How Manufacturing Can Use 360° Videos

Many modern employees expect transparency, accessibility and new levels of interactivity in the workplace, and plenty of industries are engaging in strategies geared toward those qualities.

While they’re common in medical fields, as well as education and real estate, 360-degree videos stand out as a relatively untapped resource in manufacturing circles. Given the level of hands-on work and depth of knowledge necessary to excel in the field, manufacturing firms could benefit tremendously from embracing new technology geared toward personnel.

MANTEC has assembled a primer for understanding 360-degree videos and their potential roles within the workplace.

What Goes Into This New Video Production Content?

Once an online novelty used on social media sites, 360-degree videos have experienced a recent boom due to advancements in the technology. Companies utilize them with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to produce unique interactive experiences that appeal to entertainment and professional sectors. They actively engage people and encourage them to practice their skills, which is why they’ve quickly caught on as an educational tool.

Available at multiple price points, specialized cameras feature broad planes of view and distortion control to form realistic imagery, and they have enhanced audio sensors to pick up conversations and other noises with impressive clarity.

They integrate conveniently into popular video-calling software like Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts. Many models are also compatible with software tooled toward creating AR and VR simulations — viewable through a computer, VR headsets or handheld screens like tablets and smartphones that have motion sensing.

Why Use a Different Experience When Conferencing?

Video conferences can be difficult when they involve more than a handful of people, especially if you want to address your entire staff. Whether it’s trying to squeeze everybody into a narrow frame or understand questions and comments through an inferior microphone or background factory noise, conferencing in manufacturing environments can feel like more trouble than it’s worth.

360-degree conference cameras create impressive panoramic video feeds that give a view of everyone. Many people feel more valued when they know they’re noticed, so 360-degree videos send the message that you genuinely care about everyone involved in your manufacturing business.

Use these videos to also provide remote workers with a view of the entire floor, in case they’d like to monitor multiple concurrent operations.

Benefits of Utilizing 360-Degree Videos for Training and Tutorials

Training in the manufacturing industry presents numerous challenges that you can address through new technology. Ultimately, you need skilled employees to operate at high levels, especially in today’s age of specialized equipment — but the talent available on the labor market might not always align with those ambitions.

Getting new hires up to speed costs you time and money, as you likely invest a lot into their training, which might involve courses, certifications and taking up the time of other employees. Again, 360-degree videos will not wholly abolish these obstacles, but they offer some intriguing potential for alleviation.

Investment in new video production content could include a virtual walkthrough, which allows for exploration of the manufacturing floor and examination of various equipment and tools with which employees will need to familiarize themselves. Collaborative webinars are another option, as you can produce live demonstrations in 360 degrees to offer an extremely close view for multiple people without it posing safety risks.

Ultimately, how you choose to implement these innovative tools remains up to your particular business strategy — but the potential advantages are undeniable. Placing your employees in a virtual environment can reduce external distractions, lower training costs and constructively challenge them to practice their abilities, safely.

Consult With MANTEC to Learn How to Implement New Technology

If you’re interested in exploring 360-degree videos for your business, MANTEC will assist you as much as possible. We’re one of the most experienced consultation firms related to manufacturing and workforce engagement, as most of our staff comes from that background. Contact us today to discuss further plans for growing your company!