It doesn’t seem like that long ago when the streets of London were buzzing with the excitement of the Olympics – now, the anticipation moves to Glasgow as we count down to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

London 2012 has raised the bar for host cities and expectations are high – not only in terms of the Games themselves, but also for the businesses and services operating across the city.

Despite widespread cynicism before the 2012 Games, London continued to run business as usual throughout the event despite unprecedented crowds gathering in the capital to watch the action live. This is because businesses planned ahead and put contingencies in place to minimise disruptions.

It’s crucial to the success of the Commonwealth Games that Glasgow builds on this and learns from the 2012 experience to ensure the city runs smoothly. Our local team in the CitySprint Glasgow Service Centre are utilising all the lessons learnt from the Olympic Games in London 2012. Here are a few tips:

Think laterally – you may recall our own contingency plans during the Olympics included increased investment in routing technology, growing our pushbike fleet, using van assistants and even introducing jogging and rollerblading couriers! Be creative and think outside the box to come up with as many plan Bs and Cs as possible.

Test your plans – it’s no good if, when push comes to shove, your plans fall apart, so make sure you test out different scenarios and discuss them with your clients. The more practice you get, the more likely you’ll be a success.

Be flexible – whether that’s remote working, flexible hours, or in the case of distribution firms like ours, arranging to receive deliveries overnight. Allowing some leeway in your day-to-day activities will mean your business can avoid pinch points and maintain an efficient and effective service.

Stay alert – keep up-to-date with the latest news and register with key organisations such as Glasgow 2014 and Glasgow City Council to get the most up-to-date information. Look out for things like temporary road changes, timings of events and congested areas and adapt your plans accordingly.

The Olympics left a great legacy behind in London, showing us what can be achieved when we all work together, and I see no reason why Glasgow 2014 should be any different. So make sure you challenge your service providers to understand how they are prepared so your business can win gold this summer.

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