Faster corrective maintenance with AR remote expert support

The problem: long downtime and limited expert availability

Unplanned equipment failures are among the most disruptive events in industrial operations. Production stops, safety risks emerge and pressure mounts to restore service as quickly as possible. But the expert who knows how to fix the problem is often somewhere else—at another site, in another country or simply unavailable. Traditional remote support through phone calls, emails or static photos is slow, frustrating and error-prone.

• Experts cannot be at every site or shift at the same moment—availability is limited by geography and time zones
• Diagnosing complex faults remotely is difficult with only phone, email or static photos—context is lost and miscommunication is common
• Travel time, scheduling delays and waiting for the right expert extend unplanned downtime significantly
• Knowledge from previous incidents is often trapped in email threads or memory—not captured for reuse
• Escalation paths are unclear, leading to wasted time as operators try to reach the right person
• Junior technicians lack the confidence or knowledge to attempt repairs without expert guidance

For operations and maintenance leaders, the cost of prolonged downtime is measured in lost production, delayed shipments, safety incidents and customer dissatisfaction. Reducing the time from fault detection to resolution is a critical lever for improving operational performance.

How AI and AR–guided remote expert support solves this

AR remote expert support connects on-site operators with off-site specialists through a live, visual collaboration session. Instead of describing problems over the phone, the operator shares exactly what they see in real time. The expert sees the same view and can guide the repair with voice instructions and visual annotations—arrows, circles, highlights—overlaid directly on the operator's field of view. This see-what-I-see approach eliminates ambiguity and accelerates resolution.

1. The operator detects a fault that cannot be resolved using local AR work instructions or standard procedures.
2. The operator starts an AR remote support session on smart glasses, tablet or smartphone.
3. The system connects the operator with an available remote expert—either from a central pool, an OEM support team or a specialist network.
4. The remote expert joins the session and sees exactly what the operator sees in real time through the device camera.
5. The expert adds visual annotations—arrows, circles, highlights, text—directly into the operator's field of view.
6. Step by step, the expert guides the operator through diagnostics, troubleshooting and repair actions.
7. The session is recorded, including video, screenshots, annotations and notes, creating a case for future reference.
8. If the fault cannot be resolved remotely, the documented session prepares the on-site visit or escalation.

This approach dramatically reduces the time from fault detection to resolution. Experts can support multiple sites in a single day without travel. Operators gain confidence knowing expert help is just a tap away.

Who is this for?

AR remote expert support for corrective maintenance is relevant for a wide range of roles focused on minimising downtime and maximising expert utilisation:

• Maintenance managers responsible for reducing Mean Time To Repair and minimising unplanned downtime
• Field service leaders managing distributed teams and needing to scale expert support without increasing travel
• Reliability engineers focused on improving First Time Right rates for repairs and reducing repeat failures
• Operations managers who depend on equipment uptime to meet production and delivery targets
• OEM and equipment vendor support teams looking to provide faster, more effective remote assistance to customers
• HSE managers ensuring safety-critical repairs are performed correctly with expert oversight

Where is this used?

AR remote expert support is deployed across industries where equipment downtime is costly, expert knowledge is scarce or distributed teams need instant access to specialist support:

• Energy and utilities, where critical infrastructure failures require rapid, expert-guided response in remote or hazardous locations
• Manufacturing and process industries, where production line stoppages directly impact throughput and revenue
• Oil and gas, where offshore or remote sites make expert travel time-consuming and expensive
• Transportation and logistics, where fleet breakdowns affect service levels and delivery commitments
• Field service organisations, where technicians in the field need on-demand access to product experts
• Medical device and equipment, where complex repairs require specialist guidance to ensure safety and compliance

Typical process and workflow

Implementing AR remote expert support typically follows a structured workflow that integrates with your existing support and maintenance processes:

1. Define the expert pool and escalation paths: Identify the experts who will provide remote support—internal specialists, OEM partners or third-party networks. Define when and how operators should escalate.
2. Equip field teams: Deploy AR devices (smart glasses, tablets or smartphones) to operators and technicians who may need remote support. Provide brief training on starting sessions.
3. Set up the remote support platform: Configure the AR remote support tool, integrate with CMMS or ticketing systems if needed and establish protocols for session handling.
4. Pilot and validate: Run pilot sessions on selected sites or use cases. Measure resolution time, First Time Right and user feedback. Refine protocols based on real-world experience.
5. Scale and standardise: Expand AR remote support to additional sites, shifts and equipment types. Build a library of resolved cases for future reference.
6. Continuously improve: Analyse session data to identify recurring issues, training gaps or opportunities to convert frequent remote sessions into standalone AR work instructions.

Concrete examples and mini-scenarios

AR remote expert support delivers measurable results in a variety of real-world scenarios:

Scenario 1: Critical pump failure at a water utility. A pump fails at a remote treatment facility. The on-site technician is unfamiliar with the equipment model. Within minutes, an AR remote session connects the technician with a pump specialist. The expert guides the technician through diagnostics, identifies a seized bearing and walks through the replacement procedure. The pump is back online in under two hours—compared to a typical 8-hour wait for an expert site visit.

Scenario 2: Production line stoppage in manufacturing. A packaging machine faults during a critical production run. The operator starts an AR session with the OEM's support team. The remote expert sees the HMI screens, identifies a sensor misalignment and guides the operator to recalibrate. The line restarts within 30 minutes, avoiding a costly overnight delay.

Scenario 3: Field service for medical equipment. A hospital's imaging system goes offline. The field technician cannot diagnose the issue alone. An AR remote session connects the technician with a product engineer. Together, they isolate the fault to a specific module and complete the repair. The documented session becomes training material for future similar issues.

Getting started with AR remote expert support

If you are considering AR remote expert support, here is practical guidance to get started:

• Prerequisites: Identify the fault types, assets or situations where remote expert support would have the greatest impact on downtime or resolution quality.
• Pilot scope: Start with a defined set of equipment, sites or service contracts. Ensure you have experts available to participate in remote sessions.
• KPIs to track: Mean Time To Repair, First Time Right rate, number of avoided site visits, session duration, user satisfaction and knowledge reuse (cases converted to AR work instructions).
• Devices: AR remote support can run on smart glasses, tablets or smartphones. Smart glasses offer hands-free operation; tablets and phones work well for initial pilots.
• Change management: Train operators on when and how to start a session. Ensure experts understand the tools and protocols. Celebrate early wins and share success stories.

FAQ: AR remote expert support for corrective maintenance

How quickly can a remote session be started? Most AR remote support platforms allow sessions to be started within seconds. Operators simply tap to connect with an available expert.

What happens if the repair cannot be completed remotely? The session documentation—video, screenshots, annotations and notes—helps prepare an informed on-site visit or escalation, reducing wasted time and repeat troubleshooting.

Can sessions be recorded for training or compliance? Yes. Most platforms support session recording, which can be used for training, root cause analysis or compliance documentation.

How does AR remote support integrate with our existing systems? Many AR remote support tools integrate with CMMS, ticketing systems and knowledge bases—enabling case logging, routing and knowledge reuse.

What connectivity is required? AR remote support works over Wi-Fi, cellular or even satellite connections. Video quality adapts to available bandwidth, ensuring sessions remain usable even in low-connectivity environments.

Next steps

Ready to reduce downtime, scale expert support and resolve faults faster with AR remote expert support? ActARion helps industrial organisations connect field teams with specialists instantly, wherever they are.

Schedule a discovery call to discuss your support challenges and see how AR remote expert support can fit your environment. No commitment—just a practical conversation about what is possible.

Further reading

Explore related articles to learn more about this use case:

• AR remote expert support vs phone support: what changes in maintenance
• How to organise your remote expert pool for AR support
• Reducing downtime with AR-guided remote troubleshooting
• What to measure in AR remote expert support pilots