Years ago, a forward-thinking vice president at WestRock said, “we need to look at extended reality technology.” What they didn’t know at the time was that there was a massive global event that would make AR and VR invaluable tools for manufacturers to continue doing business.

COVID-19 accelerated XR – we’ve heard that from companies worldwide – but it pushed forward-thinking manufacturers to innovate with XR even more than they already had planned. Where some manufacturers could no longer do processes physically, WestRock figured out how to do them virtually.

Now, XR is integrating into WestRock warehouses all over the world. In factories, AR tools provide factory workers with guided workflows from remote experts. They now have a library of 360 walkthroughs of facilities for training and new prospects to view. And they provide designers tools for collaborative modeling in AR/VR to produce virtual prototypes and save thousands of dollars on unused physical prototypes.

But it didn’t start there.

How do you show the impact of XR to leadership and veteran employees who are used to more traditional methods? How do you handle the challenges of scale once you see an XR pilot program succeed?

We get into these questions, the story of how WestRock uses XR for business, and more on the podcast.

Quote:

Platforms like ArborXR are great for taking successful XR pilot programs and turning them into solid, scalable growth."

Timestamps:

Getting started in XR (02:00)
How did WestRock first implement XR? (03:35)
How is WestRock using AR/VR now? (07:21)
Use cases for collaborative modeling (09:42)
How do you start an XR pilot program? (11:40)
When did XR catch on in the company? (13:15)
What challenges did WestRock face scaling XR? (14:30)
Preparing XR for scale isn’t just about managing devices (18:05)
Will workers and employees actually use XR? (21:35)
What makes XR easy to accept for leaders? (24:01)
What is your personal “why” for XR? (29:20)
What advice do you have for people getting into XR now? (32:04)

About Scott Burkey:

Scott Burkey is a Technology Fellow at WestRock, a global manufacturing and consumer packaging company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes a pragmatic approach to implementing new ways of making training more effective and supporting front-line workers. Having worked as a software developer for over 20 years for brands like CNN, TBS/TNT and Coca-Cola, Scott now champions new technologies in the manufacturing industry which he believes will be one of the biggest adopters of augmented and virtual reality.

Prior to WestRock Scott delivered VR products for the National Basketball Association. He serves in an advisory capacity to startups and nonprofits. Scott is a United States Marine Veteran that enjoys running and backpacking with his wife and 4 children in Atlanta, Georgia.

About ArborXR:

ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at https://arborxr.com.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottburkey/
Listen to Scott's "XR at Work" Podcast: https://youtube.com/c/xratwork
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-scoggin/
Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willstackable/
Learn more about getting started with XR in our ultimate guide to managing VR training for work: https://arborxr.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-managing-vr-training-for-work/

WestRock: How XR is Accelerating Manufacturing 37:12 Share

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WestRock: How XR is Accelerating Manufacturing