Power Tool or Cool Toy?

As the creator of LEAN knowledge transfer, and as someone who helps companies decide what new learning technologies to adopt, I have a simple litmus test whenever someone shows me the latest and greatest training technology: Do the money, time and resources required actually deliver significant measurable improvements in business performance?

In short, is it a power tool? Or a cool toy?

Last night I went to a SUN Microsystems event where they rolled out their Darkstar and Wonderland products for creating virtual worlds for gaming and training. One of the reasons SUN developed this technology was to facilitate collaboration among their highly-distributed workforce. Did you know that more than 50% of SUN’s employees work from home? Wow.

Productive collaboration between far-flung employees, tech partners and customers is a huge challenge today. And it’s great to see companies like SUN creating new technologies for doing this. At the event, I saw a lot of enthusiastic people, great eye candy and (although I’m no expert) a sound underlying technology. Darkstar and Wonderland should definitely be on your short list of products to consider, especially since they’re open source!

But they haven’t quite convinced me that VR is a viable knowledge transfer tool for the majority of companies and situations. Why not? Because the benefits don’t yet justify the considerable development costs. Does collaboration in a virtual world deliver significantly better results than a simple, inexpensive video conference using desktop sharing? Don’t know as no results were presented.

And the vast majority of development costs (like 90% in some cases) goes into creating the virtual walls, windows with views, furniture, plants and avatars. Not necessarily creating situations and interactions that help people master content which translates into better business performance.

As an aside, I feel compelled to say emphatically “STOP creating virtual worlds that just mirror the same old institutions we have now!” We’re bored as hell sitting in real classrooms. Why would we be any less bored sitting in a virtual one that has the same desks, white boards, etc.?

Now let me be clear. I’m not anti-VR. I like flying around in Second Life as much as the next guy. And simulations CAN be powerful training tools. I've seen excellent ones in the mining industry, where truck drivers can learn to handle a fully-loaded 300-ton haul truck down a rainy slope at night in total safety. The simulator is a truck cab with big flat screen displays and the program mimics the physics of the truck and environment. You feel like you're driving a truck and, when you get in a real one for the first time, you've partially developed muscle memory. Amazing! The payback is huge from an capital equipment utilization, productivity and safety point of view. The benefits clearly outweigh the development costs.

VR creation costs are falling fast with open source technologies, better development tools and outsourcing. So, we’re going to see more and more VR applications with impressive graphics and abilities. Sales training. Leadership training. Safety training. Remember the bottom line is “Power tool or cool toy? Do the money, time and resources required actually deliver significant measurable improvements in business performance over less complex methods like mentoring and social media?” Ask for, no, DEMAND data.