The brave new world of work lacks skills

Virtual and augmented reality is changing the way people work and learn with each other. They are supposed to revolutionize the work of the future. But are managers and employees even able to handle the requirements?

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Business technology is a topic that always delights people, but also pushes them into a corner. The great promise of progress is always countered by simple, sober insight: it requires people who understand and can use the new technology. Without the know-how, the desired effects will not be achieved and there will be no added value.

Virtual and Augmented Reality (V/AR) aims to improve collaboration on complex projects in production, for example, from planning to construction to operation. Processes and relationships are visualized, expanded, and made understandable. The benefits are known. However, what is lacking is clearly describing the competencies and job profiles of V/AR specialists. And management must learn.

The hypothetical possibilities in the course of work are diverse

When jobs change, job profiles change as well, and with them, training and organization skills. who – which Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) Identify which professional areas will benefit from V/AR in the future and what are the barriers that prevent companies from implementing applications sustainably.

According to expert self-assessment, V/AR applications are becoming increasingly relevant, for example in sectors where work is carried out on existing buildings, such as factory construction, architecture and spatial planning. Documentation is used here to store attitude, structure, procedure, and behavioral knowledge. Other application areas in addition to documentation are: education and training, collaboration, assistance, engineering definition, planning and design, data analysis, reasoning, marketing and sales, behavioral research and treatments such as coping and trauma therapy.

Virtual reality vs real obstacles

Although the possibilities of virtual technologies are diverse, the barriers that currently prevent their use are still high. A meta-analysis of preliminary studies confirms scholars’ assumption that lack of knowledge, lack of availability of specialists and appropriate training, as well as ignorance of the costs and benefits of applications, prevent their successful spread. . The study authors concluded that all of these barriers are on the user’s side and can be reduced through appropriate training measures. From this they derive six requirements for V/AR education that must be implemented in the near future:

User Experience and Standardization in V/AR System Development: “Thus, the development of a meaningful application is only possible in close coordination with future users and customers. This understanding is indispensable.”

Developing V/AR Management Efficiency: “For example, business administration, engineering, law, business informatics, industrial engineering, etc. must provide knowledge of V/AR cost-benefit calculations, V/AR law, leadership (and employee engagement) and V/AR project management.”

Proof of education/qualifications between undergraduate studies and product training: “The job descriptions of a real-time 3D artist, and in some cases, software developers as well, require qualification levels somewhere between undergraduate studies and product training, for example at the apprenticeship level.”

Developing augmented reality / augmented reality skills while in service enables: “What we urgently need are V/AR qualification offers that accompany the business. These offers are a perfect fit for companies that want to add V/AR solutions and V/AR services to their product portfolio.”

Extending educational offerings in the direction of V/AR applications – Part 1: “For V/AR job profiles for visualization experts, R&D engineers, and operations managers in the role of users and operators of V/AR platforms, there should be more offerings of V/AR as a business tool.”

Extending the educational offerings for V/AR applications – Part 2: “V/AR Commerce and Commerce courses must also be undertaken, either as part of apprenticeship training or as advanced training in additional professional training.”

How efficiency and technological excellence succeed

Can German companies still not behave excellently in the context of digitization and dealing with new technologies? Springer’s author, Klaus Radermacher, fears that in the face of rapidly changing technologies, the time between acquiring skills and adding value will get shorter and shorter.

“Unfortunately, it is still often noted that even very basic technologies and developments in the context of digitalization are not understood by corporate decision makers to the extent that it will be necessary to consider them appropriately in developing strategy,” he wrote in a chapter of his book on the topic “Digital Excellence.” : innovation plus managerial efficiency” (p. 198). It gives decision makers the following recommendations for action (p. 198 f):

1. It must be ensured that there is permanent added value from the customer’s point of view.
2. Technical (digital) and non-technical innovations and developments (social trends, changing values, etc.) and underlying technologies must be understood and continually examined for their current and future implications.
3. New innovations and technologies should always be viewed in the context of the value creation process.
4. Points 1 to 3 should lead to a systematic and regular process of developing a strategy, the results of which are implemented in the organization using traditional management methods.
5. Courage to change and entrepreneurial action will be indispensable in the future: if there is knowledge that what has been tried and tested in the past is not suitable for the future, it is not worth insisting on it and I hope it somehow works well.

conclusion: Virtual reality and augmented reality will change the workplace in the future. The question is no longer whether this will happen, but how it will work. Ultimately, it is up to the companies themselves whether they will succeed in breaking the said barriers and by developing competence at all hierarchical levels and thus gaining advantages, or whether they will leave the technological leadership to the competition.