According to the NORAD Santa Tracker, Santa Claus delivered 7,623,693,263 gifts last year. That number will go up this year, and he'll hit it again. Of the many feats accomplished in the business world, this one remains perhaps the most remarkable. How can Santa possibly deliver billions and billions of presents in one night--and to the right homes, down the right chimneys, and always on time?
He Is, quite simply, a global delivery guru.
Sure, you know all about the red suit and the reindeer, there are songs about him coming to town and hurrying down the chimney and kissing mommy underneath the mistletoe, but there is a decided dearth of lore surrounding Santa's success with outsourcing and the way that the global delivery model created for him and his enterprise is exactly what allows him to so successfully deliver all those presents globally.
Many of us uncovered this secret years ago from our parents, even If we weren't quite aware of It at the time. “I saw mommy wrapping my gifts” or “Why was daddy putting my presents under the tree” or even the painfully direct “Are you Santa?” The answer, the explanation, was the same then as It Is today--Santa enlists workers and has built a worldwide team (yes, parents Included) of people who have the expertise, training, knowledge and skills to help his business not only run, but thrive and grow every single year.
Santa Embraces the Global Workforce
For centuries, Mr. Claus has had his corporate headquarters at the North Pole, and sure, he has elves who work locally, but without turning to a global talent pool there Is simply no way he could have scaled his operations and built his business into the power It Is today. The big guy knows that in order to be the best In the business, he needs to consistently find top talent who can fill the many roles he has throughout the organization.
No matter the time zone, he has teams working the shifts the business requires, and he has been able to bring onboard expert gift buyers and stocking stuffers and box wrappers and more in the U.S., Canada, the Philippines—everywhere—and have them operating at incredible levels of efficiency. (Again, he doesn’t do this alone. He has long understood the value in working with experts to recruit his team, provide facilities and equipment, administrative services, oversight and training.)
At his busiest times he can increase the size of his team, bringing in the expert talent to handle any situation (we all recall that one foggy Christmas Eve when his reindeer team had to grow from 8 to 9, for example). Santa is a savvy enough business leader to understand that using customized engagement plans over the years has enabled him to boost productivity and lower his costs while maintaining operational control.
Santa Employs Top Subject Matter Experts and Engineers
Some elves are masters at building wooden toys. Others sew and stuff Teddy bears with unparalleled talent or assemble board games with supreme skill. And through the years, there have arisen new and emerging roles for elves who can put together computer games, build laptops, write code. It's always changing, and his business can only succeed If he stays ahead of the curve and has the Right People (or reindeer) In place when needed, along with processes for continuity and Integrating new members Into the team. Not everyone can be an elf, of course, and not every reindeer can pull the sleigh. Santa and the talent acquisition professionals with whom he's working find the Right People through a variety of methods.
Santa Knows the Right People are the Answer
Talent, the right talent, is what keeps Santa at the top, year after year. As the leader of his operation, he simply does not have the time nor capacity to do all the work to find the Right People all the time, of course, and with ever-evolving skill sets needed on his teams he can always benefit from turning to a trusted partner with years of expertise to find the Right People--the right expertise, the right attitude, the right corporate culture fit--for him.
Santa Is Always Evaluating
He makes lists. He checks them twice. He keeps up with who's naughty, who's nice. That requires a host of processes in place, lots of accurate measurement, and plenty of big data analysis. He follows his market closely and stays ahead of trends (how else could he always know what the hottest toy of the year is…and have enough elves in place to produce them?), and always knows what everybody on his list needs or desires, even as their goals and priorities change over time. He's added that NORAD Santa Tracker for transparency and accountability.
Santa Does Not Believe One Size Fits All
You didn’t get the same gifts as the kid next door…unless that's what you asked for. You shared your thoughts and ideas with Santa, you wrote him letters and made wishes--this is a collaborative process, after all--and then he went about his business with only you and your list in mind. Everybody has unique needs, special requests, and Santa cares deeply about delivering the exact right thing to each and every person on his list.
Santa Is All About Corporate Philanthropy and Social Responsibility
The spirit of giving Is at the very heart of Santa's business, and it is a philosophy that inspires many companies and Individuals to give back to their communities in meaningful ways. And as far as we can determine, his sleigh leaves no carbon footprint.
Santa Embraces Business Transformation
If anyone ever had the right to say "But that's the way we've always done it" and never change, it would be the dude in the bright red suit. And yet, Santa Is always helping his business grow and evolve. He must have a trusted partner at his side to help him understand the goals and direction of his business, the work necessary to keep it moving forward, the priorities to ensure company-wide focus, and the best practices needed to implement the necessary people, technologies and processes to help Santa & Co. become an even more successful enterprise than they are today.
Santa Thrives on Long-Term Relationships
Millions of us began our dealings with Saint Nick as kids, and for countless grown-ups the bond remains strong (perhaps even stronger than ever) decades later. That's the way to measure the value of a relationship!
Santa Works Hard, Gives Back, Has Fun
All the focus may be on one special night, but Santa has his team focused every day of the year leading up to that delivery date. And there Is never a question that he and his team will deliver, that they take the responsibility of handling each and every box and bag very seriously. Yet he still finds time to sponsor the Reindeer Games, he’s jolly and loves a good belly laugh. Give him a plate of cookies and a glass of milk and he's good to go all night long. And all the while, he Is focused on the needs of the people, always the Right People, on his list.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Joyous, Prosperous New Year to All!