what3words has extended its relationship with DHL in the UK, extending the use of its location technology to DHL Parcel UK’s retailers. Last year DHL rolled out What3words to its UK Parcel App. Following this success, DHL is now looking to extend the use to retail partners at their check-out stage. Retailers can now add code to their sites to enable customers to quickly identify the delivery destination using the what3words location finder at check-out. The information is passed to DHL for delivery eliminating the risk that the delivery driver cannot find the actual entrance.
The challenge in the UK is that postcodes are only so accurate, and Satnav solutions can often misdirect drivers to different locations. In the countryside, this can be a significant distance away, and in a city, it might as well be. What3words takes the driver to a 3-metre by 3-metre square that the customer can select as an accurate location finder.
People who want to find their location anywhere in the world can use the What3words online map or download the What3words App for iOS or Android. With more accurate location intelligence, drivers can better plan routes and deliver faster, and customers get their packets delivered more often and to the right place.
Peter Fuller, CEO of DHL Parcel UK, says: “The latest stage of our partnership with what3words really extends the benefits to more customers and consumers. It gives shoppers the convenience of being able to specify their exact delivery location at the point of check-out and gives retailers even more confidence that their goods will be received on time, without complication. It’s a smart, innovative solution that allows us to improve the quality of the service we offer even further.”
Can what3words conquer the world?
This is a great partnership for what3words as it looks to expand its reach in the UK and other markets. It has taken a simple concept and productised it.
Chris Sheldrick, Co-founder and CEO of what3words, adds: “what3words is now being used at critical points throughout DHL Parcel UK’s delivery infrastructure. This means that everyone, from a customer purchasing an item at check-out right through to the courier, can benefit from the precision of a what3words address.
“It’s fantastic working with DHL Parcel UK – a true innovator in the space, adopting new technologies to maintain and evolve the world-renowned service that it provides.”
Enterprise Times asked Sheldrick some additional questions about the deal. How and when can retailers implement this solution on their websites.
“Retailers can implement what3words once the feature has been enabled in their integration with DHL Parcel UK. This process can be started today by reaching out to their DHL Parcel UK contact or what3words.”
International customers of UK retailers should be able to use the what3words location finder as every point on the globe is covered. However, DHL does not seem to have rolled this out internationally so drivers may not be able to take advantage.
ET asked Sheldrick whether DHL would roll out what3words internationally?
“what3words is a global solution and this means that the technology can be used all over the world. Our partnership with DHL Parcel UK is going from strength to strength. Last year, what3words was built into the DHL UK Parcel App, and now their retailer partners can add a what3words field at check-out. There’s so much potential for our partnership to grow and become available to DHL customers on an international scale.”
As international drivers see the three words on their parcels, they might see the benefit and request more local deliveries!
More on what3words
Last year what3words raised over £5 million using the crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. It raised five times more than its target and showed that the company has the backing of many consumers without the need for PE.
If it can continue to win, deals both in the UK and abroad success is likely. It already has deals with emergency response control rooms in the UK, the US, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Singapore, Canada, India, and South Africa. Its technology is built into the in-car navigation systems of Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and most recently, Subaru.
What are the ambitions for 2023?
Sheldrick replied, “We truly believe what3words has the potential to become the addressing infrastructure for ecosystems across the globe. So our ambitions for 2023 are quite simple – to maintain momentum and continue growing, not only in the UK, but all over the world.
“We’re working hard towards becoming a globally recognised piece of technology that people and businesses use and interact with every day. For logistics and e-commerce, we’re seeing businesses implementing the technology throughout their delivery infrastructure, from a field on the check-out page, right through to the location information sent to the courier for the last mile.
“People everywhere are entering their what3words address at an e-commerce check-out, in their delivery notes, or within their delivery preferences because they know it means their parcel will arrive exactly where it needs to go.”
What is on the product roadmap for what3words?
“We have an exciting roadmap for 2023. This includes optimising our range of existing features – voice, scan, sharing saved location lists, languages, check-out widgets, and GIS integrations. We’re also continuing to develop plugins and simple ways for businesses to enable what3words technology in their existing software.”
These are the questions I have always wanted to ask
Some locations do not lend themselves so well to a 2D solution. Blocks of flats do not always have a numbering system that defines the floor they are on. I used to live in one. I asked Sheldrick how the solution copes with such situations.
“In the UK, deliveries of any kind can be challenging. For flat blocks and apartment complexes, specific building entrances can be hard to find, and new builds can take up to six months to have a registered address. In fact, a recent study we commissioned revealed that a quarter of people in the UK find that their full postal address doesn’t direct people, deliveries or services exactly to their front door.
“Most postal or address systems are designed to work in 2D. For example, ZIP codes or postcodes in the UK, or GPS coordinates, on which what3words is based. These systems always need additional information to specify height.
“A what3words address works for ground level, just like a street address. For a flat block or building with multiple floors, we recommend that people give the what3words address for the specific building entrance, then add the floor and flat or office information. For example, the what3words HQ in London is at ///filled.count.soap on the third floor, Studio 301.”
After the first successful crowdfunding last year, Is there likely to be another crowdfunding round for the company in 2023?
“We haven’t yet confirmed any plans around future fundraising.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
Can what3words turn the DHL partnership into a global one? The concept of what3words is simple, and what3words seems to be expanding quickly and innovatively. For DHL, this extension to the partnership is a smart move. It first cemented the loyalty of its customer base by implementing the solution, though a survey or comment from one of these would have been useful. As retailers add what3words to their platform, consumers will start seeing the value and may choose to select DHL for delivery.
The challenge will always be down to the cost. If DHL pricing remains competitive, it may win more parcels. Importantly, if retailers see a fall in customer delivery complaints, they will see the cost-benefit of using DHL. If DHL starts to win more business, rivals will have to consider deploying what3words to become the de facto standard in deliveries worldwide.
