There are many benefits of AR (Augmented Reality or Assisted Reality) and digital work instructions, but the idea of digital transformation can seem overwhelming. This article talks about why many organizations are starting to consider digital work instructions, and the benefits augmented reality (AR) can bring.

As organizations begin to deploy applications at scale, they often realize that AR presents both opportunities and challenges. Creating compelling AR experiences for an enterprise has historically been difficult, limiting the reach of how much and what can be deployed.

Despite the occasional challenges, organizations continue to explore the new possibilities and value AR can bring to service, operations, engineering, and manufacturing.

For starters, if you’ve made a heavy investment in technical publications or technical documentation, odds are you have a lot of content in a multitude of systems and formats such as Arbortext, DITA, or even S1000D. This has most likely occurred over a long period of time and leveraged a lot of resources.

With all the resources, time, and energy put into your technical publications the idea of ‘going digital’ or moving towards ‘digital work instructions’ can be daunting.

So why is there currently so much ‘hype’ about pairing Augmented Reality with service or manufacturing, and what benefits can it bring to your organization?

Well… there are a lot of reasons for taking on digital work instructions, or even hands-free work instructions, that can be projected by a head-mounted tablet, a headset, or even an iPad or cellular device. And quite frankly, there are a lot of practical applications throughout an enterprise that can benefit from up to date content delivery and process/quality control.

Augmented Reality relates to the new workforce

If you look at manufacturing plants, assembly facilities, and at the service world as a whole – these groups of people are aging. This means that the manufacturing skills gap is widening.

In fact, there’s quite a bit of turnover happening which is starting to make it difficult for organizations to find competent, qualified replacements.

Studies show that over the next decade, due to economic expansion and the surge in baby boomer retirement, nearly 3.5 million industrial jobs will be needed, and 2 million are expected to go unfilled.

For instance, if you look at an aircraft assembly worker today, most are going to be older guys and gals. They’re used to doing things with physical resources (such as paper for example).

But if you’re looking to replace one of these retiring workers, your replacement is most likely going to be someone used to consuming his or her information through technology devices like iPads or mobile phones. A bonus, however, is that these individuals are more likely to be very open to new technology such as a head-mounted tablet.

The fact is, in most cases, we are talking about entirely different generations of our workforce. The way they consume, process, and work with new information will be entirely different than veteran-ed workers.

It is in your best interest to get these new-aged workers up to speed as quickly as possible. An excellent way to do that is to use delivery methods familiar to younger generations.

This is one of the many reasons companies have begun to explore augmented reality (AR).

Best-in-class organizations realize the benefit of investing in ways to get new workers up to speed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

AR for field service

Many organizations see “field service” as an excellent starting point to implement AR. There are a lot of time savings for service personnel when you go from paper to digital. This is why companies across the board have made the decision to go into a paperless environment.

The upside of AR is readily apparent when inspecting how someone attempts to execute specific detailed tasks on a shop floor. This almost always involves going back to paper instructions which in turn, takes time and wastes a whole lot of resources; hunting for documentation, going to-and-from workstations to document cabinets, etc. This compounds as workers switch tasks.

Augmented Reality provides cross reference materials

By simply enabling a workforce to digitally access resources, an organization can save time, proactively improve processes, and more effectively manage quality.

Augmented Reality allows workers to very quickly and efficiently cross-reference material and pull up related images, user guides, bulletins, and other content. All without leaving a workstation or job site.

For example, if a service technician was to get lost while using a paper instruction manual and he or she didn’t know the next step, AR provides a solution.

With an augmented experience the service technician can link directly back to technical information to read further into a problem that perhaps wasn’t included on the paper instruction manual or was somewhere else.

AR helps track detailed project status

Because AR is simply a delivery mechanism, it can be configured to interact with multiple databases and content sources. Project and task authentication and sign-off requirements can be delivered to workers through their devices but managed digitally at the edge or within discrete systems.

This means there’s a detailed digital trail of the work that’s been done and being done by each individual service technician.

Therefore, if a service task were to get interrupted, someone else on the team could pick up where the previous technician left off – knowing that the all the steps in the work instructions have been completed and signed off by the last worker.

Process and quality control benefits of AR

Some AR solutions even provide the added benefit of recording the time taken to complete a specific step or entire task. It provides insight into possible areas for training or process optimization.

In other words, it can help an organization notice discrepancies between expectations and execution – ‘as written’ and ‘as executed.’

You open the door to many closed-loop quality control improvements when you have insight into, and a digital signature on every completed task.

Hands-free work environment

Both head-mounted tablets and phones can be operated in a hands-free environment.

Handheld devices scan activated QR codes to read instructions. This allows operators to maneuver hands-free while the instructions are being read to them.

By using a head-mounted template environment, you can verbally communicate with the instructions on the head-mounted tablet without ever having to look away from work, or wake up a tablet or phone.

The return on investment for AR

The upfront costs are often the most expensive part of this piece of this digital transformation journey. Whether implementing a full-scale enterprise deployment or a proof-of-concept, you’ll often need to lay the same foundation of supporting technology. But it is worth it.

Talk with us if you’d like help figuring out a ballpark investment to get AR going at your company.

The ROI is tangible and real. For instance, AR solutions can easily save a $60,000 fully loaded resource 8 to 12 minutes a day by replacing paper and disjointed processes. That turns into four hours a month, forty-eight hours a year. That’s more than $1,300 per year in savings for every worker. The ROI quickly goes up proportional to the number of users added to the system.

Conclusion

I’ve made my case. But it doesn’t change the challenge I brought up at the beginning of this article. Moving, converting, and re-authoring legacy technical documentation is daunting…

Or is it?

We have a solution. It’s called AR Instruct™. Watch the video below to get an idea of what it is and how it could help you.

AR Instruct™ is an application that takes an existing product, assembly, service, and other technical information (in formats like DITA, XML, Arbortext, S100D, etc.) and dynamically transitions it to be displayed in a digital work environment. We aren’t talking about publishing a PDF on an iPad either.

AR Instruct™ publishes fully interactive experiences complete with voice commands, step management, graphic viewers and all.

You should do two things after reading this article – 1) Request a demonstration and 2) Forward this on to the people in your organization responsible for publishing and managing work and service instructions.

If your organization creates service information, work instructions, installation operator guides, user guides, technical instructions, service manuals, or even service procedure bulletins – it’s time to rethink your process.

Let’s talk about how to make your service information accurate, relevant and accessible.

Defects in products happen, but in the case that a product needs to be taken apart- it’s important to do it the right way. This is especially true with today’s advanced complex products.

This is why organizations often don’t question why they’re managing mountains of paper-based technical publications. But what happens when a service call involves the use of particular tools that aren’t quite outlined in a service procedure manual?

Or when field circumstances turn out to be different than the initial service order and the correct manual may not have made it into a technician’s vehicle?

What happens when technical publications designed to guide service are no longer relevant due to product or tool changes? Despite best efforts – service, installation, and operation problems arise. These problems cause worker confusion, dissatisfied customers, and business risk.

Providing information that no longer applies to specific products forces operators to troubleshoot challenges based on assumptions and experience – or worse – inexperience. Paper-based and locally stored procedures, instructions, and guidelines also have a tendency to make work instructions difficult to find.

If your procedure documentation guidelines are disconnected, they are only hurting you.

The good news is, with the help of simple technology, any organization has an opportunity to rethink their service information. There has never been a better time to make service information accurate, relevant, and easily accessible.

The solution? Interactive digital work instructions.

How to make service information accurate

You might be surprised, but as a matter of fact, the first step towards achieving accurate service information involves using the content (such as Tech Pubs, Arbortext, DITA, XML, Images, etc.) that your organization has already created. Evaluate the current service information processes your organization has in place. For instance, you might currently be using paper documentation.

What’s the problem with paper documentation?

Once your documents are committed to paper alone, you can no longer assure their ongoing accuracy. The underlying information could have changed right after it was printed! Your information should (most definitely) include the latest version of technical publications and content (such as Creo Illustrate, Windchill, Service Information Manager, InDesign, FrameMaker, Oxygen, etc.) that you already have without the need for added latency or work for authoring, styling, and publishing.

When you’re in a digital work instruction environment, that environment is set up to draw from the most accurate up-to-date information available on your system. This is why the best possible way to ensure the accuracy of your service information is to move away from paper workflows and go to digital work instructions – instantaneous access, up-to-date information.

How to make service information relevant

The best way to ensure that your service information is relevant is by connecting your technical publications back to your engineering and manufacturing content creators.

What do we mean by that?

Your work instructions, service manuals, operation guides, and bulletins all come from files you have on hand. So why shouldn’t they directly connect to and show operators and technicians accurate and relevant information about what they do?!

Furthermore, if your current service processes involve the need to find and locate product information before your technicians start the job, you end up losing valuable time.

It’s time to change that.

The way to make your service information more relevant is to have your instructions take your technicians down a specific product path. Using visual work instructions will allow your service teams to get specific information and insights that directly pertain to what they need.

By implementing technology that can cross-reference technical publication content, you can be sure your service information will always be relevant no matter the task.

The technology available today even has features like ‘work process selects’, to route directly to the correct tech pub content. Even better, it also has the ability to navigate to cross-referenced content such as DITA, XML files, images and more!

Simple solutions on the market today can even provide service technicians and operators with the ability to immediately start on a service task. With the help of technology, such as a digital device or a handsfree headset, service technicians can instantly receive relevant work instructions at their fingertips… or eyeballs… by simply scanning a barcode.

Your service information should be accurate and timely, and the best way to make that possible is by directly connecting all the files you currently have! It’s that simple.

How to make service information accessible

Making service information more accessible has everything to do with the use of digital devices such as mobile or wearable devices.

By using mobile or wearable devices, workers have the ability to instantly connect directly to work processes and even existing tech pub source content. Every organization has the ability to make service info easily accessible to the extent that the company wants.

For instance, you can easily make any information accessible and relevant now with a connected Industrial IoT environment. By using Wi-Fi and cellular connections, technicians have the ability to connect online to whatever the most relevant information is.

Your path to better service information

Please contact us to see how Industrial AR can be used to connect and reuse existing technical publications and content. We have the know-how, technology, and team to help you take your digital transformation to the next level, decrease service and manufacturing errors, and improve the way you distribute technical information.

Watch this video to see EAC’s solution for converting work instructions to digital AR experiences with AR Instruct.

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, the demand for accurate, consistent, and timely product information is paramount. Traditional methods of technical documentation, often reliant on manual processes and disparate tools, fall short in meeting these demands. This is where PTC Arbortext emerges as a game-changer. It offers a dynamic publishing solution that streamlines the creation, management, and delivery of technical content.

The Pitfalls of Traditional Documentation Methods

Many businesses rely on one or two technical writers to collect all required technical and digital information needed to create technical and marketing publications. Most of this effort is manual, using the tried and true method of emailing, calling, and walking down the hall to bug technical resources for information or a screen grab; over and over. Then the information is created using a one-and-done single-instance authoring software like Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe InDesign, or Microsoft Word.

This is a problem for a number of reasons, including:

Just think of everywhere incorrect information could live if an update is missed. Web sites, user manual libraries, manufacturing instructions, service instructions, printed manuals, marketing literature, and the list goes on. This can increase the risk of providing out-of-date or inaccurate information to customers, manufacturing personnel, and service technicians.

Embracing Dynamic Publishing with Arbortext

PTC Arbortext offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges by enabling dynamic publishing. This method automates and integrates the entire documentation lifecycle. Key benefits include:​

Core Components of the Arbortext Suite

When arguing for Arbortext, there’s strength in overarching capabilities. However, there’s also the power and precision of its individual components. Like many other PTC product lines, Arbortext boasts a suite of several integrated tools. This robust ecosystem of tools work together to streamline structured content creation, styling, and publishing. This empowers technical teams to do more, faster, and with fewer errors. These extensions have been designed to enhance the documentation process. They include:​

Together, these tools form a tightly integrated publishing solution. This solution enables organizations to maintain consistency, scale their documentation efforts, and reduce operational risk. Whether you’re a single author or managing a global documentation team, the Arbortext suite equips you with the foundation to build and deliver content that’s smart, structured, and future-ready.

Integration with PTC Windchill for Enhanced Content Management

One of the most compelling reasons to argue for Arbortext is its seamless integration with PTC Windchill, a leading product lifecycle management (PLM) system. This connection allows organizations to manage both product data and technical content within a single, unified platform. By linking Arbortext with Windchill, companies gain tighter control over content versioning, reuse, and approval processes, which is critical in regulated industries or highly complex product environments.

Windchill serves as a single source of truth, ensuring that content creators always work with the most up-to-date product data and documentation. This reduces the risk of inconsistencies between product updates and technical materials—whether it’s a service manual, part catalog, or training content. Integration also supports granular access control, workflow automation, and traceability, helping teams stay audit-ready and in compliance.

Together, Arbortext and Windchill form a powerful digital thread that connects engineering, manufacturing, and documentation teams across the entire product lifecycle. This integration not only accelerates content creation and delivery but also reinforces data integrity and operational efficiency, making it a cornerstone argument in favor of adopting Arbortext for dynamic publishing.

Real-World Impact: Efficiency and Accuracy

When arguing for Arbortext, it’s essential to look beyond features and focus on real-world outcomes. Organizations that implement Arbortext experience measurable gains in both operational efficiency and content accuracy. By automating manual processes like formatting, layout, and publication, teams spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on high-value content creation. This leads to faster documentation cycles and reduced time-to-market for products.

Dynamic publishing ensures that information is consistent across all deliverables, minimizing the risk of errors or outdated content reaching end users. Technical writers can generate multilingual, multi-format documents in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional tools, and updates can be made globally with just a few clicks.

Ultimately, Arbortext isn’t just about creating content—it’s about transforming how content is managed, updated, and delivered throughout the organization. These efficiency and accuracy gains drive real business value, making a strong, results-based case for integrating Arbortext into your enterprise content strategy.

Making the Case for Arbortext

In an era where information accuracy and speed are critical, arguing for Arbortext becomes a matter of strategic importance. Making the move from manual technical publications to what we just described allows tech writers to focus on optimization of publishing methods rather than data collection and integration. It helps insure overall accuracy of product data throughout the company and in the marketplace. By transitioning to dynamic publishing with PTC Arbortext, organizations can overcome the limitations of traditional documentation methods, ensuring that their technical content is accurate, consistent, and delivered efficiently across all platforms.