Parbery helps Santa take a benefits-led program delivery approach

It’s a little-known fact that while Santa is the face of Christmas, the real brains behind the Christmas System is Mrs. Claus. For centuries, she has been the strategic mastermind ensuring that the North Pole operates smoothly. From resource planning for toy production to coordinating reindeer logistics and managing the Naughty-Nice management process, Mrs Claus ensures every detail aligns with Santa’s ultimate mission. So, when Mrs. Claus asked Parbery to transform the Christmas System with a benefits-led approach, we were pretty excited, if not daunted. 

The brief: Transform Christmas 

‘With almost a billion children under ten now—compared to just 400 million a century ago—even Santa needs a little extra help.’

When Mrs. Claus took a close look at the operations at the North Pole, she  realised that the Christmas System was in dire need of an overhaul. Even with a touch of Santa’s magic, the Christmas System needed to upgrade its legacy systems for the digital age. She pointed out, ‘With almost a billion children under ten now—compared to just 400 million a century ago—even Santa needs a little extra help. That’s a lot of names to remember, gifts to create, and deliveries to coordinate in just one night. Our systems require a modern touch, especially for navigating crowded airways.’ 

Mrs. Claus informed Parbery that while Santa’s magic and traditional methods have preserved the spirit of Christmas for centuries, the world around us has evolved. Our customers—children and their parents—now inhabit a digital landscape where wishes are made online, information and updates are constantly available, and there is an expectation that Santa will adapt to their modern experiences. 

Our initial brief was to support the business case to bring the North Pole into the 21st century with a benefits realisation plan. The business case was due to go to the Reindeer Round Table, in this case, the Board, in a matter of weeks. Time was not on our side. 

Delivering Merry metrics 

That’s where Parbery came into its own with a number of benefits experts, subject matter experts and the Parbery Benefits Realisation Toolkit. Working closely with Mrs. Claus, the Elf and the Reindeer teams, we developed a benefits realisation plan (BRP) that would impress even the most demanding board.  

The BRP included a benefits network diagram to map each outcome and a benefit profile to capture how results would be measured. This is aligned with the Digital Transformation Agency’s Benefits Realisation Framework, recognised by the North Pole as the world’s best practice.  

For good measure, Parbery also developed an Investment Logic Map, which included the benefits, business change, and assets to be developed. 

So, what were the top benefits sought by the Reindeer Round Table? 

1. Enhanced Christmas Spirit through: 

•  Avoiding disappointment on Christmas Day (oh my god, imagine the disappointment if kids don’t have a wish fulfilled) 

• No more “lost in the mail” excuses—Santa’s inbox will finally rival a social media influencer’s DMs! 

• Every child waking up to their perfect gift—ensuring Christmas cheer hits record highs worldwide! 

• Biscuits and milk (or beer) disappearing faster than Santa can say “ho ho ho” when delivering 

2. Keeping the Christmas Magic on schedule through improved supply chain logistics by: 

• Saving elves from sorting through mountains of wish list letters (and the occasional sticky candy cane) 

• Production running smoother than melted chocolate 

• Santa having time to enjoy Mrs. Claus’ cookies without worrying about supply chain chaos 

3. Strengthen the magical connection with children through improved engagement by providing: 

• Real-time tracking of Santa that provides unmatched excitement for children as they follow his journey around the globe 

• Real-time engagement via a portal, making Christmas feel more personal and interactive 

Hi-res version of Santa’s investment logic map

It turns out that Mrs. Claus was so impressed with the benefits realisation plan that she declared it a blueprint for ensuring Christmas magic stays timeless, efficient, and ready to meet the needs of every child for generations to come.  

The Christmas System, as Santa sees it, is an intricate web of operations, elves, reindeer and a bit of magic that all come together to make Christmas happen.

Santa has always been proud of the spirit and tradition behind his work, but with a growing demand to reach kids in real-time and interact on modern platforms, he knows the system has to keep up with the times.

The final surprise? Mrs. Claus liked the Parbery branding colours so much that she decided that next year, Santa would change his red outfit for pink and green colours and that Rudolf would, from here on in, only have a pink nose. 

By Kim Moeller, Partner