What are the applications of augmented reality in the automotive industry?
In the automotive industry, augmented reality (AR) is playing a crucial role in driving digital transformation to meet evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. With rapid innovation and increasingly complex vehicles incorporating automation and robotics, traditional paper-based work instructions often hinder efficiency rather than aid it. To address this challenge, leading automotive manufacturing and service organizations are leveraging AR to achieve revenue growth, cost reduction, and improved efficiency through clear and contextually relevant 3D work instructions.
What Are the Types of AR Used in the Automotive Industry?
Augmented Reality (AR) technology offers clear digital information within the user’s environment, tailored to their specific needs. The type of AR utilized depends on the intended use by technicians. For instance, experts can provide remote assistance by leveraging AR through smartphones or tablets, while more comprehensive 3D instructions may require hands-free AR headsets. Regardless of the application, AR has the potential to empower manufacturing and service teams to work on complex vehicles with increased confidence and efficiency.
What Are the Benefits of Using AR?
AR improves efficiency, productivity, and performance across manufacturing, service, and training departments, driving tangible outcomes such as:
- Improved new hire productivity by up to 40%
- Increased first-time fix rate (FTFR) by up to 30%
- Reduced training costs by up to 50%
- Decreased manufacturing cycle time by up to 36%
Beyond these KPIs, the following AR use cases address the biggest manufacturing and service challenges.
Using AR Helps to Reduce Service Times and Costs
AR technology plays a vital role in reducing service times and costs in various industries. Traditional paper-based work instructions can be unclear, overly complex, and outdated, posing significant challenges to efficient service operations. When technicians lack the necessary scale, detail, and contextual information to work on complex equipment, it leads to prolonged service times and increased costs. However, by leveraging AR, technicians can access clear and easily understandable information precisely when and where they need it.
Augmented Reality Helps Improve FTFR
The use of complex paper-based work instructions not only affects the duration of service but also poses accuracy challenges, leading to a decrease in First-Time Fix Rate (FTFR). When service teams lack clear guidance, it becomes difficult to ensure precise and efficient problem-solving. However, Augmented Reality (AR) addresses these issues by transforming traditional paper manuals into dynamic 3D work instructions. These instructions are overlaid directly onto specific parts, empowering technicians to quickly and accurately resolve issues on their first attempt. By leveraging AR, service teams can enhance their problem-solving capabilities, improve FTFR, and deliver more efficient and effective service.
- Automotive Workforce Efficiency Can Be Improved Using AR
- Accelerating training with intuitive digital experiences
- Reducing service times with 3D content in the context of the vehicle, which helps technicians locate the problem right away
- Improving FTFR with clear, detailed work instructions that eliminate the complexity of traditional manuals
- Increasing workforce productivity, safety, and compliance through digital tools that can be shared and scaled across the enterprise
AR drives automotive workforce efficiency by:
These efficiencies also reduce service wait times and downtime, improving both the company’s reputation and customer trust.
The Future of Augmented Reality Applications in the Automotive Industry
AR can be used in many ways to drive digital transformation and improve workforce efficiency. The following key AR use cases are impacting the automotive market today—and will continue to do so in the future:
-
Self-Service and Car Manuals .
Ensuring customer satisfaction is a crucial measure of success in the automotive industry. However, relying on traditional car manuals can often lead to frustration and repeated visits to manufacturer dealerships. To address this issue, Augmented Reality (AR) car manuals provide a more empowering solution. Whether customers need guidance on using their new vehicle or require assistance with basic tasks like oil changes or headlight replacements, AR car manuals offer timely and accessible instructions.
With AR, customers no longer need to navigate through hundreds of pages in search of the right information. Instead, they can simply point their phone at the dashboard or specific components to obtain the answers to their questions. By leveraging AR technology, automotive companies can easily share interactive and immersive experiences with their customers, facilitating simplified and stress-free self-service. -
Maintenance and Repair.
During maintenance or repair of vehicles, relying on 2D instructions often falls short in capturing the intricate scale and complexity of modern vehicles. This limitation leads to unproductive search time, increased wait times, and higher costs even before the service begins. Moreover, during the service itself, complex 2D instructions can be cumbersome and unhelpful.
However, Augmented Reality (AR) offers a transformative solution. By providing service technicians with a detailed X-ray view of the vehicle’s interior at scale, AR enables them to swiftly identify and pinpoint the issue. This immediate visualization capability empowers technicians to complete the service faster and at a lower cost. By leveraging AR technology, service teams gain access to real-time, interactive information that enhances their ability to diagnose and resolve problems efficiently.
Are You Driving Automotive Service Efficiency?
Traditional 2D work instructions have become a hindrance for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in delivering top-quality service. However, leading automotive OEMs recognize the immense value of Augmented Reality (AR) in simplifying complex work instructions, reducing part search time, and enhancing customer satisfaction. The encouraging news is that implementing AR solutions in this context is relatively straightforward and fast, offering a rapid return on investment (ROI) along with long-term benefits and sustained reputation enhancement.
To explore the potential of AR applications in the automotive industry, our ebook provides valuable insights. Discover how harnessing AR technology can address crucial workforce challenges and elevate service efficiency by providing intuitive, clear, and contextually relevant 3D work instructions. This resource will equip you with the knowledge to leverage AR’s transformative capabilities and unlock the benefits it brings to the automotive service sector.