Aramex improves its last-mile delivery time
Aramex, has recently run a study in Dubai to measure the efficiency of deliveries to regular street addresses versus 3 word addresses provided by innovative addressing system what3words. The study found that, over 100 deliveries, using 3 word addresses was 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 address made of 3 words. The 3 word address ///index.home.raft, for example, identifies the exact front entrance of the what3words office in London. 3 word addresses are accurate to 3m x 3m, giving every front door, mall entrance and delivery point its own unique address.
‘We’re committed to using innovative technologies to provide better customer service, improve efficiency of current deliveries and to drive growth in poorly addressed areas, which is why we’ve integrated what3words into Aramex core systems’, said Iyad Kamal, COO of Aramex.
The study took place in two well-addressed areas of Dubai: Al Khawaneej and Al Muhaisnah. 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 3 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.
‘The business benefits for Aramex and our clients are undeniable’, concluded Iyad Kamal. ‘This offers a much better retail and delivery experience for the retailer and ultimately the end customer.’
With e-commerce rapidly growing and customer expectations rising in a very competitive market, what3words can help businesses stay ahead of the competition. Online retailers can simply add a 3 word address field to their checkout pages with various plugins including Shopify, Magento, Opencart and Woocommerce. what3words provides retailers with simple, multilingual communication assets, imagery and films to ensure their customers understand how to easily discover and use their 3 word address.
‘what3words’ format is global, universal, and 3 word addresses are available in over 14 languages,’ said Chris Sheldrick, CEO and co-founder of what3words. ‘The system is being used to meet friends easily and to get takeaway food delivered faster. It’s used by music festival organisers, emergency responders and next year you will be able to use what3words for navigation in your Mercedes-Benz. Our partnership with Aramex means it can improve delivery times in all the cities it operates in, as well as deliver to a vast new market of customers who have never had an address before.’
