When do you need to commission your VR application so it is ready for the trade show?
Count back from the trade show: the development time plus four weeks of buffer for acceptance testing and staff briefing. A 360° video takes 2 to 6 weeks, a virtual reality application built from prepared modules 6 to 12 weeks and an interactive VR simulation 2 to 4 months.
The trade show date is the only date in the project that can’t be moved. That is why we count backward from it.
Development times
| Project type | Development time |
|---|---|
| 360° video | 2 to 6 weeks |
| VR built from prepared modules | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Interactive VR simulation | 2 to 4 months |
| Complex simulation | from 3 months |
Large projects start small. Interactive and complex simulations almost always start with a prototype. After that, the application grows step by step, over months or years. What each type of project costs is covered in the article How much does VR development cost?
Add a buffer of four weeks to the longest typical development time. We explain how these durations come about in a separate article.
What the buffer is for
Four weeks sounds like a lot. It gets used up quickly:
- Acceptance testing: Your team tests the application and reports final changes.
- Internal approvals: Marketing, product management and sometimes the legal department want to see the application.
- Briefing: Your booth staff learn how to operate and clean the headsets and guide visitors.
- Devices: Headsets are set up, labeled and packed.
- Shipping: Exhibition goods are often shipped one to two weeks before the trade show.
What to clarify before you commission the project
The time before the order is placed is not part of the project duration, but it often takes more weeks than the development itself. These points speed up the start:
- What should be shown? One topic, one message. More won’t fit into three to five minutes.
- Is there CAD data? If we can build your machine from existing data, that saves time. The article What do I need to provide to the development team? explains what we need.
- Who makes the decisions? A single contact person with decision-making authority is the biggest lever for the schedule.
- How will the application be used after the trade show? If sales and training are going to keep using it, we plan for that from the start.
When time is tight
Talk to us anyway. There are three ways to save time:
- Use prepared modules. Rooms, controls and processes have already been developed. Your product and your content are added.
- Build in stages. The first stage is ready for the trade show and is expanded afterward. We describe how this works in the article Building VR projects modularly.
- 360° video instead of a simulation. If the goal is to show a place, such as your plant or a facility at a customer’s site, a 360° video can be ready in a few weeks.
Sample schedule
Your trade show starts on April 20. You are planning an interactive VR simulation of your machine.
| Step | Timing |
|---|---|
| Initial meeting and demo | October |
| Quote and order | mid-November at the latest |
| Concept and project plan | late November |
| Development with interim versions | December to mid-March |
| Acceptance testing, briefing, shipping | late March to mid-April |
| Trade show | April 20 |
Conclusion
Count backward from the trade show date, and commission the project a month early rather than too late. If the application is ready before the trade show, your sales team can already use it with customers and will arrive at the booth with experience.
