It is always exciting to see or learn that people want to develop local solutions to address challenges peculiar to living in Ghana. One such challenge that has become a headache for businesses and individuals is getting a smooth and effective delivery service in the country. Even when you are assured of some efficiency, the cost is becoming increasingly high to use delivery services – especially in the capital city of Accra.
To curb exorbitant delivery charges coupled with the discomfort of tracking customers’ packages, following up on orders – and even sometimes mixing up orders or sheer negligence – Dimitri Opoku, a young innovative gentleman, has introduced the Myles Pudo delivery services app. Read on for an interactive conversation with the B&FT Inspiring Start-ups about his journey
About Dimitri Opoku
Dimitri is a graduate of Mawuli Secondary School and Western Connecticut State University, with a degree in Management in Information Systems. He was born in the United States but completed his basic and high school education in Ghana. He went back to the States for his Bachelor’s degree and has been living there since.
The Birth of Myles Pudo App
Dimitri says entrepreneurship had not been a part of his line of ideas when it comes to making an income or finding a job. It all started during a classroom discussion when the topic of entrepreneurship was being treated.
“That was when it hit me to ask if this is something I would want to do, because originally it wasn’t something I had really made up my mind to do,” he shared.
On one of his recent visits to Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic, he realised a gap existed in the delivery services space – in terms of exorbitant charges that do not come with extra benefits such as tracking of items; changing the location of delivery; and most importantly, the estimated time of arrival for pick-up or delivery of the package. In his quest to bridge the gap, this ‘forward-thinking’ gentleman, as he describes himself, developed the Myles Pudo app.
Myles Pudo App
The app allows customers to track their packages, know exactly where the riders have reached, estimate the time of arrival for their packages – and even change their delivery location from that previously stated to a different one. Also, the app provides convenient drop-off points – such as fuel stations, popular secure grocery shop outlets, local barbershops, eateries and restaurants for customers who may want to change their location to another where they can pick up later.
“At Myles, we are leveraging technology to improve the online shopping experience for customers and help retailers get closer to their customers. We also provide order-visibility for vendors and merchants who use our app, or even our website. Our goal is to create a smooth and easy procedure for access, pick-up of goods, and delivery of services with a huge focus on convenience and comfort.”
He revealed that even without a smartphone, Myles is set up to provide SMS text notifications for real-time updates of where your package is and when it will arrive.
“Assuming you are going to be at work and you have to leave to another location; you can schedule the package to be delivered at one of our drop-off points as well, so you pick it up later at your convenience. So, we provide convenience and security for all packages,” he noted.
According to him, he has always had an interest in the technology space so he got in touch with top-notch app developers – and they became a team and built the product to meet the criteria for a smooth user experience. He said the app took six months to develop.
Challenges
“At the stage we are, it is very important to bring in people with high skills and expertise to make the app user-friendly. That has been quite a challenge, because we want to give customers a smooth, unique experience when using the app,” he said.
How education has played a role
Touching on how education has helped him realise this vision, Dimitri said: “I am very grateful for the education I have had, considering the fact that I did my basic education here in Ghana and furthered it in the States. I have had the best of both worlds, so I would say education is very essential considering the world we find ourselves in today. Cognitive and technical skills are skills you will use in everyday life, not only in class or business. So, I believe that when people take their education seriously it will open doors for them”.
How government can support
He believes government should venture into more collaboration with the private sector for public-private partnerships.
He added that government could set up more regulatory guidelines that will allow start-up ventures to ideate quickly to bring out their products within their stipulated time.
Vision
Dimitri’s vision for Myles Pudo is to create a network community through partnerships for reliably smooth app usage in pick-ups and deliveries.
He also hopes to see Myles Pudo become a global brand and one-stop entity for smooth delivery services across the globe.
“I am hoping we see high patronage in this service model, and with user feedback we can establish a of trusted community network through our partnerships,” he added.
Contact Details
Myles Pudo can be found on the Google Playstore or Apple appstore.
Website: www.mylespudo.com.
Instagram: myles.pudo
Twitter: myles_pudo
