How to Improve Productivity

Delivering presents to millions of children around the world in one night is no easy task, and even Santa himself is beginning to feel the struggle.  With digitalisation creating a whole new world of manufacturing and logistics Santa knows he’s got to make some changes to stay ahead and keep up with his competitors (the Easter Bunny has been doing pretty well recently).

 

In order to cope with today’s dynamic environment, it’s time for the North Pole to modernise both their processes and equipment to achieve the best results possible.

 

Between general elections and never-ending rain, it’s no surprise that Santa can’t rely on festive cheer alone to get his sleigh moving this year.  So, we thought we would break down 3 scenarios where Santa’s production could benefit from the power of IoT along with giving our advice on what digital upgrades should be making it onto Santa’s wish list this Christmas.

Fleetmatic Software

 

With such a tight deadline to keep, Santa can’t afford for any unexpected bumps in the road.  And no matter how well the elves plan out his journey, that Christmas Eve traffic can be a real nightmare.  Getting stuck in traffic or taking a wrong turn around the moon could set Santa’s delivery back hours, and lead to some pretty negative reviews.

 

Although he’s a traditional man, Santa isn’t opposed to a little bit of technology.  Especially if it will make his busiest night of the year run a little smoother.

This is where fleetmatic software steps in.

 

In its simplest form, fleetmatic software is where ‘GPS’ meets ‘find my friend’.  This software allows the elves back at the North pole to track Santa’s progress and offer real time advice on his route.  Even Santa can be guilty of taking too long a lunch break, or in this case, a mince pie and cookie break.

 

But with Fleetmatic software in place, the elves can keep an eye on his progress and let the reindeers know when they need to pick up the pace to keep his delivery schedule moving to plan.

 

This software not only notifies the elves with any tune-ups the sleigh requires ahead of time but also feeds back a detailed breakdown of the delivery performance.  This helps Santa to analyse the highs and lows of his journey, so he can continue to complete his journey in the quickest time possible, making sure customer satisfaction remains high, whilst also ensuring Santa makes it home in time for Mrs Claus Christmas breakfast.

 

RFID Tags

 

The North Pole warehouse is one of the busiest in the world and keeping track of all the toys in stock is no easy task. With over 2 billion orders to complete and keep track of, the risk of inventory mishaps or the timely hunt for gifts can affect Santa’s sleigh leaving on time.

To reduce the risk of any unhappy faces on Christmas morning and before the elves run out of all their magic steam, Santa should look to deploy Radio frequency identification technology (RFID).

What is RFID tracking technology?

 

In basic terms RFID tags are small microchip labels attached to all the toys within Santa’s warehouse, each tag contains all the important information the elves need in terms of product code, inventory level and stock location. Allowing the elves to uniquely identify each present and reduce the amount of time wasted, whilst also minimising the risk of manual inventory errors.

 

The Benefits of RFID Tags

• Scans more items Faster
  RFID tags have the ability to process and catalogue information faster than even the best of handheld barcode scanners.

 

• Improves Visibility
  The more information captured ultimately leads to better visibility across the whole of the candy-cane supply chain.  With each product tagged, the elves can follow each product and order throughout its journey to Santa’s sleigh.  This allows them to monitor and resolve of any potential hiccups in the process.

 

• No line of Sight Required
  Unlike barcodes, RFID tags don’t need to be in a ‘clear line of sight’ to be scanned.  Meaning the elves can reach further in their search without moving from their post.  This clear line of visibility makes for faster scanning and reduces wasted time.

Condition Monitoring Sensors

 

Faulty machinery or a broken component has the potential to throw a real spanner in the works, even in Santa’s workshop.

With the machinery in the North Pole being put to the test every year, producing millions of toys, the risk of machinery breaking down is likely and could put Christmas as we know it in danger.

It is Santa’s ‘elf and safety team’s’ responsibility to ensure that all the machinery used in the workshop has been maintained and remains in good working condition.  But unfortunately, there’s not enough elf magic in the North Pole to stop production machinery from running in to a few problems.

 

But what Santa could consider is looking to pre-empt the problem of broken machinery before it occurs. By using condition monitoring sensors across all machinery in the workshop Santa’s elf and safety team can remotely monitor the health of all machines used in the toy production. From mechanical wear and tear to system failures, the elves can predict the possibility of machine breakdown or malfunction that could lead to a real-life nightmare at Christmas.

 

To speak to someone about IoT, get in touch.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and we look forward to working with you in 2020.