A growing number of businesses are using VR, AR, and MR in creative ways in order to sell more products and services, improve customer service, and reduce operational cost. This technology enables businesses to promote their products in an entirely new way. Here are a few examples: Audi, the German car maker, uses VR at the dealership that allows customers to configure their new Audi and experience their dream cars virtually, in real time. Manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus use the technology to eliminate the need for expensive, full-scale prototypes of their designs. Marriott International uses VR for event planning. Event organizers and customers can get a realistic idea of how their event would look with a VR-powered headset. Users can see 360-degree, 3D views of custom-designed room setups and all the fixtures, making event planning easier than ever. As another example, Lowe’s is a home improvement company that operates more than 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores in the United States and Canada. In select U.S. markets, Lowe’s gives its customers the opportunity to design their perfect bathroom or kitchen and then, using VR, walk through the finished space and experience it as a test drive in order to get the look and feel of the final product. The VR/AR platform used by Lowe’s is called Holoroom, powered by Marxent’s Visual Commerce application. Lowe’s Holoroom customers work with a trained sales associate to choose from thousands of SKUs (stock keeping units), from paint and flooring to plumbing fixtures and appliances. According to Marxent, the items chosen by the customers are added to the design as virtual 3D objects. Once all the items are added and the customer is satisfied, then he or she is given an Oculus Rift headset (by Facebook) to view the space that the customer has designed and get the look and feel and make any adjustments. Interestingly enough, customers can share the designed space with others by sending it to YouTube 360 and can view it at home with a Lowe’s-supplied Google Cardboard. To bring their virtual design to life in the real world, the customer orders the products and services that they have selected from Lowe’s.
1. How is VR changing sales?
2. What are some additional applications for VR and sales? Discuss.
3. How does Holoroom work at Lowe’s?
4. What are two advantages of using Holoroom at Lowe’s?
Why is the central limit theorem so important in quality control?
