Increased focus on sustainable operations
No wonder many organizations are "going green" -- because it's good for business. In fact, businesses that reduce their carbon footprints are expected to realize $26 trillion in economic benefits.
Achieving a high level of sustainability can help companies improve operational cost-efficiency, boost reputation, meet consumer expectations, gain competitive advantage, get ready for the future, implement innovative strategies, and improve their bottom line.
Yet, going green needs to be more than paying lip service or sending your employees to plant trees once a year. How can you incorporate sustainability practices into your everyday business operations to contribute to a greener future? The answer is more obvious than you think...
For many organizations, business travel represents over 50 % of their greenhouse gas emissions. If your company offers on-site customer support and sends technicians to client locations to help with troubleshooting, repair, installation, calibration, etc., you may be surprised by the environmental footprint of these business trips.
A modern gasoline-powered car emits 2–3 metric tons of CO2 per year while a round-tri flight from Stockholm to Los Angeles emits more than 2 metric tons per passenger.
Reduce carbon footprint without compromising customer service
In most customer support scenarios, what needs to be "transported" is the expertise and not the hands that do the job. Let's say, your company provides specialized production equipment and your clients need guidance on installation, maintenance, or repair.
Most of these clients have their own production technicians but lack the knowledge to perform the work specific to your equipment. All they need is the proper instruction - which can be delivered over a live video call, hands overlay, or other communication technologies - to guide the technician at the clients' end through the process.
With a remote support solution, your clients' in-house staff can solve complex technical problems by receiving instruction from your technicians over the internet. This can minimize business travel without compromising the level of support you can deliver to your customers.
Environmental benefits of using AR technology
Without having to send a technician to client sites every time a customer needs support, you can reduce many of these trips. Here's how using remote guidance technology can contribute to improving the environmental sustainability of your operation.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Over 90% of the fuel used for transportation (e.g., cars, trains, and planes) is petroleum-based and the transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions (28 %). Global Workforce Analytics estimated that remote working can reduce these emissions by 54 million tons every year.
Greenhouse gas is a major cause of global warming, leading to climate changes that have a long-term domino effect on our environment, economies, and societies. By reducing the transportation need of your team, you can lower greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a greener future.
Improve supply chain efficiency and reduce waste
Although remote guidance can help reduce the number of trips your employees need to take, there will still be cases when a technician needs to go on-site to help a client. However, you can use remote guidance to diagnose the problem before the visit so you can send a technician with the right skillset, the right equipment, and the spare parts needed.
This allows you to not only keep down the number of trips and people sent but also improve the efficiency of your spare part handling, which in turn supports a more streamlined supply chain that leads to less waste and overproduction.
Implement technologies that promote sustainability
Many organizations can benefit from using modern technologies to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and lower environmental impact. However, they sometimes don’t have local access to the specialized knowledge and expertise needed to install and implement these tools.
Remote guidance lowers the price tag of introducing these technologies by eliminating the cost of on-site support. Companies that don't have local expertise and personnel can reap the benefits without adding to their environmental footprint.
Deliver the best remote guidance experience
Besides the many environmental benefits, leveraging the power of remote support can help you improve cost-efficiency, increase productivity, and provide faster response to customer requests.
However, delivering a top-notch virtual experience has its challenges due to the complexity of today's technical solutions. Most communication and collaboration tools, such as video call platforms, aren't built to help technicians troubleshoot, repair, assemble, and calibrate sophisticated technologies remotely.
To provide effective remote guidance, you need a platform that's designed for such a purpose. It should support all forms of communication through voice, video, gesticulation, hands overlay, demonstrations, drawing, writing, pointing, screen sharing, and more on any device and any platform.
XMReality Remote Guidance is an application built specifically to support effective remote support. We believe that by using remote guidance, organizations can replace a lot of travel and contribute to the global transition towards a more sustainable society.
