What do you do if you're a project manager looking for the best Virtual Reality (VR) vendor?

Virtual Reality (VR) vendors in the Enterprise have largely defined the use case(s) their solution may be a good fit for. Therefore, starting with the project needs and trying to define the use cases can save a lot of time in testing and researching vendors. Defining the use case can allow you to search for vendors who have a plug-and-play solution and therefore shortlist a few products that may be a good fit. If you do not have use cases defined, start with a list of qualifying questions for vendors ( integrations, case studies, enabled-workflows ) so that you can quickly shortlist the vendors who can solve the relevant problems for your project.

Determine, in business terms, the needs of your project. Understandably, you as a client might feel very excited with the prospect of incorporating VR into your business. But take a step back to understand that VR is a vehicle, not the destination. If this seems daunting to you, find someone that can help you diagnose your situation. As a consultant, we always assess the needs of the clients with our company’s HCI-oriented interview before prescribing the right VR solution. The last thing you want is having a VR solution that does not fully solve your problems nor achieve your goals efficiently.

A clear understanding of the business- and use-case is the basis for any kind of assessment. Particularly, for the assessment of VR vendors, non-functional requirements can play an important role. License models, expected number of users, preferred development platform, planned visual quality - all this should be discussed and defined to create an assessment matrix. Also consider, that this matrix might vary between use-cases. Based on a consolidated view, you can start asking possible vendors for their solutioning proposal.

When looking for a VR vendor, check out their portfolios to see their past work and expertise. Evaluate proposals based on their understanding of your project, their technical skills, and cost. Talk to them and ask for references to make sure they're a good fit. You'll need assets like 3D models, audio, animations, scripts, UI elements, SDKs, and testing tools. Finally, negotiate the terms and finalize the contract, making sure everything is clear and there's support included.

Check their website, scrutinize their portfolio, read their case studies and find out their specialization. You want a vendor who shows strong track record in an industry similar to yours and preferably have achieved similar goals you’re looking for. Make sure their service is not just in the technical part. A complete VR solution incorporates practical technology application, thoughtful design, understanding of human psychology and a good sense of business development.

Si estás buscando encontrar el mejor valor agregado al seleccionar un proveedor de Realidad Virtual (RV), una forma rápida y efectiva de compararlos es mediante la evaluación de tres datos clave: - A?os de experiencia en la industria, - Cantidad de proyectos realizados y - la extensión geográfica de su alcance, es decir, el número de países donde han ejecutado proyectos. Luego seleccionas el Top 2 o 3 y les pides sus casos de uso. Analiza cómo abordaron los problemas planteados por sus clientes, qué estrategias utilizaron para implementar la solución de RV y qué impacto tuvieron estas soluciones en los resultados comerciales de sus clientes. No está de mas buscar el testimonio de los clientes.

As a project manager looking for the best virtual reality vendors, start by defining your project requirements, budget, and timeline. Then, research vendors based on their experience, expertise in VR technology, portfolio of past projects, client testimonials, pricing, and support services. Reach out to potential vendors for proposals and conduct interviews to assess their capabilities and compatibility with your project goals. Additionally, consider factors like scalability, reliability, and innovation in VR solutions.

There isn’t a repository of available apps and vendors. You can search the internet or see what competitors are doing. Alternatively people like myself like to connect the dots so have a chat with us.

Expertise comes with experience. Have a chat with the vendor and ask about their past projects. How did the client find you? How do you assess their needs? What’s your design solution process? How long did it take? What’s the biggest challenge in the project? What did you learn from completing it? Ask open-ended questions to check how deep is their expertise. Be ruthless in determining if they’re just order taker or really a leader in the VR field.

You should in any case get some demo showcases from the vendors. Developing VR applications requires a complex interoperability of designers, VR-developers, classic software engineers, UI/UX architects, and infrastructure specialists. You should ensure, that your vendor is able to deliver that end-to-end, otherwise your project might be in danger.

Very often, VR implementations that demand a broader group of users and stakeholders fail due to lack of onboarding and support. Technically, support might be needed in setting things up ( MDM platform, installing apps) OR in actually enabling users to learn how the app works. While in-app tutorials are helpful, the best way to do it is by having real-time training sessions walking users through the entire use case which may begin outside VR, for example, in the case of architects. A great practice that help achieve consistent usage is setting up monthly or quarterly review calls and track usage to identify gaps and deliver the best outcomes.