8 million pick-ups and deliveries are expected every week in the Paris Region during the summer of 2024, almost double the flow of goods during ordinary periods. And with good reason: the French capital is set to welcome 15 million visitors during the Olympic Games! While this will be one of the most significant events of the decade for Paris, it also brings with it major logistical challenges for transport operators.
Does your company make deliveries in the Paris region? This article is for you! D&figroupe, a specialist in goods transportation in Paris, gives you all the advice you need to continue your daily logistics operations during the Paris Olympics 2024.
Tip 1: Find out about traffic restrictions in Paris during the Olympic and Paralympic Games
In order to anticipate the impact of the Olympic Games on freight transport with peace of mind, it is important that professionals are kept fully informed of their organization. To this end, the government has set up the "Anticipate the Games" platform, a website dedicated to preparing for the Games. It contains, among other things:
- An interactive map showing hour-by-hour impacts on road traffic and public transport during the Olympic Games in the Paris region.
- An action plan tailored to your logistics needs: all you have to do to generate it is answer a few questions about your business.
- A kit for companies: it includes a brochure, pre-written messages, posters and digital media to optimize your communication with your customers, employees, service providers and any other partners, of any facilities you may be planning during the Games of 2024.
- A FAQ for professionals to answer all your questions about the organization of transport in Paris during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Tip No. 2: Manage your stocks and deliveries during the Paris Olympics 2024
Supermarkets, retail, catering and tourism are the sectors likely to see the biggest increase in demand during the summer of 2024. Efficient inventory and delivery management is essential to avoid supply disruptions. This is why 15% of logistics operators have placed larger orders than usual, to reduce the number of deliveries.
However, this solution is not feasible for all players. Restaurants, for example, are heavily dependent on fresh produce. For them, it's crucial to reorganize deliveries taking into account traffic restrictions, not only in the Olympic zones, but also in the surrounding areas which will inevitably be affected.
Read also: the essentials of last-mile e-commerce delivery.
As far as possible, we need to reduce delivery frequencies. But this means increasing storage space. Adopting logistics pooling and using a logistics service provider to consolidate goods flows in the city is an effective solution for managing supplies.
Tip No. 3: Give preference to staggered delivery times, when the impact of the Olympic Games on goods transport is less pronounced.
Between midnight and 6 a.m. during the Olympic Games, road traffic is likely to flow more smoothly. Night-time delivery is an effective solution for easing traffic congestion in the capital during the day. Shops can therefore be delivered in time to replenish their stocks and shelves, to avoid stock-outs.
However, out-of-hours delivery is not feasible for all types of logistical requirements, such as home or office deliveries and express runs. What's more, it involves a number of constraints:
- a butcher who receives his meat before 6 a.m. has to re-deliver his restaurant customers during opening hours;
- the need to use silent logistics equipment (electric tailgate, electric pallet carrier, tailgate covered with noise-absorbing coating, etc.) to avoid disturbing residents at night;
- Receiving goods overnight requires staff if there is no secure airlock, which represents a significant cost for retailers.
Tip No. 4: Adapt the mode of transport to the logistics requirement
To overcome traffic problems in urban areas, many companies have adopted cyclologistics as a means of delivery. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the cargo bike is faster than an electric van in city centers, for example, because it can take alternative routes (pedestrian zones, small alleyways, contra-flow streets, red perimeters, etc.).
During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, cyclologistics can prove very useful, especially for re-deliveries, express deliveries and home deliveries. In fact, the areas concerned will be inaccessible to motorized vehicles during certain hours: around 2 h 30 before the start of the first event and up to 1 h after the end of the last.
Foot deliveries can also be used for small deliveries to relieve traffic congestion.
However, these two solutions do not meet all logistical needs. The low load-bearing capacity of a delivery bike means it can't supply stores. Similarly, delivery on foot is costly, given its limited productivity.
Another suggested option is river transport, which is not affected by traffic jams and enables deliveries to be made right in the heart of Paris, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions. However, it needs to be complemented by other modes of transport for the last kilometer (scooters, bicycles, vans, etc.).
However, it is important to bear in mind the limitations that river transport will experience during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as at certain times of the day. During these events, most of the quays and lanes along the Seine will be closed to all motorized traffic.
Tip 5: Pool your storage and delivery logistics operations
As you know, the massification of delivery flows makes it possible to reduce transport and storage costs and optimize the supply chain. To achieve this, some professionals form collectives to organize their logistics operations in common, by renting a shared warehouse or pooling their orders to use just one vehicle at a time.
Although this type of initiative is highly effective, governance between several players can prove complicated. Calling on a logistics service provider allows you to benefit from the advantages of logistics pooling, without constraints.
D&fiGroupe offers you an outsourcing service tailored to your needs. A dedicated contact person will be assigned to you to organize your procurement and delivery operations throughout the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Thanks to our extensive network of carriers, we can deliver your products to the heart of the capital using a variety of modes of transport and at different times to optimize the management of your logistics.
Conclusion: how are transport and logistics companies preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Paris Region?
Anticipating traffic restrictions during the Olympic Games 2024 is essential to avoid any stock-outs or loss of earnings for logistics companies and their customers. That's why it's important to follow these 4 key recommendations:
- find out more on the "Anticipating games" website dedicated to professionals;
- adapt inventory management and delivery frequency to traffic constraints ;
- If possible, modify delivery times to take advantage of periods when traffic is free-flowing;
- choose the mode of transport to suit your needs ;
- surround yourself with logistics professionals to optimize your performance.
Did you find these tips useful? Discover more logistics tips to optimize your supply chain.
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