Xerox

Xerox Holdings Corporation, with approximately $7.0 billion in annual revenue (2021) and a global installed base of millions of printers and multifunction devices, operated one of the largest field service organizations in the business services industry. The company deployed thousands of field service technicians globally to diagnose, repair, and maintain equipment at customer sites. Each dispatched service visit cost Xerox an estimated $150-300 in direct costs (technician time, travel, parts), with first-visit fix rates of approximately 70-75% — meaning 25-30% of visits required a follow-up dispatch. Total field service and support costs represented a significant portion of operating expenses. Meanwhile, customers increasingly expected faster resolution times, and the post-COVID environment made on-site visits operationally complex due to access restrictions and scheduling constraints.

Starting in early 2021, Xerox deployed CareAR, an augmented reality (AR) remote support platform originally developed internally and later spun out as a Xerox subsidiary, to transform its customer support model:

• AR-powered remote diagnosis: Equipped customer support agents with CareAR's AR capabilities, enabling them to see through the customer's smartphone camera in real time. Agents could overlay visual instructions, circle components, and guide customers through troubleshooting steps without dispatching a technician. This replaced phone-based support that often failed due to customers' inability to describe technical issues accurately.
• Self-service AR experiences: Deployed CareAR Instruct, which provided step-by-step AR-guided self-service repair instructions triggered by scanning a QR code on the equipment. Customers could resolve common issues (paper jams, toner replacement, configuration errors) without contacting support at all.
• Technician-to-technician remote assist: When a dispatch was necessary, less-experienced field technicians could connect with senior specialists remotely via CareAR, receiving real-time AR guidance during complex repairs. This improved first-visit fix rates and reduced the need for senior technician dispatches.
• Predictive service integration: Integrated CareAR with Xerox's IoT-connected device fleet, enabling proactive support interventions when devices reported anomalies — often resolving issues before customers noticed them.