In industries where safety isn’t an option, simulation is used to train. In a simulated environment, you can test the student’s limits by implementing real-world scenarios that cannot be safely replicated in a live environment. This is the core of integrated solution provider AT&T Inc.’s Scenario-Based Driving program.
AT&T operates one of the largest private fleets in the world with more than 81,000 active vehicles. With such a large fleet of drivers, accidents are an unfortunate fact. AT&T hires nearly 10,000 employee drivers annually, many of whom have little driving experience. The company needed to find a better way to equip both new and existing drivers to handle extraordinary time behind the wheel facing high-pressure situations in an unfamiliar, heavily loaded vehicle, and reduce accidents.
Historically, AT&T trained employees on driving techniques using a combination of classroom training, Web-based supplemental training, and live driving observations. Students would spend eight to 10 hours in class and less than 30 minutes behind the wheel, with limited opportunity for exposure to real-world scenarios. This traditional training approach provided no consistent measurable feedback or a means to tailor the training approach to the needs of the learner.
AT&T’s solution: Scenario-Based Driving, a simulated training that uses best-in-class technology from a global simulation provider.
Program Details
Scenarios are customized for AT&T and include fleet-specific vehicle dynamics and programmable scenarios based on analytics behind current AT&T accident trends. Students receive a baseline assessment in the simulator that measures more than 50 driving behaviors. The instructor then can use this to create a tailored training plan. Students and their supervisors receive an end-of-course assessment that scores key driving behaviors and allows on-the-job observation and intervention in the student’s areas of focus.
AT&T also is working to expand the technology with integration into its fleet telematics systems. This will allow the company to provide intervention training when poor driving habits are detected. The practice has implications beyond accident prevention, as well. For example, combining telematics with measurable simulated training, AT&T can enable driving habits that lead to better fuel efficiency, thus saving millions of dollars in fuel costs.
Results
- 98.88 percent of participants find the content relevant to the job.
- 97.77 percent have applied what they’ve learned on the job.
- 53.2 percent reduction in accidents for those who have taken the course.
- Approximately $375 million in potential savings at scale over five years.
- Estimated 102 percent annualized ROI based on trial.
