The 12 Days of Christmas Day 9 – All wrapped up: Why outsourcing IT gives the gift of time

Deep inside the North Pole, beyond the jingling bells, flying reindeer and hot chocolate fountains, sits a bustling office full of spreadsheets, upgrade requests, performance reviews and more than a few broken printers. While most people imagine Santa’s workshop as a place only for toy makers, the truth is that Christmas has gone digital. And at the centre of it all sits our elf friend Finn, the overworked office elf with a bobble hat, a spreadsheet obsession and absolutely no time to troubleshoot the sleigh-tracking system… again. 

For years, Finn handled everything: HR files for the elves, inventory for toy parts, reindeer resource planning, global gift delivery forecasting, and even the odd computer crash when the snow clogged up the servers. He loved his job, but as the Christmas season grew more complex, even his magical spreadsheets couldn’t keep up. “We need proper software!” he cried, as another reindeer allocation error threatened to double-book Rudolf on the same shift. 

That’s when Santa made the smartest business decision since switching from handwritten lists to barcoded stockings: he outsourced the North Pole’s IT and brought in a proper cloud-based solution. With Unit4 ERP supporting everything from finance to logistics, Santa and his festive workforce could finally stop worrying about system failures and start focusing on what they do best — spreading joy. 

Suddenly, Finn found himself with time to do important things, like redesign the elf rota to include biscuit breaks, or upgrade the sleigh’s speed statistics with real-time data. Unit4 ERP allowed each department to work seamlessly, using a shared platform that automatically updated data across Santa’s operations. The workshop could check stock levels instantly, HR could predict elf training needs, and finance could approve budgets without anyone sending 42 emails and a candy-cane signed form. 

Of course, even the most powerful software needs the right support team. Outsourcing IT meant Santa no longer had to keep his own server room, which freed up valuable space now used to store experimental wrapping bows. With expert consultants managing updates, integrations and support, the elves didn’t have to panic whenever a warning message popped up. The systems stayed optimised, the data stayed secure, and upgrades appeared like Christmas morning presents — without the stress. 

Finn realised outsourcing wasn’t about replacing talent; it was about enabling it. Instead of spending whole nights stuffing cables into malfunctioning snowproof boxes, he could now focus on innovation. The elves designed new dashboards to track sustainability metrics in toy production, while Mrs Claus used analytics to introduce a fairer biscuit distribution scheme. Productivity soared, morale jingled, and Santa finally stopped using his sleigh route planner as a coaster for his hot cocoa. 

Now the North Pole works smarter, faster and with a lot less panic. And every December, as Santa takes off in his data-enabled sleigh, powered by accurate forecasting and high-speed reporting, he reminds Finn of one thing: no one saves Christmas alone. The right specialists, the right tools and the right support help everything run like magic. 

So, if your business is stretched thinner than tinsel on a towering tree, follow Santa’s lead. Let the experts handle your IT, and give your team the gift of time, efficiency and peace of mind. After all, even the North Pole knows when to call in reinforcements.