Page 30 - Harvard Business Review (November-December, 2017)

SPOTLIGHT WHY EVERY ORGANIZATION NEEDS AN AUGMENTED REALITY STRATEGY

INTERACT
An operator of a Wemo
sheet-metal production
line uses AR gesture
commands to run
several machines at
once and switch
between operations.

how the organization will start to capture the require the capacity to develop and more-complex, dynamic contextual
benefits of AR in its business while building maintain dynamic 3-D digital content and experiences must be built from scratch,
the capabilities needed to expand its use. often benefit greatly from the use of head- which requires specialized expertise.
When determining the sequence and pace of mounted displays or smart glasses, which Simple applications, such as an AR-
adoption, companies must consider both the are still in the early stages of development. enhanced furniture catalog, may need
technical challenges and the organizational Apps that produce interactive only basic product representations.
skills involved, which vary from context to experiences, which create significant value More-sophisticated business instruction
context. Specifically, organizations need for both consumers and businesses, are applications, however, such as those
to address five key questions: the most challenging to develop. They also used for machine repair, will require
1. Which development capabilities involve less-mature technology, such as accurate and highly detailed digital
will be required? Some AR experiences voice or gesture recognition, and the need product representations. Companies can
involve more complexity than others. to integrate with software that controls create these by adapting CAD models
Experiences that allow people to visualize SCPs. Most companies will start with static used in product development or by
products in different configurations or visualizations of 3-D models, but they using digitization techniques such as 3-D
settings—like those created by IKEA, should build the capability to move quickly scanning. The most sophisticated AR
Wayfair, and AZEK—are a relatively easy into dynamic instructional experiences that experiences also need to tap real-time data
place for companies to start. Consumers have greater strategic impact. streams from enterprise business systems,
just need to be encouraged to download 2. How should organizations create SCPs, or external data sources and integrate
and launch AR apps, and only a mobile digital content? Every AR experience, them into the content. To prepare for
device is needed to use them. from the least to the most sophisticated, broadening the AR portfolio, companies
Instruction applications, like the ones requires content. In some cases it’s possible should take an inventory of existing 3-D
Boeing and GE employ in manufacturing, to repurpose existing digital content, such digital assets in CAD and elsewhere and
are more difficult to build and use. They as product designs. Over time, however, invest in digital modeling capabilities.

56 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2017