Even Santa Claus Could Benefit from the Cloud

[former_member18347]

In a few short days, a certain man will be visiting our homes and leaving behind gifts for everyone all over the world. Are you ready? Are you prepared for his arrival? Have you insured that your Christmas Day will be spent enjoying your brand new toys, and not grousing over coal?

But here’s a bigger question: Is Santa Claus ready?

I’m not just talking about whether his sleigh passed inspection this year, the reindeer passed their rudimentary physical training tests, or Santa dropped those 30 pounds he gained last Christmas Eve.

Will his operations truly deliver another flawless year of bringing joy and happiness all over the world? Well, if he went #SuccessFactors cloud, he would have a better chance.

Link to video: SuccessFactors Workforce Planning for Santa - YouTube

5 ways Santa Claus could use the cloud

Here are some ways Santa Claus could seamlessly manage his people, resources, customers, and suppliers in the cloud…

1. Track Santa letters and names on his “Naughty” and “Nice” lists. When you see a child write a letter to Santa and try to be on their best behavior 4 weeks before Christmas Eve, it’s endearing. But for Santa, it’s all about customer demand. Every letter gives Santa an idea on what his “customers” want. And every name on his “Naughty” and “Nice” lists is simply an order that needs to be fulfilled. If he compiled that information in the cloud, he can quickly see exactly how demand is fluctuating and which toys are popular among kids of all ages – even as early as June.
   
   
2. Make sure that his workshop elves are ready and available. By visualizing his demand data, Santa could easily explain to his front-office and plant-floor workforce (or, as we know them, “Santa’s Elves”) what they need to do to prepare. His elves can compare current inventory with letter requests and names that consistently shift from one list to another. From there, the elves can let Santa know exactly what needs to be produced, in what quantities, and how quickly it can be done. In addition, they can more intelligently procure materials using a lean, just-in-time approach; ensure that plant-floor workers have the latest tech skills they need; and augment their staff with the right number of new hires that have the right skills needed to deliver high-quality products on time. 
   
   
3. Prepare for delivery. And let’s not forget Santa’s green delivery vehicle – his sleigh that holds unspeakable loads and uses reindeer power as its engine. While the workshop elves are busy producing high-quality toys, his sleigh-shop elves are busy tuning up the sleigh and making sure that it complies with international and local transportation regulations. With the cloud, these elves can access the regulatory information and sleigh diagnostic results they need, when and where they need it. They can also gain clear visibility into the total weight of gift cargo, so they can make sure that the sleigh and the reindeer team can handle it. And oh yeah, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to notify the reindeer of the load. No one likes surprises before a big trip – and reindeer are no exception!
   
   
4. Plan for next year. Even though Santa’s annual tour of the globe is usually complete within one evening, it does take 364 days to make this trip possible. In real time, his number-crunching elves can track how much time Santa spent at each house, the rate of toys that broke on the first day, and the number of orders that went unfulfilled. And since Santa is hip to the changing times, he can even gain insight from the social sentiment of his “customers” as they post their thoughts and pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels.
   
   
5. Take a vacation with Mrs. Claus. And since the cloud is helping him share information to his elves in all areas of his operation, Santa no longer has to attend daily meetings – which is great news for Mrs. Claus. For her, Christmas Eve is the loneliest night of the year. But now, Mr. Claus can make good on his annual promise to take a vacation in Hawaii. Mele Kalikimaka!
   

As you’d expect, even Santa could make a positive impact on his toy-making and delivery operations (and his marriage) if he made the move to the cloud. Do you really think he would risk his reputation after centuries of delivering a superior customer experience? No – I don’t think so either.

So…how is the cloud helping you play Santa this year? Let us know!