News / BluJay Solutions adopts what3words system to boost e-commerce delivery

UK supply chain software supplier BluJay Solutions is to integrate the what3words address system into its MobileSTAR last-mile delivery application to help e-commerce fulfilment firms and parcel carriers reduce delivery errors.

The what3words is an innovative way of determining any location in the world – ignoring traditional GPS systems, which can be inaccurate in densely populated urban areas.

The what3words algorithm divides the world into a grid of three-metre squares and assigns each a unique name composed of three words.

The system is very useful in emerging markets, which often lack detailed street addresses, seen as a barrier to the growth of e-commerce supply chains.

“BluJay has integrated the technology to support the future of addressing, offering customers more granular location information for routes and delivery addresses so they can operate more efficiently,” the company said.

Doug Surrett, BluJay chief product strategist, added: “For BluJay, it’s important to take a lead ushering in this next-gen addressing technology for our customers and last-mile logistics. The world is moving to more geolocation-based addressing, which not only solves a number of limitations inherent with traditional street-level addressing, but also opens new opportunities and applications for more exact, practical pick-up and drop-off points.

“At the same time, logistics is shifting away from DC-to-retail models toward more home delivery, and with that comes an incredible level of flexibility that customers are demanding. With the what3words integration, BluJay enables customers to use precise universal addresses that enable efficient delivery anywhere,” he said.

The company added that it would expand the technology to other applications within its Global Trade Network platform. MobileSTAR helps carriers manage the entire delivery process, with route optimisation and real-time visibility.

Pierre Francois, head of senior partnerships at what3words, added: “As a leader in addressing technology, what3words is excited to partner with BluJay, a leader in last-mile delivery and supply chain execution software.

“BluJay sees the value this integration provides to their users in adapting to the future of logistics and providing an optimal customer experience.”

Other adopters of what3words include Airbnb, Saudi e-commerce provider Wadi and DB Schenker.