The Secret of Santa’s Supply Chain
Christmas is just around the corner and I imagine Santa Claus in the midst of preparations for his big day (or to be more precise: his big night). This master of logistics is putting to shame other logistics players: he delivers parcels around the world for millions of children in one night and manages a global distribution channel that successfully spans the world in 24 hours. What is the secret of this unique door-to-chimney delivery model ?
Believed to be the largest single manufacturing facility in the world, the North Pole isn’t ideally located from a logistical perspective. But this year it seems it has worked out in Santa Inc’s favour: the elves have been quarantined since last Christmas ! Despite this remote location, Santa Claus achieves tremendous economies of scale in production. His elves hand-craft over six million presents every day of the year, which by Christmas Eve results in a total stock inventory in the range of billions.
For the last mile of the journey, Santa Claus has taken advantage of an online asset tracking device that enables him to trace all Christmas gifts during their delivery run, from the comfort of his sleigh. Along with his loyal workforce of elves, Santa has easy visibility of all his Christmas presents from his door in the North Pole to your chimney.
Despite his advanced age, Santa has kept abreast of evolving technology and has developed a modern supply chain to address demand for speed and increasing volumes of parcel handling required at this festive time of year. By taking inspiration from Santa Claus, the original master of logistics, logistics companies can be ready to create Christmas miracles for their customers.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year !
