From Problem to Solution: The Role of Mixed Reality in Industrial Support

Performance support has become a growing trend in the effort to improve productivity in industrial sectors. More and more industrial organizations understand they must get the right information, to the right people, at the right time, and are searching for the best ways to do it. We can all accept it’s a difficult task, but the most successful industrial groups are seeking and adopting technology that ensures they can deliver information to the point of need. 

Mixed reality, or MR, is the blending of the physical and virtual worlds to enhance interactivity and knowledge transfer. It requires the user to don a headset, but unlike virtual reality that person has full sensory perception of the surrounding environment.   

One technology that excels at delivering information to the point of need is Mixed Reality, or MR.

MR provides modern industrial, energy, and manufacturing companies the flexibility, focus, and capacity to optimize performance support. When a frontline staff member is on a task and needs immediate assistance with a problem, MR is a highly effective platform for them to access critical information immediately or link up with an expert while remaining focused on the job to be completed.  

Before we delve into the role of MR in the practice of “performance support”, we should nail down what we mean when we use the term. It is a method of instruction that provides workers the precise information and/or teaches them what they need when they need it to complete a task. In other words, strip out all the background information and nonessential material and just show the workers how to complete the task they have in front of them.  

That’s not to say the other material isn’t important, but optimizing efficiency often means getting tasks completed safely and quickly so operations can carry on as usual. By pinpointing the essential resources, performance support tools help workers complete tasks faster, better, and safer, leading to an improvement in your overall workforce’s operating effectiveness. 

How does MR optimize performance support? We have to remember that performance support has traditionally been offered with paper (lots of paper), videos on mobile devices, or documents and infographics locked to a screen away from the task at hand. This has left frontline workers to address a problem while flipping through manuals or consulting a handheld/desktop device. MR supports workers by giving them precisely the information they need in an easy-to-access format, where they need it, when they need it, while on the job. These resources can include PDFs with step-by-step instructions, full equipment manuals, interactive 3D models that workers can manipulate to better visualize repair processes, or even videos demonstrating complex procedures—all of which can be viewed in the worker's physical environment, meaning there is no downtime on task while also leaving both of the user’s hands completely free to work on the task.

The Role of Mixed Reality in Performance Support 

While there are alternatives to using mixed reality devices for delivering performance support, they often fall short in terms of efficiency and practicality. A smartphone? The device requires at least one hand to operate and hold, thus limiting the ability to work on equipment. A tablet? Again, the worker cannot jump on a video call or browse for needed information without having their hands tied up which pulls them from completing the task. In-person visit from an expert? It’s expensive and results in more downtime waiting for an expert’s arrival. But once a worker is comfortable with an MR system, they can access the resources and people they need at a moment’s notice to instantly get to work on the task.

Let’s say a worker is inspecting an oil pipeline in Wyoming, and finds a German-made valve has malfunctioned and is leaking oil. Even if the worksite has weak connectivity, she can put on her headset and instantly access material on the exact model of the problem valve.  

While she works on the valve, she can consult digital work instructions to fix the valve, and even visualize the repair process in real-time with a holographic 3D model that shows her all the components of the assembly. If she needs support, she can instantly bring in an expert at the head office in Houston, or even at the OEM that made the valve in Berlin.

The strength of MR as a performance support tool lies in its ability to deliver real-time solutions with precise, on-demand resources. No other technology – cell phones, laptops, printed manuals – can provide this level of precision instruction as efficiently. 

In addition to providing immediate support through subject matter expert (SME) communication and delivering critical information directly to workers at the point of need as they perform tasks, the experience doesn’t just benefit one worker. It’s a scalable solution that can enhance the efficiency of an entire workforce. As more workers use MR for performance support, companies can accelerate their digital transformation by leveraging it as the platform for making digital assets available to their workforce on the job, ultimately leading to greater productivity and significant cost savings. 

Remote Support with Mixed Reality 

The example above highlighted a facet of mixed reality that is superior to competing technologies: remote support. Mixed reality not only provides workers with on-demand access to critical information but also enables real-time support from experts and supervisors, no matter where the groups are in the world. This capability offers unique value compared to traditional performance support methods, allowing experts to see and hear exactly what the worker is experiencing and guide them through tasks in real-time.

This support is fast, convenient, and cost-effective. Frontline workers can effectively communicate while both hands remain free, allowing them to stay situationally aware and work with ease, ensuring optimum safety even in challenging conditions.

Companies that effectively leverage MR benefit from reduced downtime by addressing challenges quickly, efficiently, and safely. By enabling experts to see and hear exactly what the worker is experiencing, MR improves communication accuracy and ensures that instructions are precise, reducing the risk of miscommunication that can occur with traditional methods like email, phone calls, or static images.

Leveraging Holographic Content for Performance Support 

When using Mixed Reality as a performance support tool, it opens the door for capturing and integrating digital content into the physical space, where it can be used during tasks. For example, users can quickly capture images or videos while troubleshooting with an SME, this allows frontline workers to instantly share and begin diagnosing the issue. Both parties can view the same content—whether it's an image, a detailed PDF document, or a 3D model of the equipment—annotating next steps or highlighting points of interest in real-time within the user’s view. This creates an efficient and flexible solution for tasks like on-the-job training, complex troubleshooting, and even verification of completed work. 

Let’s consider the advantages of this solution from both the end-users and the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) perspectives. If you’re an on-site technician, an expert can send you annotated images from previous jobs completed (such as a series of step-by-step photos) to help you immediately understand the potential problem or a one-page document that contains all relevant information to the troubleshooting process. Vice versa, while on-site, the worker can also send an expert an image of what you’re working on so they can analyze the issue and guide the user through the issue, no matter where they are in the world. 

From the OEM’s perspective, imagine sending an MR device preloaded with all relevant content—such as detailed installation PDFs, troubleshooting videos, or interactive 3D model breakdowns of the equipment—when a customer purchases equipment. This allows for faster support and better uptime of equipment, as your team can assist with installation and troubleshooting from the day the equipment arrives. With the right content already accessible, the on-site technicians can start working to solve challenges immediately. If they need further assistance, they can make that remote support call to bring the OEM on-site virtually. Through sharing images, the OEM can confirm and sign off that the work has been done correctly or suggest necessary changes, providing a cost and time-effective tool for ongoing support. For the OEM, they no longer rely on verbal descriptions, wait for emailed photos, or have the need to fly out to solve the problem which in terms of support and troubleshooting, this practice is unmatched in efficiency

Finally, these performance support sessions offer valuable mentoring opportunities for company leaders. Regardless of how remote your workers are—even if they’re at sea—you can use these sessions to share years of invaluable accumulated knowledge that isn’t found in any manual, or provide tips on optimizing machinery.

The Bottom-Line 

Mixed Reality has proven itself as a practical and powerful tool that is already reshaping how industrial companies deliver performance support at the point of need. By seamlessly blending the physical and digital worlds, MR is enabling workers with instant, hands-free access to the critical information they need, right when and where they need it. Whether through real-time remote support, interactive 3D models, work instructions, or annotated photos MR ensures that workers can solve problems faster, work more efficiently, and stay safe on the job. 

For companies, MR offers more than just immediate problem-solving. It’s a scalable solution that helps reduce downtime, improve communication, and ultimately drive higher productivity across the workforce. As leading companies continue to adopt and scale MR solutions, the benefits extend beyond just operational efficiency—they also support knowledge transfer, mentorship, and employee satisfaction, even in remote and challenging environments. 

The future of MR is bright, but its benefits are already being realized today. Companies that embrace MR as a core performance support tool are better positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive and digital landscape. With proven tools like RemoteSpark, industrial companies can move beyond pilot programs and start realizing measurable gains in productivity, safety, and cost savings.