With courier
deliveries booming due to the rise of e-commerce in South Africa, few
customers are aware of the obstacles and complexities that face drivers
in seeking to deliver a
parcel on time, and to the exact location. The legacy of apartheid
spatial planning has meant that many South Africans still fail to own a
clear or adequate address, which causes frustration for both the
recipient and the courier company, while placing drivers
at risk.
An innovative use of GPS technology has been tackling this
challenge. What3words, which is developing a global standard for
communicating location, has given a unique three word address to every
single 3x3m square of the country – and the rest of the
planet – so it’s easy to find and share any exact location.
Now express parcel experts Dawn Wing have teamed up with What3words to allow anyone,
anywhere in South Africa to describe their precise address using just
three words and discover
them in four available languages: Afrikaans, Xhosa, IsiZulu and English.
For example, instead of saying, ‘I’m in Mabopane, near the church and
opposite the field’ callers can now say ‘I am at archives kickers
slides’ and be located accurately.
Many
South Africans already use what3words to help people find their homes
and businesses more easily, displaying their 3-word address on their
websites, business cards and entrances,
or simply giving, or asking for the 3-words in advance, providing a
precise destination or meeting location. Apps, websites and devices
accept and display what3words addresses, from e-commerce websites to
navigation apps and car navigation systems.
“With
this technology, it means we can pinpoint the recipient to within three
metres and ensures accuracy, reduced delivery time, but also supports
more accountability from the driver,”
says Hilton Eachus, chief customer officer of DPD Laser, which trades as Dawn Wing,
“If the driver can’t deliver the parcel, it will not be because he cannot find the recipient, it can only be another difficulty,
like a diversion or traffic, for example. In a highly competitive and demanding marketplace, the use
of intelligence and accountability are a vital partnership.”
Dawn
Wing driver Nasser Abrahams says: “Sometimes it can be complex to track
down the exact location, so this grid system approach makes it
incredibly accurate. As drivers, we can’t
afford the time to go to the wrong address and are understandably
nervous to find ourselves in a dangerous place. We share the same desire
as our customers – a parcel to arrive on time and safely.”
Says
Eachus, “We decided to partner with what3words for a number of reasons.
It’s important that anyone who requests a parcel delivery receives one,
irrespective of where they live.
Secondly, our business customers also want an express parcels company
that can deliver on time and accurately – we are an extension of their
brand, enabling the important and final leg of the transaction. And
finally, we want our drivers to be as efficient
and safe as possible.”
The
technology is popular around the world, now in 71 countries and
available in 44 languages, rapidly adopted by businesses who need to
reduce margins for error.
The
success of the tool has also had an impact on emergency
services.Thousands of people struggle to tell emergency services exactly
where they are and how to find them. In areas
without addresses, callers are often only able to provide vague
descriptions or references to landmarks, which means emergency services
spend vital minutes, and often hours, searching for those in need of
urgent help. For this reason, Vodacom has zero-rated
the what3words Find Me page, meaning no data is used for emergency
services.
Chris
Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, said: “It is exciting to
see what3words helping to change the lives of South Africans every day
– whether that is providing them with a way to give their location in an
emergency, or with Dawn Wing, being able to ensure their delivery can
be made to exactly where they need it.”
