Virtually any business can benefit from VR technology. Not every company will embrace this technology in the near future, though. KFC is one of the companies looking to give it a try. Right now, they are introducing an employee-training program in virtual reality. The objective is to cook a batch of their signature fried chicken according to company guidelines. Five steps need to be completed successfully, including rinsing, breading, and racking.
KFC Sees Merit in Virtual Reality Training
On paper, it makes a lot of sense for KFC to train their aspiring chefs in the art of cooking delicious chicken. That is a lot easier said than done, as there is no time to waste. Moreover, the company can’t spare too many actual chickens-based resources let staffers hone their craft This is where virtual reality technology comes into the picture. With a dedicated five-step training program, trainees can successfully create, bread, and pressure fry virtual chickens.
There are many benefits to using VR technology in this regard. First of all, it keeps the current infrastructure available to well-trained staffers at KFC restaurants. Secondly, the resource material is virtual, thus there is no waste to speak of. Moreover, the training session takes around 10 minutes, compared to 25 in real life. Although one session won’t turn a kid into a chef, it is something which can be repeated as often as necessary.
So far, it appears the training program is only compatible with the Oculus Rift. It is unclear if this training program will come to additional hardware in the future. After all, it isn’t necessarily computer resource-intensive. With the DayDream VR headset being released soon, it would make a lot of sense to port this technology to the platform as well. Then again, the Oculus Rift has recently been reduced in price, which makes it an affordable solution for companies such as KFC.
One thing that remains unclear is how big of a rollout the company has planned. Deploying a VR training simulation is a big step. It is certainly possible this is more of a marketing tool than anything else. It will not replace the current training program by any means but merely serves to complement it. Considering how the company has over 19,000 employees cooking chicken every day, this training program can be quite valuable. An interesting development to keep an eye on, that much is certain.
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