The enterprise metaverse is rapidly evolving and has the potential to revolutionize the way we work. By providing a more immersive and collaborative environment, the enterprise metaverse can help organizations to improve their agility, productivity, and creativity.
A recent study by the University of Münster found that meetings in the enterprise metaverse can significantly improve scaled business agility. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Sport of Lower Saxony in Germany and featured our extended reality (XR) collaboration platform, Arthur, as the enterprise metaverse tool of choice. Our partner, PwC, also played a key role in enabling the study.
The study observed two sets of meetings: one in the enterprise metaverse and one via videoconferencing. The results showed that the meetings that took place in the enterprise metaverse were perceived as being more agile than the meetings via videoconferencing. The participants in the former also felt more connected to their colleagues and were more engaged in the discussions. They also felt that they were able to collaborate more effectively and creatively. Overall, the study found that meetings in the enterprise metaverse can lead to increased levels of social presence, collaboration, and creativity. The benefits did not end there though. The study further found that the enterprise metaverse can be a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to in-person meetings.
How Enterprise XR boosts Agility
Agility is the ability to quickly and effectively adapt to change. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, agility is essential for organizations that want to stay ahead of the competition.
The enterprise metaverse can help organizations to improve their agility in a number of ways.
First, the XR technology platforms like Arthur create a more immersive experience that can help increase social presence. This can lead to better communication and collaboration among team members which can enable better agility. For example, in this study, participants in the enterprise metaverse meetings felt more like they were actually in the same room with their colleagues. Such a feeling of togetherness along with the increased likelihood to make eye contact and gesture can help to build trust and rapport, which are essential for effective communication and collaboration.
Second, the enterprise metaverse allows team members to work together in a shared virtual space. This can make it easier to share ideas and collaborate on projects, again, improving agility. For example, in this study, participants in the enterprise metaverse meetings were able to quickly exchange information in sub-teams by simply moving together to a “quiet” corner of the virtual room and talking without being overheard by others. Such improved ease of collaboration can help to speed up the decision-making process and improve the quality of work.
Third, the enterprise metaverse can be a comfortable, fun and stimulating environment that can help to spark creativity. For example, in this study, participants perceived the enterprise metaverse meetings as comfortable both in terms of physical comfort and a sense of freedom to act. The meetings were also perceived to be more fun which in-turn was considered to have a positive impact on creativity and performance. The combination of comfort, freedom, fun, and a stimulating environment can help participants to think outside the box and see things from different perspectives, which can result in effective brainstorming sessions.
Fourth, the enterprise metaverse can be a more cost-effective alternative to in-person meetings. This is because it eliminates the need for travel and accommodation costs. For example, in this study, the cost of hosting a meeting in the enterprise metaverse was about one-third of the cost of hosting an in-person meeting.
Fifth, the enterprise metaverse can also have a lower environmental impact than in-person meetings. This is because it eliminates the need for travel, which can produce greenhouse gases. For example, in this study, the environmental impact of hosting a meeting in the enterprise metaverse was considerably less than hosting an in-person meeting which would have resulted in a total of at least 3,557 kg of CO2 emissions.
Overall, the study found that the enterprise metaverse can be a valuable tool for improving scaled business agility. The study's findings suggest that organizations that are looking to improve their agility should consider using the enterprise metaverse for their meetings.
A discussion of the challenges
The study mentions that since the enterprise metaverse is still a new and evolving technology so there maybe some challenges to overcome. At Arthur, we recognise that and strive to enable the best possible experience with the support of our able customer service team. The study also mentions the importance of training your employees on how to use the XR platform to ensure that they have a positive experience and that they are able to get the most out of the technology. There as well, our customer service team supports clients with initiatives like onboardings to ensure they can get the best out of the platform.
Further, the study highlights the importance of choosing the right VR platform for your needs as there are a number of different platforms available, and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Our focus on enabling enterprise collaboration and productivity at scale along with all other necessities such as top standard security help us provide the best possible experience for enterprises exploring a wide range of productive meetings and collaboration use cases.
Another point that the study makes is that enterprise metaverse is not a replacement for in-person meetings, but it can be a valuable tool for certain types of meetings. We again agree that XR collaboration platforms are not at a stage to fully replace in-person meetings. As the study highlights, the potential benefits of the enterprise metaverse are significant, and the technology is likely to continue to evolve and improve in the coming years. If you are looking for a way to improve your organization's agility, the enterprise metaverse is a technology that you should consider. For a wide range of meeting types, XR platforms are either already generating value or bring you a first mover advantage equipping you well to reap the benefits as the technology evolves. We invite you to reach out and discuss the use cases you have in mind to understand whether and how we can add value.
If you are interested specifically in the Agile Accelerator options with PwC and Arthur, get in touch today!
Explore the full study and read more about the benefits on PwC's blog about VR vs Videoconferencing.
