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Just three words says it all

[ October 16, 2017   //   ]

Just three words says it all

Middle-east headquartered logistics company Aramex says it has carried out a study in of three-word addresses provided by what3words. It found that, over 100 deliveries, the three-word addresses were 42% faster and reduced the total distance travelled by delivery drivers by 22%.

What3words is a global addressing system that has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique three-word address, giving every front door, mall entrance and delivery point its own unique address.

The study took place in two well-addressed areas of Dubai:. Two teams of Aramex drivers, with two drivers per team, each delivered 100 packages to the same 100 locations. One team used street addresses, the other used 3-word addresses along with route optimisation software to generate the most efficient route.

The drivers who used street addresses spent 7 hours and 49 minutes on the road, drove a total distance of 255 km, and had to make 25 phone calls asking for directions. The drivers who used 3 word addresses drove for 4 hours and 28 minutes, covered a distance of 198 km, and made no phone calls to customers. Over 100 deliveries, the three-word address drivers were 42% faster than the street address drivers. There was a 22% reduction in total distance travelled because what3words enables optimised route navigation.

What3words co-founder and chief-executive, Chris Sheldrick, adds that as well as being used by music festival organisers and emergency responders it could be used to deliver to other customers who have never had a formal address before.

 

The recently-introduced Eircode postal code system in Ireland has been criticised by the logistics industry as being confusing, of little or no use for planning deliveries and for failing to get to grips with the country’s unique geography and place nomenclature. See the Ireland supplement in the next issue of FBJ – FBJ 7 2017.

 

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