Paris 2024 Olympics: The Logistics Marathon

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the biggest event ever organised in France, bringing together athletes, spectators, delegations, and media from around the world. Hosting such a large-scale event is an honour for France, but its success largely depends on flawless logistics management. Let’s explore our industry’s challenges.

754 competitions and ceremonies, 41 Olympic sites and 20 paralympic venues in Paris, 10,500 athletes, over 10 million spectators, 45,000 accredited journalists. These figures speak for themselves, underscoring the immense complexity of organising such a massive event. Imagine the amount of sporting equipment and goods to be transported, stored, installed, and dismantled; the numerous athletes needing to be moved between competition sites scattered around Paris; and the flow of spectators that must be managed! To ensure a seamless experience for all, every single step of the supply chain – transportation, sourcing, inventory, last-mile delivery – must be carefully anticipated, planned, and executed.

One of the Games’ major logistics challenges is efficiently transporting sports equipment and supplies sourced from around the world. This requires advanced and comprehensive planning for freight services, international flights, customs clearance, storage, and delivery. Effective coordination between suppliers, transportation providers, and warehouse managers are also critical to ensure everything arrives at the right place and time.

The supply chain of the Olympics involves the sourcing, inventory, and accurate delivery of sports equipment, food, medical supplies, and much more. To be efficient, logistics players need to focus on advanced forecasting and increased warehouse capacity. Managing last-mile delivery to the Olympic venues is particularly complex due to the multiplicity of competition sites spread across Paris, the Ile-de-France region, and other French cities. Logistics players must coordinate nearby storage, plan deliveries to these sites, manage inter-Olympic site flows, and handle return logistics effectively. Integrating smart technologies such as IoT devices and AI-driven solutions is a must-have for real-time updates.

To ensure the smooth execution of logistics operations before, during, and beyond the Olympic Games, logistics players need to hire and train additional workers. Meticulous planning, effective coordination, real-time adaptability, and a comprehensive understanding of event schedules and peak demand periods are required. Additionally, contingency planning for unplanned disruptions is crucial to maintain operational efficiency and ensure the smooth execution of the Games’ extensive logistical requirements.

During the Games, the inflow of people and goods will significantly affect road traffic in the Paris region this summer, with areas around the Olympic sites restricted to motor vehicles. At the same time, access to an expanded perimeter will be regulated. As logistics players will not have access to these perimeters, they must plan ahead to ensure “business as usual.” Flexibility and innovation are a plus to guarantee timely and reliable deliveries during the Games. Regarding last-mile delivery, logisticians must seek a reliable carrier and courier provider and have contingency plans in place for potential delays or disruptions to maintain service quality. At FM Logistic, a detailed study was conducted on the location of delivery points served and their proximity to Olympic sites. The goal was to check if access authorisations  were required, but also to understand various traffic impacts. Arnaud d’Arras, Transport activity director – Crépy-en-Valois site at FM Logistic France, further explained that each delivery point was referenced and a distance analysis was performed in relation to the Olympic sites. This analysis was cross-referenced with the days and times of specific events. This enabled us to adjust necessary actions with our clients, anticipate traffic movements, and organise deliveries accordingly.

Determined to organise the “greenest ever Games,” the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has made tremendous efforts to cut its carbon footprint. The most impactful action is the use of existing or temporary venues for most events. Besides construction, the transportation of goods and people is one of the primary sources of C02 emissions for the 2024 Olympics. This is where logistics players can play their part, by delivering low-carbon and energy-efficient logistics solutions. Using alternative renewable fuels (LNG, biofuels, electricity, etc.) is not the only way to make transport more responsible. Companies can also focus on the mutualisation of transport to the same destination and the massification of flows to increase trucks’ loading and reduce empty journeys. Implementing shorter circuits and more efficient routines and schedules are other sustainable levers to activate.

Arnaud d’Arras detailed the challenges faced during the Games: “The summer period is typically challenging due to a decrease in available drivers, which impacts our operational capacity. To mitigate this, we have been collaborating with partners for several months to secure replacement drivers during the summer break and expand our own fleet with additional trucks and drivers for our managed routes.

Regarding delivery adjustments at sites heavily impacted by the Olympic Games, we have proposed several solutions to accommodate road restrictions. For example, we have planned for night deliveries at certain locations and established an on-demand truck service. This service provides a dedicated truck and driver available on-site daily for last-minute deliveries at a controlled cost.”

While these Olympic Games present many challenges for the logistics industry, they also offer a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate expertise, drive innovation, and advance towards more efficient and sustainable transport and supply chain management for the future.