UPS undertakes huge logistical task to transition from the Olympic to Paralympic Games
As the world reflects on a fantastic Olympic Games, UPS's logistical role has shifted to the task of transitioning venues from the Olympic Games, the largest peacetime logistical operation in the world, to prepare for the second largest, the Paralympic Games.
Since the end of the Closing Ceremony, UPS's role in helping transition venues has increased significantly. The company had less than two weeks to move a vast inventory between two dedicated London 2012 warehouses and 20 competition venues so that they are ready to host the Paralympic Games - set to be the grandest to date in terms of competition venues, spectator numbers, media coverage and logistics.
"London 2012 has been a tremendous success by any measure and our employees delivered a logistical performance worthy of these Olympic Games," said Dan Brutto, president UPS International. "We are immensely proud of their achievements but we aren't resting on our laurels. After the last medal of the Paralympic Games has been awarded, UPS will be working tirelessly to manage the reverse logistics of nearly everything required to conduct this incredible celebration of human endeavour."
During the Paralympic Games UPS will again play a central role in converting venues between sports. The Basketball Arena, for example, must be converted from Wheelchair Basketball to Wheelchair Rugby in a matter of ten hours, the shortest transition period in the whole London 2012 programme.
Everything from removing the flooring used for Modern Pentathlon Fencing in the Copper Box and replacing with the Goalball field of play, to the relocation of workrooms in the individual venues - hundreds of thousands of items must be removed, delivered and refitted ahead of 29th August 2012.
Paul Deighton, Chief Executive, LOCOG said: "The transition to what will be the largest Paralympic Games ever is a huge operation in a short time period. We need to get everything right for the athletes, spectators and media alike and UPS has been a key partner in helping us ensure the process goes smoothly and that we are ready to stage a spectacular Paralympic Games."
For the Paralympic Games specifically, examples of the hundreds of thousands of items UPS will handle include:
4,850 Eye Patches for Goalball
1,626 Assorted Weights for Weightlifting
4,312 Court Surface Mats for Table Tennis
10,000 Rifles for Shooting
4,000 Water Bottles for Cycling
280 Court Dividers for Boccia
430 Shot Puts
200 Discus Discs
75 Start Blocks for Athletics
Outside of venues, UPS has also been supporting ParalympicsGB in their preparations by delivering the official team kit to homes and sport headquarters all across the UK. Once the team has been able to test sizes, make adaptations and even wear in and wash their kits, UPS will collect it again and deliver into the Paralympic Village direct into each athlete's room.
Other aspects of the Olympic Games infrastructure which also require adaptations, include the athlete's coaches. In order to increase wheelchair capacity, 3000 seats will be removed from coaches and UPS will store them in such a way so that they can be inventoried and returned to exactly the same coach and position they came from.
So far, in its role as the Official Logistics and Express Delivery Supporter to London 2012, UPS has successfully planned for and managed a series of complex logistics operations, running 24 hours a day. This included, keeping venues replenished and prepared for the flow of the competition to run smoothly, as well as transitioning venues during the Olympic Games. If you take the Olympic Stadium as an example, as the Opening Ceremony came to a climax, the logistics team were already setting to work, moving all of the sports equipment for track and field events into the venue throughout the night.
UPS is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services required to produce the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. By the end of the Games, it is estimated that UPS will have handled 30 million items, including 1 million pieces of sporting equipment for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For more facts and figures and up-to-date information on all UPS's Olympic operations, why not follow us on Twitter at @UPS_London2012
As the world reflects on a fantastic Olympic Games, UPS's logistical role has shifted to the task of transitioning venues from the Olympic Games, the largest peacetime logistical operation in the world, to prepare for the second largest, the Paralympic Games.
Since the end of the Closing Ceremony, UPS's role in helping transition venues has increased significantly. The company had less than two weeks to move a vast inventory between two dedicated London 2012 warehouses and 20 competition venues so that they are ready to host the Paralympic Games - set to be the grandest to date in terms of competition venues, spectator numbers, media coverage and logistics.
"London 2012 has been a tremendous success by any measure and our employees delivered a logistical performance worthy of these Olympic Games," said Dan Brutto, president UPS International. "We are immensely proud of their achievements but we aren't resting on our laurels. After the last medal of the Paralympic Games has been awarded, UPS will be working tirelessly to manage the reverse logistics of nearly everything required to conduct this incredible celebration of human endeavour."
During the Paralympic Games UPS will again play a central role in converting venues between sports. The Basketball Arena, for example, must be converted from Wheelchair Basketball to Wheelchair Rugby in a matter of ten hours, the shortest transition period in the whole London 2012 programme.
Everything from removing the flooring used for Modern Pentathlon Fencing in the Copper Box and replacing with the Goalball field of play, to the relocation of workrooms in the individual venues - hundreds of thousands of items must be removed, delivered and refitted ahead of 29th August 2012.
Paul Deighton, Chief Executive, LOCOG said: "The transition to what will be the largest Paralympic Games ever is a huge operation in a short time period. We need to get everything right for the athletes, spectators and media alike and UPS has been a key partner in helping us ensure the process goes smoothly and that we are ready to stage a spectacular Paralympic Games."
For the Paralympic Games specifically, examples of the hundreds of thousands of items UPS will handle include:
4,850 Eye Patches for Goalball
1,626 Assorted Weights for Weightlifting
4,312 Court Surface Mats for Table Tennis
10,000 Rifles for Shooting
4,000 Water Bottles for Cycling
280 Court Dividers for Boccia
430 Shot Puts
200 Discus Discs
75 Start Blocks for Athletics
Outside of venues, UPS has also been supporting ParalympicsGB in their preparations by delivering the official team kit to homes and sport headquarters all across the UK. Once the team has been able to test sizes, make adaptations and even wear in and wash their kits, UPS will collect it again and deliver into the Paralympic Village direct into each athlete's room.
Other aspects of the Olympic Games infrastructure which also require adaptations, include the athlete's coaches. In order to increase wheelchair capacity, 3000 seats will be removed from coaches and UPS will store them in such a way so that they can be inventoried and returned to exactly the same coach and position they came from.
So far, in its role as the Official Logistics and Express Delivery Supporter to London 2012, UPS has successfully planned for and managed a series of complex logistics operations, running 24 hours a day. This included, keeping venues replenished and prepared for the flow of the competition to run smoothly, as well as transitioning venues during the Olympic Games. If you take the Olympic Stadium as an example, as the Opening Ceremony came to a climax, the logistics team were already setting to work, moving all of the sports equipment for track and field events into the venue throughout the night.
UPS is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services required to produce the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. By the end of the Games, it is estimated that UPS will have handled 30 million items, including 1 million pieces of sporting equipment for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For more facts and figures and up-to-date information on all UPS's Olympic operations, why not follow us on Twitter at @UPS_London2012
