Grid Raster
Virtual overlays can demonstrate how a particular design will fit into a specific development or community. After the build, the relationship with a customer becomes even more important. After the build, the technology can help with everything from warranties, upgrades and repairs, additional installation and other troubleshooting that's required.
Virtual technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), along with innovative automation solutions, are completely changing the way companies and manufacturers are interacting with customers today.
AR is the ability to overlay and share physical objects, spaces, and images on a user’s view of the real world, and when combined with VR, is revolutionizing the client experience during the design/build process.
A great deal of this shift is designed to drive greater efficiencies and enhance the overall customer experience. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and lingers, this type of technology is also helping builders, architects, and designers interact with church operators, albeit from a distance.
“Virtual overlays can demonstrate how a particular church design will fit perfectly into a specific development or community." Dijam Panigrahi, Co-Founder, Grid Raster, Mountain View, CA
Interaction on mobile platforms
Dijam Panigrahi, co-founder of Grid Raster, which provides automation technologies for large manufacturers, notes that through new mobile technology, AR has emerged as an innovative tool that's allowing heavy construction equipment manufacturers, designers, and builders an almost unlimited opportunity to interact three dimensionally with customers on their mobile devices.
“AR/VR technologies offer the ability to virtually present or overlay and share physical objects, spaces, and images on a user’s view of the actual world,” Panigrahi says. “And with increased and expanded mobile device capability, builders have tremendous potential to interact three dimensionally with their church facility customers through these devices. Customers can now experience their products virtually and digitally, but almost lifelike in a fully immersive interactive journey.”
With this capability, the relationship between designer, manufacturer, and customer has the chance to become stronger, with enhanced value added along the customer journey through research, design, production, and now post-sales in customer support.
“Even before becoming a customer, virtual technologies can help build the right relationship today,” Panigrahi says. “The pre-sale phase involves initiating contact with a prospective customer, identifying their unique needs, formulating an offer, overcoming any objections, and closing the sale.”
For example, an architect or specifications provider can now offer virtual designs and blueprints to church owners, communities, and facility managers who want to see the finished product ahead of time.
“It is important to engage with the prospect at this time to build rapport, offer proof points, and develop confidence to foster a stronger customer journey,” Panigrahi says. This can now be done easily and effectively through the virtual process.
Applicability to building methodologies
While the approach of virtual tech customer service work can work with any building and design methodology, such as design-bid-build, Panigrahi believes it is perfectly suited for the design-build segment.
“AR/VR can be effective in helping church operators not only visualize the blueprints or designs, but more specifically they can get a glimpse of how those specific designs will fit ... into their world,” he says. “Virtual overlays can demonstrate how a particular church design will fit perfectly into a specific development or community. After the build, the relationship with a customer becomes even more important. Everything from warranties, upgrades and repairs, additional installation, and other troubleshooting is often required by the church operator. This is where customer loyalty is formulated and cemented as a long-term relationship.”
Getting the most out of the tech
Church designers specifically are now developing virtual and AR-enabled self-service tutorials and guides that help church operators find everything they need right at their fingertips.
Panigrahi says, “Through smartphone devices, operators can quickly access an entire product center with AI-enabled FAQs, manuals, training materials, and detailed videos where AR overlays are used.”
For example, facility managers can address post-build HVAC designs for questions when implementing smart devices throughout a particular church buildout.
“Through smartphone devices, operators can quickly access an entire product center with AI-enabled FAQs, manuals, training materials, and detailed videos where AR overlays are used.” Dijam Panigrahi, Co-Founder, Grid Raster, Mountain View, CA
While these technologies are making great inroads, Panigrahi warns that builders should be cautious in how they deploy these technologies because there is great difference in the platform they are built on and maximized for use.
“Even though technologies like AR/VR have been in use for [a number of] years, many builders have deployed virtual solutions that are built upon an ‘on premise’ environment, where all the technology and data is stored locally or on-site,” Panigrahi says. “This buildout was more common a few years ago and was considered the de facto platform for this type of technology.”
On-premise AR/VR infrastructures limit the speed and scalability needed for today’s virtual designs. Church designers are overcoming these limitations by leveraging cloud-based (or remote server-based) AR/VR platforms powered by distributed cloud architecture and 3D vision-based AI. These cloud platforms provide the desired performance and scalability to drive innovation in the industry at speed and scale.
