If you’ve ever spent what seems like an eternity waiting for your packages to finally arrive from a retailer, you know there’s room for much greater efficiency. DHL Supply Chain, one of the leading experts in shipping, recently tested AR glasses as one way to streamline the process and reports the technology improved productivity by an average of 15%, led to higher accuracy rates, and halved onboarding and training times.

DHL Supply Chain tested AR technology in the US, mainland Europe, and elsewhere, throughout a variety of industries including technology and retail. Workers were equipped with AR glasses that provided them with picking instructions and item locations. When they wore the smart glasses, those workers no longer needed to consult printed sheets, which left their hands free to grab packages and more easily sort them.

“Digitalization is not just a vision or program for us at DHL Supply Chain, it’s a reality for us and our customers, and is adding value to our operations on the ground,” said Markus Voss, Chief Information Officer and Chief Operating Officer, DHL Supply Chain. “Customers have been very happy about the productivity gains and are equally excited about using innovative technology at their warehouses.”

DHL Supply Chain is sufficiently pleased with how things went that it has established the “Vision Picking” solution for long-term operations. It identifies the approach as a “standard, replicable solution for customers, allowing faster and easier implementation in their operations, helping them to benefit from productivity gains with increased speed of operations and better picking accuracy.”

From the sound of things, employees have been quick to embrace the technology and the change it made to their labor. It’s just one example of how augmented reality can improve industries in the future, and DHL Supply Chain likely won’t be the last company to explore new uses for AR.