Revolutionising Delivery Experiences: What3words And Blue Dart's Strategic Partnership In India

In conversation with Chris Sheldrick, Co-Founder and CEO of what3words, and Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer of Blue Dart where we explore the transformative impact of their partnership on the Indian delivery ecosystem. 

Chris Sheldrick, Co-Founder and CEO of what3words:
 
How does what3words technology improve the delivery experience for Blue Dart's customers in India?
Our partnership with Blue Dart is improving the delivery experience for customers and retailers by eliminating the frustrations caused by poor addressing.

Blue Dart’s partners are now able to add a what3words field for customers, which is passed onto Blue Dart’s personnel to navigate to any location with pinpoint accuracy. Embedding what3words into the process, customers can provide accurate and easy-to-remember addresses, removing the need to guide drivers over the phone. 

With our innovative location technology and Blue Dart’s renowned nationwide services, the delivery experience will be exponentially improved for customers and couriers alike. 

How does what3words ensure the accuracy and reliability of its location technology, particularly in areas that may not have a formal address system?
There are over 57 trillion what3words addresses around the world. Each is unique, and there are no duplicates. To avoid confusion, we place similar-sounding words and combinations far from each other. We have an AutoSuggest feature to minimise confusion between similar-sounding words, giving an added layer of accuracy.

what3words addresses are fixed – they do not need updating and will never change. This allows the technology to work offline without an internet connection, which comes in handy with poor connection or no addressing. The app is completely free to download on iOS, Android, and via the online map. 

Our technology is available in 54 languages, including 12 South Asian languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Nepali, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Odia. 

Talk us through the growth of what3words in India.
what3words’ journey in India started in 2019, and since then, the adoption of our system has continued to grow at pace. 

Leading logistics companies, including DTDC, EcomExpress, and Sequel Logistics, are all using the technology. E-commerce companies like Interflora, Imagine Online, Nirmalaya, and Dorje Teas, are adding what3words fields to their check-out pages.

Automakers like Mahindra, TVS, Tata, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz have integrated our technology so their drivers can navigate to precise destinations with ease. 

Medulance and the Maharashtra Government’s emergency ambulance services, “MEMS Dial 108”, also use what3words for faster response times in emergencies. 

This year, Vh1 Supersonic encouraged festival goers to use what3words to meet and find friends. All on-ground staff had the app to help people get around.

Ketan Kulkarni, CCO of Blue Dart:

How does Blue Dart plan to integrate what3words' technology into its existing delivery process?
Blue Dart customers can specify an exact location using what3words through its My Blue Dart App, website, and On the Move (OTM) platform. Allowing customers to provide accurate delivery addresses reduces the time and effort required to search for addresses. With this, our customers have greater control over deliveries, and the company can improve accuracy, reduce costs, and increase satisfaction. Overall, the adoption of what3words technology is a significant step towards addressing the challenges associated with delivering packages in India and underscores the company's commitment to providing innovative solutions that enhance customer experience and streamline the delivery process.

What benefits does Blue Dart expect to see from adopting what3words' technology in terms of efficiency, customer satisfaction, and operational cost savings?
Blue Dart, with its customer-centric values, has partnered with what3words to fulfil its commitment to delivering convenience and delight to customers. Using three-word addressing, we achieve a seamless last-mile delivery process and improve efficiency by accurately reaching the customer's specified location. As the use of what3words expands, it will offer a unique solution for delivering to areas with informal addresses.

The adoption of what3words helps in several ways: 

• We can accurately and efficiently deliver to precise locations, reducing the time and effort required. This leads to faster delivery times and efficient use of resources.
   
• Customers can provide precise delivery locations, even in areas with no formal addresses. This reduces the risk of packages being delivered to the wrong location, lost or delayed, and increases customer satisfaction.
   
• With fewer errors and more efficient delivery routes, the company can save on fuel, maintenance, and costs. Additionally, this helps to reduce costs associated with re-deliveries, returns, and complaints.