Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1468049
58 Pharmaceutical Technology TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING 2022 eBOOK P h a r mTe c h . c o m Operations W hile a conclusive 'end' to the pandemic remains elu- sive, the transition to a post-pandemic economic model has been defined by a mass ramp-up of vari- ous means of digital communication. Digital train- ing tools are one such solution, often allowing companies to effectively prepare employees for the job before they even set foot on-site. While these tools can take on many forms, of particular prominence are aug- mented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) visualization technologies. Benefits of visualization technologies Manuel Reyna, a sales executive at Rockwell Automation, notes how AR has served as a democratizing tool, taking art and techniques from experts that are otherwise incredibly difficult to learn. "In the industrial space, people are trained so they can perform a job in the real world. This is where AR shines, as the same training content and help can be available in the context of the job being performed," says Reyna. "Whether it is faster time to proficiency or just helping anyone perform a job as an expert will result in the reduction of [cost of goods sold], increased throughput, and reduc- tion of the mean-time-to-repair." Brian Duncan, COO of Quality Executive Partners (QxP), a life sciences consulting company that aids clients via digita l training, had similar thoughts on the topic. Duncan stresses that while non-interactive training, reliance on current staff, and "on-the-job" training will never fully disappear, it is not as quick or effective as visualization tools. Embracing New Realities Grant Playter Virtual and augmented reality have emerged as critical digital training tools. ANDRUSH - STOCK.ADOBE.COM