by Microsoft
A carmaker since 1898, Renault Group is present in 134 countries. It designs, manufactures, distributes, and services its vehicles worldwide. To meet the major technological challenges of the future and pursue its growth strategy, Renault Group is relying on its international development and the complementary nature of its five brands: Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine, and LADA.
Renault:
Today, we have 13 different batteries, both pure electric batteries and batteries specially designed for hybrid vehicles. More and more repair centers are opening with now 20 worldwide. So it was essential to find an agile solution for training technicians quickly and remotely. Thanks to HoloLens 2 and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, we are in direct contact with the trainer. This interaction allows us to be as efficient as if we were in a training center. The trainer can see perfectly what the trainee sees, which is more complicated in a classroom setting, so he or she can react very quickly if necessary. The trainer can interrupt our work to draw our attention to a specific part of the training. At any time, the trainer can add arrows or circles to support his or her speech and ensure the learning of new skills. The HoloLens 2 Industrial Edition is approved for hazardous areas. We can use it with our personal protective equipment without any problem. This allows us to be trained in our repair shop. If a customer is waiting for a repair, the training can be done on the battery concerned. This reduces the time needed for repairs and ensures that our customers are satisfied. Getting to grips with HoloLens and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is very simple because we are used to working in the Microsoft environment. It's very ergonomic, very powerful, and we easily acquire new, indispensable skills. We've had excellent feedback on HoloLens and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist. In one year, from a financial perspective, we have saved more than 300K€ and from an environmental perspective, because we have traveled less, we've reduced our CO2 emissions by 80%. HoloLens 2 is firing all our imaginations, so much so that we are now planning for the audits and even direct training and distribution networks of tomorrow. This new approach is a motivating factor for the teams who follow these trainings. Using innovative solutions clearly takes the dust off the automotive after-sales industry!
In an effort to achieve and maintain customer satisfaction, Renault Group relies on its Renault Academy to pilot commercial or technical trainings for the 60,000+ employees in the Renault distribution networks across 80 countries. More recently, the development of electric vehicles has spurred the need for technicians to be trained on the intricacies of new batteries that power the vehicles. Thanks to HoloLens 2 and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, effective training can be carried out, at-scale, remotely and in complete safety.
As Nathalie Gauthier, Renault Academy Director, explains, "Today, agility has become a key word in the Renault Group's DNA. Everything is speeding up from R&D to distribution. We must keep up with constant changes and innovations.” The electrification of cars represents a major turning point in the automotive industry. Today, there are more than 13 different electric batteries for both "pure electric" and hybrid vehicles. It is therefore essential that service technicians be trained for each of these batteries as soon as they are put on the market. In addition, the number of battery repair centers is increasing with the number of electric vehicles on the road worldwide. There are now 20 of them worldwide, and that number is also increasing.
Transforming battery training
The question of how to effectively train employees on at-scale batteries was therefore raised very quickly, even before the global health crisis.
Julien Leruez, Head of Technical Training, explains: "Previously, technicians would come to the Renault Academy to be trained on the new batteries or trainers would be sent to the workshops to train them. Not only did this result in significant travel costs, it also created a bottleneck in the availability of technicians required to handle customers awaiting vehicle battery repairs. Moreover, battery repair is complex because it must be carried out in a particularly safe environment with specialized protective equipment - gloves, visor, overalls.”
Renault Academy, therefore, looked for a way to carry out these remote learning courses and turned to the Renault Digital entity, which is constantly on the lookout for new technologies and supports the group in its digital innovations.
Based on a history of collaboration and successful projects with Microsoft, Renault Digital was quick to recommend HoloLens 2 and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to Renault Academy as the right solution for this opportunity.
In addition to its application performance, the HoloLens 2 Industrial Edition is approved for hazardous areas, which is a prerequisite for use in battery repair spaces.
As Julien Leruez noted, "The tests were quickly very conclusive. The solution helped transform the training of technicians on the new batteries."