Specialist water industry contractor Stonbury has invested in Augmented Reality software which brings print to life and delivers an interactive and immersive learning experience, with the use of video, animation and much more, to effectively engage staff in all areas of communication, education and training.

The Augmented Reality software, Zappar, provides a new way to use technology, transforming how Stonbury communicate, work and learn.

The Augmented Reality software enables static images to come to life, allowing the user to view detailed video demonstrations by simply hovering their smartphone over the document.

In addition to providing more user-friendly content delivery, the technology enables Stonbury to supply detailed information and in-depth training to a large workforce without the costs associated with delivering regular face to face training and announcements; resulting in consistently high standards, improved staff safety, and savings in time, money and manpower.

The inclusive technology has also empowered Stonbury to consider a diverse range of learning abilities, communicating content-rich information without the use of text-heavy posters or literature, which are often disregarded or inaccessible to those with learning disabilities. It also eradicates the risk of cascading information being delivered incorrectly due to misrepresentation or dilution of the original message.

Stonbury have found videos are unrivalled in their ability to provide a far clearer demonstration than previous static images and diagrams, and although they have been using videos as a method of communication for several years, accessibility is often a problem in remote locations.

By combining printed media, eLearning and videos, Stonbury have created a platform that can be accessed easily and instantly with any internet-enabled device – and although an internet connection is still required – it negates the need to find and download large files.

Following an internal survey which highlighted low communication scores throughout the company, Stonbury invested in the software as an innovative solution to ensure that poor communication did not impact the competency of staff.

James Stonor, CEO commented:

"Effective communication is key in Stonbury, and for many years now we have used alternatives to static images and written documents to ensure we deliver important messages on topics such as health & safety, quality and culture to our staff. These have included poster campaigns and video toolbox talks, produced in house and delivered across our sites via iPads, which also store our electronic site files.”

“We have now gone one step further with our AR posters, they are incredibly engaging, and we have found that the message is absorbed far better than through other mediums. Another advantage is that the video message can be changed at any time, without the need for re-printing. We believe this innovative approach has taken our ability to communicate across the whole business to another level."