Training in the age of digitalization – the HESS GROUP shows how it’s done. The mechanical engineering company no longer offers training exclusively in person, but is now expanding its offering virtually with the Zreality Grids platform.
Especially in the mechanical engineering industry, training courses for employees and customers are usually held on site because the content can hardly be conveyed via video conference, film or presentation. However, the time, logistical and financial effort required for such face-to-face training is enormous, especially if the participants have to travel from far away. As part of its digitization strategy, the HESS Group therefore decided to offer its training courses in the virtual world.
“Into the meeting at the touch of a button”
“The advantages are obvious,” says Sandra Oerter, Commercial Head of Service at HESS GROUP. “No more traveling, you jump into a virtual meeting at the touch of a button.” That’s because employees and customers participate as avatars in the training, which takes place in a virtual training environment. As avatars, participants can move freely around the training room, interact with objects and other participants, work together on whiteboards or view presentations. “This is comparable to a Zoom meeting, but on a much more interactive level and closer to reality,” Oerter points out. The training courses are very similar to those held in person and thus represent a successful supplement to on-site training for the HESS Group.
Project realized in only two weeks
The virtual training environment was developed using the cross-reality platform Zreality Grids, a solution for Metaverse projects specialized in virtual, augmented and mixed reality. For the training environment, a virtual 3D room was designed and equipped with content from HESS GROUP, then the trainer was trained in the use of the platform and invitations for the first virtual training were sent out – all within just two weeks.