BMW adopts HoloLens for New Training Experience

BMW China Training Academy adopts Microsoft HoloLens to train their employees and create an immersive shopping experience for customers.

From most of the use cases we have covered most companies will slowly adopt mixed reality and the Microsoft HoloLens. However, that is not the case with BMW as they saw the potential of the device and applications right away. BMW envision the potential of the technology for both employee training and customer shopping experience.

Pu Qinyang Senior e-Learning Specialist at BMW China Training Academy had this to say about the use of HoloLens in retail. “Just as we could not imagine the popularity of smartphones 20 years ago, we may not be able to fully envision the untapped potential of Mixed Reality in the retail sphere. At BMW China Training Academy, we want to deliver a futuristic user experience like no other using the cutting-edge HoloLens 2 for our customers.”

We have written about how HoloLens is used to train employees on the frontline. One area we have not covered is the use of mixed reality and HoloLens for salesmen training. BMW has over 600+ dealers in China. If you take that and multiply it by the number of salesmen. Now multiply that number by the number of different vehicle models they must be trained on. That number is gigantic. BMW China Training Academy has been in search of a new method to train salespersons “to make sure that the salespersons across the country can learn about and expertise with the newly launched models and their features as soon as possible.”

Thanks to Mixed Reality they have reshaped their training. BMW China Training Academy created an app that “allows the user to see through the car with its actual size and building materials. It can also demonstrate features of a new model interactively and immersively.” The result has led to shortened training time and made the sales team excited to learn about the new model with the technology.

Each year more and more car models and features come out to enhance the driving experience. That is great and all but the more technical a feature is, the harder the feature is to explain to customers. BMW envisioned HoloLens and immersive learning as the perfect tool to bridge the gap between customers listening to a salesperson explain about a new feature to customers seeing the feature with their own eyes. A perfect example of this is one of BMW’s all new electric vehicle. An x-ray view shows customers that the vehicle does not have an engine is at easier than the explanation. Another example BMW utilizes the technology for is to show the vehicle blind spot warning system. The process to place a headset on a customer is far quicker and more efficient compared to a test drive to stage the scenario for each customer.

This is the perfect example of how a company can do more with less using Mixed Reality and HoloLens.