Samsara > Case Studies > Enhancing Technician Safety and Operational Efficiency: A Case Study on Satellites Unlimited

Enhancing Technician Safety and Operational Efficiency: A Case Study on Satellites Unlimited

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
Sensors - GPS

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Telecommunications

Use Cases

Driver Performance Monitoring
Onsite Human Safety Management

About The Customer

Founded in 1994 and based in Birmingham, Alabama, Satellites Unlimited (SUI) is a regional service provider and retailer for a major national satellite company. Today, they are the nation’s leading regional service provider for their partner satellite business. SUI operates a fleet of 360 vehicles across 17 branch locations in 5 states. The company is employee-owned, which plays a significant role in its decision-making process and overall operations. SUI's commitment to safety and efficiency is evident in its proactive approach to addressing safety concerns and its strategic use of technology to enhance operational efficiency.

The Challenge

Satellites Unlimited (SUI), a leading regional service provider for a major national satellite company, was facing significant challenges in building a cutting-edge safety program. The company's safety program was largely based on anecdotal evidence from technicians and managers, which did not allow them to reliably identify the root cause of safety incidents. This became a pressing issue when SUI experienced two catastrophic vehicle incidents, resulting in multi-million dollar worker’s compensation claims. The company was aware of issues such as tailgating and distracted driving, but lacked the means to prove it. Therefore, SUI sought a solution that would provide an unbiased source of truth about what was happening in the cab when technicians were out on the road.

The Solution

SUI decided to implement Samsara, a dash cam solution, to improve technician safety. To ensure successful implementation, SUI's leadership team solicited technician feedback, addressed driver concerns, and brought a high degree of transparency to the entire process. They emphasized the benefits of the dash cams, such as enhancing the technicians' ability to arrive safely at their destinations and supporting the company's safety goals. As an employee-owned company, SUI was able to achieve broad support for the decision once technicians understood the value Samsara could bring in protecting the company. SUI also leveraged gamification using the Safety Leaderboard feature in Samsara to encourage friendly competition among drivers, further increasing the adoption and acceptance of the platform.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Samsara has positioned SUI as a national safety leader among regional service providers that work with their partner satellite business. They have not only met but exceeded their satellite partner’s requirements for safety, going above and beyond for their technicians. SUI now shares their safety best practices with other regional service providers. The Samsara platform has also proved critical in protecting the company in instances of driver exoneration. Furthermore, SUI has discovered additional benefits beyond their initial safety project using Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud. They have leveraged the platform's functionalities to gain efficiencies, improve fuel efficiency, and enhance their bottom line.

Quantitative Benefit

SUI has not had an at-fault catastrophic vehicle incident since implementing Samsara in 2019.
SUI was able to avoid litigation and a costly settlement in a false claim case by providing video evidence from the Samsara dash cam.
SUI was able to secure an increased fuel reimbursement rate by using Samsara’s Trip History functionality to prove they were driving more miles than their satellite partners thought.