Talk about routing challenges! Rather than spreading out deliveries across the calendar year, Santa Claus saves all of his deliveries for a single night and defines peak season. In total, Santa must make 842 million stops in one night to deliver toys to the 2.1 billion children around the world. We hear that he must travel 1,280 miles per second to complete his route and that only allows a millisecond at each house to pop down the chimney, distribute gifts, enjoy his milk and cookies, refuel the reindeer with carrots and reindeer food, and get back on the sleigh.

How does he manage it all? Well, time zones help (traveling East to West, Santa and his reindeer have 31 hours to make their way around the globe), but Santa also has other secrets up his sleeve. We sat down with him to learn more. [This interview was conducted during Santa’s summer vacation, but we are publishing it now for the Christmas delivery season.]

Q: How do you calculate your route to visit each child on Christmas eve?
A: Well, most people think my elves are just jolly little toymakers, but we have some real smart cookies at the North Pole. They’ve developed software to map out my route down to the last detail. They use fancy technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning if you can believe that! Then, on Christmas Eve, after everything has been mapped out and communicated to the reindeer, I hop into my sleigh and follow that highly optimized route!

Q: Which part of your route is the toughest?
A: That last-mile segment to each house can get tricky! Flying through the sky on my sleigh is just calm and relaxing, but those deliveries are the tough part. You need to make sure you get the right items to the right kid – and of course, you can’t be late. There’s zero tolerance for late deliveries in my business.

Q: How do you deal with weather and traffic issues?
A: As you know, we can have some awful snowstorms up here at the North Pole. And while Rudolph’s red nose is a big help, the elves’ route optimization software can reroute my sleigh to avoid storms altogether. It also makes sure that airplane traffic doesn’t interfere with my take-offs and landings.

Q: How do you train and care for your reindeer team?
A: The reindeer are integral to our delivery system. Their training includes physical conditioning and navigation exercises, and we also teach them to adapt to different geographic locations to ensure that they can successfully steer me to the right homes in time. And of course, we put a big emphasis on safety. After all, without the reindeer – especially Rudolph on foggy Christmas Eves! – I wouldn’t be able to make all those deliveries on Christmas Eve.

Q: How do you manage such a large workforce (so many elves!) efficiently?
A: My elves work in teams, and each elf team is responsible for a different aspect of toy production or logistics. For instance, our packing division ensures that all the gifts are packaged securely and compactly for optimized sleigh loading. That means we don’t need to make as many mid-air adjustments, which helps us maintain our tight delivery schedule.

Q: Is customer satisfaction a big issue for you?
A: Are you serious? I wouldn’t be in business unless every kid was delighted! (And of course, get their gifts on time!) I check in on the kids on Christmas Day with my magic snow globe, and I’m happy to say I have a perfect Net Promoter Score!

Q: What innovations have the elves implemented in toy-making to keep up with the changing wishes of children?
A: As toy trends evolve, our manufacturing and delivery processes must evolve, too. Fortunately, my elves are brilliant toy makers, technology specialists, and logisticians. The elves have developed lighter, more durable materials for toys. Plus, many of today’s toys are modular, so they can be easily assembled after delivery. These innovations allow the elves to pack my sleigh with precision, saving both space and weight, so we can plan a more streamlined delivery route with fewer stops to reload.

Q: How do you ensure that your operations are environmentally sustainable?
A: Environmental sustainability is of utmost importance to us at the North Pole. By using renewable energy sources, we reduce our carbon footprint, making our global journey more eco-friendly. Our sleigh, powered by the reindeer and renewable magic, leaves no emissions. Plus, efficient route planning reduces unnecessary travel, conserving even more energy and resources.

Q: How has technology changed the way you operate over the centuries?
A: Technology has revolutionized our routing and delivery. And that’s saying something for an operation that runs on magic! The elves have developed advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms to calculate the most efficient delivery route to reach every home while adapting all through the night to weather and air traffic. They’ve even integrated GPS and real-time tracking so they can keep me on track, and we can make mid-flight adjustments to ensure that we deliver all gifts on time.

Q: So, for my final question, how do you travel so fast?
A: Well, my dear, that is a secret. But it has something to do with magic corn.