In an increasingly demanding economy— one in which the challenges facing small businesses have multiplied since the onset of the COVID pandemic—augmented reality (AR) represents a cost-effective strategic tool that high-growth small businesses can use to compete with larger rivals, help their employees advance professionally, and have a positive impact on their communities.

This case study presents the story of how one small manufacturing business, with high levels of motivation and strategic leadership, discovered how AR could benefit its operations and its workers through a trial implementation that yielded short-term quality improvements and planted the seeds for initiatives that could deliver longer-term social value.