what3words announced today that Eirad Trading & Contracting, UPS’s Authorized Service Contractor in KSA, will integrate its innovative location technology into their in-flight communications and retailer API, enabling e-commerce businesses to offer their customers deliveries to any 3m square in the Kingdom.
The precision offered by what3words addresses means deliveries can easily find the desired destination, optimizing the overall customer experience and eliminating the need for phone calls from lost delivery drivers. From today, Eirad customers can specify their delivery address using what3words when they receive their SMS delivery updates – ensuring Eirad couriers know precisely where to go without additional calls.
what3words’ simple technology will also be integrated into the retailer’s application programming interface (API) platform. This integration will enable e-commerce businesses to allow their customers to have deliveries sent to any what3words address in KSA. Individuals can find a what3words address in the app (available for iOS and Android) or through the online map at what3words.com.
How what3words works:
One of the biggest challenges facing e-commerce businesses globally is incorrect addressing. Duplicate street names, unaddressed new builds, postcodes covering large areas, and apartment buildings with several entrances are just a few of the obstacles facing couriers daily as they make their delivery rounds.
what3words eliminates these issues – providing a simple and reliable way to pinpoint exact locations. It has divided the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three random words: a what3words address. Every front gate, mall entrance, parking spot, and point along an unmarked road has its individual address. This enables users, including Eirad couriers and customers, to easily find, share and navigate to precise locations anywhere in the world. The system is available in over 50 languages to date, including Arabic.
Working with the National Address system, the technology ensures drivers can find delivery locations at the first attempt, so routes can be better optimized. This improves business efficiency, makes the job more enjoyable for couriers, and can also reduce last-mile emissions.
Ali Akram Al Sayed, Country Manager, Eirad Trading & Contracting, commented: “We expect that our customers will immediately see the value of the what3words integration. By using a what3words address, customers enable delivery drivers to pinpoint exact delivery locations down to a unique 3x3m square – ensuring goods arrive at their intended destinations the first time, on time.”
Chris Sheldrick, Co-founder and CEO of what3words, said: “There is nothing more frustrating than receiving a failed delivery notification because a driver couldn’t find the right door. We’re proud that thanks to Eirad’s integration of what3words, couriers across KSA will always know exactly where to deliver, removing the need for phone calls from lost drivers and getting packages to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Around the world, what3words is being used by thousands of businesses daily, from logistics and e-commerce businesses, ensuring goods are delivered precisely where needed to travellers finding the right hotel entrance or a hard-to-find restaurant. The technology has also been built into in-car navigation systems by automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Subaru of America, Lamborghini and Mitsubishi, enabling drivers to enter any destination with just three words. Every day, individuals use what3words to meet up with friends at parks and on beaches and share running, hiking, and sports match locations with their teams.