What3words: A Powerful Tool That’s Solving Problems the World Over
October 16, 2020 | Read: 9 minutes
While we love to talk about the awesome benefits of using job management software, it’s true that there are other technologies out there that can help your business in amazing ways, too.
After all, there’s no need for us to make maps like Google, social media like Facebook, and develop amazing job management software, all at once.
But, just like you, we can make use of these alongside other tools to ensure we make an even greater impact.
Before we move on to the main article, I’d like to draw your attention to a special episode of Success in the Field, which you can jump to by clicking here.
In the video, you can see Jason, Commusoft’s founder, in conversation with Robert Novakov, from the Business Dev. Team at what3words, as they Rethink Location.
With that all said, let’s explore what3words!
What is what3words?
To quote Google:
“what3words is a geocoding system for the communication of locations with a resolution of three metres.”
Not only are they a company with an inspiring mission that can change the way we think about location, but their tool is having a profound effect on service providers, customers, and even personal lives the world over!
In essence, it’s a web-based technology that allows users to pinpoint an incredibly precise location, thanks to the way their software maps locations around the globe.
To do this, what3words has divided the entire world map into a grid system that’s made up of thousands of squares (measuring 3x3m metres), and where each square is designated by (you guessed it) 3 words that can be used to define that specific, unique location.
Source: what3words
What3words is ”the simplest way to talk about location” and we’ve certainly seen no reason to argue with that statement.
Pin-point precision:
As an example, let’s take a site in the UK that everyone knows of: Stonehenge.
If you were wanting to stand in the dead centre of Stonehenge, then you could find the what3words location with the following phrase below.
Note: when clicking the links, it can help to view the satellite version of the map for even greater detail:
These words assigned to a square are completely random, and don’t mean anything in relation to the site they’re assigned, but with them, you can find yourself looking at the precise centre of the ancient site.
That being said, it’s true that visitors aren’t generally allowed to just waltz through the middle of the grounds: instead, you must follow the path. So, with that in mind, you could opt to use the following code:
With this, you can see a specific point along the path. This not only gets you a great view up close, but you could even share the code with a friend. With it, they could easily find the exact point you’re looking at so they can come and join you!
It’s a wonderfully simple solution to finding your way, without the faff of longitude and latitude, or long-winded descriptions that’ll only get more confusing!
In the video below, Robert discusses the idea with Jason further, saying that one of the goals of what3words is to:
“Help everyone talk about everywhere.”
That’s no small feat, but as we dive a little deeper, it should become easy to see how this system can benefit your field service business in the same way that it’s already helping others, the world over.
It’s safe to say that there’s a lot of potential underneath a simple idea.
Source: what3words
Location, location, location?
Let’s be honest, for a lot of us, navigating isn’t always straightforward.
Even with the use of digital maps, it’s still easy to lose our way, especially if you find yourselves outside of a city and working in more rural locations.
In this case, the solution to rethinking location has been difficult.
After all, a postcode can direct you to a location, but what if it’s a huge complex of flats or warehouses? Whilst numbers and letters can then help, we’ve all experienced situations where still get confused!
From mistaken deliveries, incorrect posts, to an electrician getting the wrong venue, mistakes are more common than you might expect.
That’s especially when road names, postcodes, and other details appear almost identical at a quick glance. With a what3words field service code, the distinction is more profound. People can find their way from A to B far more easily thanks to much more precise location tracking.
After all: delays, frustration, and costly mistakes will only waste people’s time and money.
And with a growing global population and increasing neighbourhoods, a more elegant solution is required to help us find out way. This is why what3words field service considers its tool so important. It more clearly defines locations in a simple manner that can work for everyone.
A global scale solution:
As Robert points out in the video chat, there are almost 8 billion people on this planet and 4 billion people live without what many typically consider as a formal permanent address. Even in the UK, around 3 million properties aren’t part of the Royal Mail’s lists.
The long and short of it?
Imprecise locations and unreliable directions cause problems. I’d be willing to bet good money you’ve had issues with addresses that lead to delays, annoyed customers, and jobs going unfulfilled.
These days, so many services are on-demand and the expectation is for them to run smoothly. This makes time an incredibly important factor, which is precisely where precise tools like what3words can help.
Without such precision, you may find your business starts to fall behind.
Innovation and adapting to change
We’ve spoken a lot before about how using software is all about improving the efficiency and productivity of your services. It’s a similar concept here that applies to using job management software to adapt, grow, and change to the needs of your staff, as well as your customers, all so that you can keep up with (or even overtake) your competitors.
That’s true no matter whether you’re in HVAC, electrical, gas, gardening, and more!
No matter the reason though, innovating and making changes should always be done with the idea of removing inefficiencies and making experiences better.
One way we at Commusoft talk about doing this is by crafting world-class customer journeys: if they’re straightforward, easy to use, but powerful, then these journeys all connect to more likely lead a customer to an overall great experience.
Game-changing innovations:
Whether they be simple ones we may take for granted, such as instant messaging and email, or more complex processes, like automated workflows within your software, will allow your business to function faster, smarter, and in a more connected way.
Imagine if you never went paperless. With the solutions you have now, you’re far more productive, and by making use of additional external tools (like what3words field service) you can help to elevate your business even further.
Time saved is often money saved, no doubt about it. Not to mention it can even lead to greater earnings which you can reinvest into more complex tools and tasks, and encourage growth.
Ultimately, a fantastic part of innovating and making changes is how it affects the people around you. From business owners, to employees, to the customers themselves: the way you innovate can add a significant amount of value so that your experiences go above and beyond the core service that you provide.
This, in turn, can help turn customers into powerful advocates, lead your staff to be more productive, and result in consistently great work that leaves everyone happy.
It’s not just about innovating to use tools, but innovating to develop powerful relationships. For what3words, they see their tool as:
“A simple way to add extra value [becoming] another tool in the tool box that you can use to better your customer experience”.
You can view your own services in a similar way, and take action to enhance customer journeys and improve customer service experiences.
Watch: In conversation with what3words
For even more on the game-changing ways what3words field service is innovating in the location space, be sure to watch Episode 9 of Success in the Field!
Our web series is a fantastic way to learn not only what Commusoft is doing in the field service industry, but also an opportunity to engage with insights and interesting stories from a variety of expert guests!
Click below to watch, or click to view our YouTube Channel to find even more episodes:
If you enjoyed it, then you’ll be pleased to hear we’re working on even more, so be sure to subscribe, follow, and keep an eye out, and don’t forget to reach out with your feedback!
Consider software tools like what3words & Commusoft:
I first heard of what3words during my travels abroad, but after seeing reports of the amazing ways they’ve helped in the world over, it’s clear there’s more to their tech than at first glance! You can find out more about what3words from their website.
What3words field service is the perfect example of a simple solution to an increasingly complex problem. And it’s innovations like this that align with the same way we often preach about personalised customer journeys here at Commusoft:
“You don’t necessarily create a good customer experience, you refine your customer journeys and that creates a customer experience”
Jason Morjaria, CEO at Commusoft
To round things out, discover why Commusoft could be the field service management software for your service business:
