Business Challenge
Serving over 300,000 pickup locations across 37 states, Skipcart connects its network of 150,000 drivers with local businesses to deliver groceries, food, electronics, e-commerce and other goods to consumers in one hour or less. Pinpointing the precise location of drivers to best match them with orders is a crucial component of Skipcart’s solution that required the integration of a reputable and reliable mapping technology.
Benefits
- Easy adoption due to familiarity
- Seamless scalability throughout 8,000% increase in delivery volume
- Visibility into accurate delivery times
“What interested us was Google being the dominant map company in the U.S., or the globe for that matter. For us, as a startup at that point, we were looking for scalability and accuracy and went with someone who already had that and proved it out.”
Working With Woolpert
Skipcart began working with Woolpert Digital Innovations as its Google partner in January of 2021. “Woolpert Digital Innovations has been great,” stated CEO Ben Jones. “It was the customer support and the ability to have a live person to talk to about what actually exists in Google Maps that was huge for us.”
The Solution
Since the beginning of Skipcart’s journey in 2018, Google Maps Platform has played a key role in providing quick and efficient on demand delivery. “The accuracy of Google Maps was a big reason why we were able to land enterprise accounts. We were able to tell them when items were going to be delivered, whether it was going to be on time and at what specific time. This allowed us to be a leader in that space,” expressed Skipcart CEO Ben Jones.
When a consumer places an order for delivery, Distance Matrix API accurately calculates the distance between available drivers and the order pickup location, as well as the distance between the pickup and drop-off locations. This quick return of information is leveraged to generate quotes and qualify drivers for specific orders to ensure they are delivered at or before the promised times. Geocoding API identifies the precise latitude and longitude coordinates of the pickup and drop-off locations and drivers in the area and displays them on Google’s familiar dynamic map.
Once a driver accepts an order within Skipcart’s mobile app, they can use Directions API to navigate to the pickup and drop-off locations. “Drivers were most comfortable with Google Maps. It seems to be the standard whether you’re using iOS or Android, and drivers really like to use Google Maps as their preference to get from point A to B,” expressed Jones.