Shropshire delivery driver creates and launches new address finding app

Spencer Taylor, from Higher Heath, near Whitchurch, has four decades in the tech industry.

But he took up a part-time grocery delivery driver position with Tesco in Shrewsbury six years ago after taking a career break from corporate life.

He experienced first-hand an array of difficulties in finding addresses on his routes, which caused him stress and issues with safety, especially in the dark. Detours also wasted fuel and time.

He knew his colleagues and countless others who drive for a living were facing the same difficulties in simply not having accurate enough ways to find the addresses.

In October 2016, Spencer, aged 59, set about creating his own way to find and save information on addresses in spreadsheets, and his colleagues started asking for his extra information to help them.

Seeing the difference it made to their workload, Spencer reconnected with former colleagues in the software industry and put a development team together to build an app that has the precise location of nearly 34 million addresses and growing – every delivery address in the UK, including those still under construction and unlisted holiday homes and lets.

Ruben Riano, from Bristol, now chief technical officer, and Garry Martin, from Croydon, data manager and director joined the team as founding partners and Dalus – or Driver Address Look-Up System – was born.

It is already being used by hundreds of users across the UK, but following the latest updates, it is being officially launched to the masses.

Spencer said: “From building the first prototype to launching the new Dalus App on App Store and Google Play has been a five-year process.

“Each address has GPS co-ordinates to its rooftop. GPS co-ordinates are the most accurate location tag and the most useful as they can be used in any satnav system. We use seven databases to give the most accurate positioning of an address. The location information is screened and updated regularly to ensure the best customer experience for accuracy.

“In addition, the Dalus App gives drivers the ability to add further information to a record about the property, to share details about hazards, things to look out for to help identify a property, directions and they can even add a picture as well as other notices.

“This information can help save accidents or vehicles getting stuck, as you can add a note like ‘single track lane’ or an icon indicating ‘no access for large vehicles.’ And in an emergency, it can get you directly to a property, not just a road where your satnav could be telling you it’s on the left, yet the house numbers make no sense.

“This is a unique address finding app in the UK. We are about community, not competition here at Dalus. We have deliberately kept the subscription price low – about the cost of cup of coffee a month – and want to give users the ability to make life easier for everyone out on the roads, whether they drive for a living or just want a more accurate way of getting to an address.”

Spencer added that the project has taken a “huge effort to get right,” and the team were thrilled with the product.

“We wanted to create the most accurate system of its kind. We’ve also made it the most intuitive and useful app in terms of supporting information,” added Ruben.

“I understand the expectations and limitations of drivers, I am still working as one as it has given me the perfect opportunity to review and test the app,” added Spencer.

“When drivers are rushed, mistakes can easily be made, and that accelerator pedal may get pressed a little harder. I know the feeling of making a delivery drop in a limited time frame. DALUS is about more than just safety and accuracy; it makes you feel like you’ve got time and who doesn’t want a little more of that?” he said.