Striving for Excellence: Logistics Lessons From the Olympics
by Jaidyn Farar
With the Summer 2024 Olympics right around the corner, the spotlight is on the athletes who have trained for years to represent their countries.
Curious about what it takes to pull off an Olympic victory? Wondering how you can apply the principles of precision, consistency, and collaboration to your business? You’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we’ll look at a few things Olympic athletes can teach us about shipping and logistics.
1. Preparing for victory
Olympic competitors don’t become star athletes overnight; achieving excellence takes years of constant training. With the support of coaches, trainers, physical therapists, and more, athletes stick to a strict schedule of running, weightlifting, stretching, and practicing their sports.
In an interview, Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy described his training schedule: “We have doubles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday: We’re in at 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then we’re in again from like 12:40 p.m. until 3:50 p.m. But our Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are probably our hardest practices. Those are really high-intensity, really high-quality, pretty much empty the tank on all three of those days.”
Consistency allows aspiring Olympians to reach their potential and (hopefully) snag a medal. The same principle is true in logistics, though the medal is only metaphorical.
For example, consistent inventory management is key to a smooth order fulfillment process.
When businesses consistently optimize inventory levels, they don’t face unpleasant surprises like stockouts or excess stock. Though inventory management may feel like a never-ending challenge—similar to Murphy’s rigorous training schedule—it results in cost savings and greater customer satisfaction.
2. Working as a team
Solo Olympic events require strength, speed, and form. Team events, such as rowing and beach volleyball, require all three, plus something more: the ability of each team member to operate with seamless coordination. Athletes have to act in harmony, quickly interpreting body language and adjusting their positions accordingly.
Just as collaboration sets the best teams apart, it also helps businesses improve their shipping and logistics processes. Supply chain coordination speeds up deliveries, reduces bottlenecks, and helps build resilience.
Coordination involves aligning the efforts of suppliers, carriers, and other partners. To do this, establish strong communication channels with all of your partners. Use integrated technology to share information in real time, and monitor key performance indicators so you know how each partner is performing.
Like a victorious Olympic team, you and your supply chain partners can develop mutually beneficial relationships that will lead you all to success.
3. Embracing precision
To illustrate the importance of precision in the Olympics, we’ll zoom in on one event: pole vault.
Pole vaulting begins with a sprint. As the vaulter approaches the bar, they plant the end of their pole in a one-meter-long box, leaning into the pole and causing it to bend. When the pole’s energy is released, the athlete goes soaring into the air, curving their body to make it over the bar and then rotating to land on their back.
For a successful jump, an athlete must time every motion perfectly. If they increase speed, lower their pole, or jump a few seconds too early or too late, they could fail to clear the bar.
Precision is just as important when it comes to logistics. Many organizations stick with processes that work, not realizing that making small changes can drastically increase efficiency and productivity. For example, consider the following adjustments:
- Optimizing layouts. The right warehouse design will minimize travel time and streamline picking and packing processes, leading to more cost-effective and accurate fulfillment.
- Automating processes. Technologies like robotic picking systems, conveyor belts, and warehouse software increase efficiency while reducing manual labor. Just as importantly, automation reduces errors such as inaccurate inventory counts or incorrect customer addresses.
- Focusing on training and safety. To boost productivity and keep warehouse staff safe, regularly train on best practices and safety protocols.
4. Crossing the finish line
We all know that speed determines who wins races. But what determines speed? This New York Times article explains that speed is determined by the force a runner delivers into the ground relative to their weight.
Sprinters deliver the most force; for example, Olympian sprinter TyNia Gaither “creates forces of nearly four times her body weight with every step.” Middle-distance runners don’t create as much force, because they need to maintain a slower pace in order to complete their races. Long-distance runners “play a game of supply and demand,” using less forceful strides to move forward without tiring too quickly.
We can apply this lesson to shipping. For customers, choosing a shipping option is a careful balance of cost and speed. Some are willing to pay a lot more for fast shipping. For example, someone might splurge on overnight shipping to send Valentine’s Day flowers to their spouse.
On the other hand, some customers prefer to save money on shipping, even if that means waiting several days for their package.
The solution? Provide multiple shipping options to cater to customer preferences. Whether your customers are sprinters (express shipping), middle-distance runners (expedited shipping), or long-distance runners (standard shipping), they’ll find an option that works for them.
Don’t forget, the holiday shipping season is right around the corner …
As you enjoy the Summer 2024 Olympics, take inspiration from the athletes’ dedication to precision, efficiency, and teamwork. As peak season approaches, your business can use the principles in this article to prepare to meet customer demand.
One of the best ways to prepare is to make sure you have a solid multi-carrier shipping API in place. The EasyPost Shipping API makes it simple to integrate with national and regional carriers, ensuring smooth and cost-effective logistics operations.