The Five-Link Chain: Is Your Supply Chain Fit for the London Olympics? Asks Martyn Broadhead (London 2012‪)‬

In July, a full year before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, the first dry run events took place at various Olympic sites. Although successful and on schedule, completion of the final event stadia was never really in doubt. However, sceptics have voiced concerns about the UK's general ability to get big projects completed on time and without hiccups. The London Olympics are reportedly due to bring in a huge number of visitors to London and parts of Britain from the 27 July to 12 August 2012, with London tourism chiefs estimating 5.5 million day visitors travelling in from outside of London and 500,000 looking to stay overnight in London. One thing is for sure; the 7 million tickets on offer will all be taken. The impact of the increased number of people coming to London will put a strain on transport, retail and the hospitality industry in particular, but there are obvious rewards. Oxford Economics has put the financial gain from tourism for London at about [pounds sterling]1.47 billion during the 2007-2017 period, with the short-term benefits for the capital coming in at [pounds sterling]300 million. For retailers and their supply chains, there is the potential for significant increases in business and revenues; but, as we've established, preparation is everything. Unprecedented Scale Needs Solid Tech