiring in-person assistance. This also cuts down on travel and allows workers to access information they need when and how they need it. Moving forward, industrial companies must focus on:

  • Enabling workers to perform jobs independently
  • Using remote assistance the standard, not face-to-face
  • Being able to instant skill any worker in the workforce to perform any job at any time

The Promise of Industrial AR/MR
Fortunately, manufacturers are turning to emerging digital technologies such as mobile and wearable devices and augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) that are helping to connect a new generation of workers and allow organizations to proactively deliver the right level of support and guidance. There are several areas where these technologies are changing the manufacturing industry:

  • Training: instead of the classic classroom training, using AR to provide guided assistance to technicians as they work through a manufacturing process
  • Remote Expert Support: helps teach technicians new concepts, hands-on learning and training
  • Complex Assembly: using electronic work instructions and digital overlays to help guide workers through complex assembly procedures – ensuring quality and standardization
  • QA: use digital, AR-generated overlays to verify technicians work and help determine pass/fail on manufactured parts
  • Safety: providing not just safety training but guidance to newer workers as they are performing new tasks, operating new machines, etc.
  • Equipment Maintenance: used to help streamline factory equipment maintenance, repair, and service

But rates of adoptions for these types of technologies are low due to high cost, cumbersome tools, and lack of continuous improvement opportunities. This has resulted in many early adopters stuck in pilot purgatory, unable to scale beyond an initial proof-of-concept, especially during the recent pandemic.

Enter AI
By using artificial intelligence, manufacturers can improve the safety, quality, and productivity of their workforce both during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. At Augmentir, our vision is to use AI to empower each worker to continually do their best work and provide each worker exactly what they need, when they need it, and how they need it to close skills gaps at the moment of need.

Our vision at Augmentir is to transform connected worker technology with AI …

So, what exactly can you do with an AI-powered connected worker platform?

  • Enable independent work – empower your workforce to perform jobs more independently through step-by-step, augmented work instructions
  • “Instant skill” your workforce – use AI-based personalized work instructions that are tailored to each workers proficiency level to help them complete jobs at peak quality and performance
  • On-demand virtual support – Remote expert assistance and collaboration tools that enable remote support and guidance, amplified with AI-bots that accumulate and make available tribal knowledge for real-time virtual assistance.
  • Delivers hands-free operations – Augmentir on industrial smart glasses
  • Use AI to uncover True Opportunity™ – AI Separates “True” from “Raw” Opportunity to help identify areas where the largest improvements can be made

AI is uniquely suited to identifying capturable opportunities from the massive, noisy data set generated by frontline workers, and because of that, it can serve as the foundation for a company’s continuous improvement initiatives.

Another area where AI adds value is in using AI for continuous improvement around training and skilling-up of the workforce.

For instance, AI can identify specific individuals that would benefit from targeted training on a specific tool or procedure as well as improvements to content and instructions directed at the author.

And if you think about it – the possibilities are endless. There are a variety of areas that can be targeted for continuous improvement including the ecosystem of content authors, frontline workers, subject matter experts, operations managers, quality specialists, etc. Along with that, you’ll find dozens of opportunities to continually address the skills gap, improve quality, and improve overall performance.

View the webinar for more information

Observations from EWTS 2018

Last week Augmentir exhibited at the Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit (EWTS) in Austin, Texas. The EWTS conference is one of the longest-running events dedicated to Wearables and Augmented/Virtual/Mixed Reality, and this year’s attendance was very rich. Hundreds of attendees came to the show, with many decision-makers and senior managers in the mix. As one of […]

by Chris Kuntz -

Last week Augmentir exhibited at the Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit (EWTS) in Austin, Texas. The EWTS conference is one of the longest-running events dedicated to Wearables and Augmented/Virtual/Mixed Reality, and this year’s attendance was very rich. Hundreds of attendees came to the show, with many decision-makers and senior managers in the mix.

As one of about 40 exhibitors, Augmentir spoke to dozens of customer prospects that stopped by the booth. Interestingly, all of the companies we spoke with had very unique use cases and requirements, and were early in their exploratory phase in terms of adopting AR and Wearable technology within their enterprise – further reinforcement that, although the momentum is building, the market is early and much friction still exists within the adoption lifecycle.

Another clear indicator of momentum was the number of formal announcements made at the show this year. From new partnerships to global deployments, there was lots of great news for the enterprise wearable technology space.

The keynote speech by Jay Kothari of Google Glass was yet another barometer of the change that’s happening in the wearable industry, as the Glass team shared insights on recent product introductions and scale-ups.

A primary takeaway from this speech – and the overall show – is that while broad industry trends are driving this technology transition, every customer is unique, and each organization will have its own, individual challenges as it converts. Suppliers need to be prepared to support those challenges as true technology adoption occurs. It will take strong partnerships between technology providers and company stakeholders to successfully deploy and scale-up new projects.

Many of these themes and key takeaways from the event further reinforced our belief that adoption of Enterprise AR solutions will only be able to reach scale once much of the existing friction is removed, and solutions are delivered that focus on an amazing end-user experience. This is what we are focusing on here at Augmentir, and we’ve been very encouraged by the customer validation thus far. Throughout this time of technology transition, as the Glass team advocated, it’s more important than ever to focus on the user. Once you understand their needs, their challenges and their opportunities, everything else will surely follow.

To learn how Augmentir’s platform leverages AR and AI to continually improve the productivity of your frontline workforce download our free white paper, “Rise of the Augmented Worker.”


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