Why have a quality management system? A look inside Santa's workshop

Donna Foulis Date published: Dec 15, 22

If anyone could benefit from a bit of help from technology, it’s the legendary Santa Claus. But why have a quality management system when he has the magic of Christmas and an entire team of elves at his disposal? Because it’s a big responsibility fulfilling Christmas wishes for the billions of children across the world and Santa needs to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Last year he had the pandemic to contend with, and this year it’s a supply chain crisis. Santa may have his own workshop, but he’ll still be contending to get a hold of all the necessary supplies he needs to make the toys and relying on deliveries like the rest of us mere mortals. Just imagine how much easier his job would be if he had the right quality management system to support him.

• A place to keep track of everything
• No more elf stress and overtime
• Easy to see what’s going on
• No more mad panic in the days running up to Christmas Eve

I mean, there might still be some panic as the big day approaches, it’s his busiest day of the year after all but it would be a much milder, better controlled level of panic. Read on to find out the different ways Santa could benefit from a quality management system.

The logistics of running the North Pole

The North Pole is a pretty major operation which services billions of children all over the world, with everything pinned to that one night of the year- Christmas Eve. They’ve got a toy factory, numerous elves working throughout the year, reindeer to look after, equipment to maintain and a very precise schedule to maintain.

On top of that, Santa must keep up to date with the population of children across the world, including ages, their naughty or nice status and what they’ve asked him for each year. No matter how many years Santa has being doing this, it’s still a huge undertaking. With a digital quality management system, he could:

Share, track and monitor important health and safety information

With so many workers coming together to make Christmas dreams come true, looking after the health and safety of the elves at work is crucial. In addition, Santa also has his own health and safety to consider, ensuring he isn’t putting himself at risk while out delivering presents.

Have a central system where any issues in the manufacturing process can be logged and addressed

Having so many toys to make that must be ready on time means that every part of the process needs to be as smooth as possible. Having the ability to log any issues right away, whether that’s a faulty batch or a lack of supplies, is essential in being able to remedy them in a timely fashion.

Store, access and manage important documents

Santa receives a huge volume of letters from children every year to tell him what they want for Christmas. Ensuring each and every one is kept safe and can be easily accessed is fundamental in being able to do his job. He can also add in the finalised naughty and nice list and use it to refer back to the following year.

Carry out risk assessments and easily log any incidents and occurrences

There are numerous different obstacles that Santa could face on his Christmas Eve travels: barking dogs, home security systems, awake residents spotting him coming and going, Covid-19 restrictions, reindeer becoming tired or unwell…. the list goes on. Having a system where he can map out each risk and put controls in place will help to ensure he’s prepared to face any possibility.

Manage suppliers

This is particularly important in the middle of a supply chain crisis; Santa needs to ensure he has up to date information on all his suppliers so that he can make sure the elves have everything they need to make the toys. He’ll also need to be able to make contingency plans for items that are in short supply.

Why have a quality management system?

Follow in Santa’s footsteps and find out what quality management software could do for you.