Navigating twisted paths

An app that is an exhaustive map of Dubai catered specifically for delivery drivers. Excerpts from the interview with Chris Sheldrick, CEO and Co-founder of what3words

How is the what3words app a gamechanger? 

Street addresses aren't very efficient - they often don't lead you to the right place. This can be a real source of frustration when making deliveries. Delivery drivers often have to rely on descriptions based on local points of interest and we've even heard anecdotes of customers driving their car onto the street and leaving their hazard lights on, so the courier knows where to deliver their food.  

what3words is an easy way to identify precise locations. Every three-metre square has been given a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. For example, the what3words address for the entrance to the Gate 4 Building in DIFC in Dubai is 'purest.engages.jaunts'. 

This is a huge game-changer for KRUSH Brands' customers, who are empowered to provide an accurate location for their food delivery in just three words. In a study we conducted in Dubai we saw that utilising what3words addresses made deliveries 42 per cent faster and reduced the total distance travelled by delivery drivers by 22 per cent* - so, for KRUSH Brands' delivery representatives, always knowing exactly where to deliver first time, every time, is a game-changer too.   

How has the response to the app been so far? 

what3words is a global addressing standard available in 47 languages and as a result, we are used across the world by different individuals and businesses to help improve experiences, efficiency and to save lives.  

For example, drivers of Mercedes-Benz cars and users of the Careem ride-hailing app can enter a what3words address as a destination ensuring they can navigate to any precise spot momentarily.  As well as KRUSH Brands, businesses like Nahdi and Aramex also encourage customers to give a what3words address for the precise delivery point to save time and lost parcels.  

In the travel industry, we are seeing everyone from Airbnb hosts to Lonely Planet guides providing travellers with the what3words address so visitors can ensure they find the right place when exploring unfamiliar places. And what3words is also being used increasingly worldwide for emergency situations, with callers using our app to give the three-word addresses for when urgent help is needed, saving crucial time for emergency services locating incidents in places that are difficult to describe. 

What is the strategy behind partnering with KRUSH Brands? 

what3words provides KRUSH Brands' delivery representatives with a simple and innovative way to deliver right to a customer's doorstep or any preferred delivery point across Dubai, whether it is a spot on the beach, a picnic blanket in the park, or a university campus. 

The benefit of what3words for food deliveries is clear. Providing three simple words in your online checkout means no more lost or cold pizza. We are really excited to partner with KRUSH Brands in Dubai to give customers a more accurate and seamless delivery experience anywhere, anytime. 

• Business and Technology Review