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JANUARY 2018 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 97 ka was all developed in-house in the Invent- ing Room, the organization's R&D lab. Driv- en by data mined from his voice of the custom- er program, Wonka was also concerned with eliminating waste for his customers as well. The invention of the Three Course Dinner stick of gum was intended to reduce waste in the home, as food, cooking time, and kitchens for that matter, are all eliminated by a single stick of gum! Inventory Waste Inventory has been minimized through the organization's just-in-time program, which has been implemented both internally and exter- nally. All manufacturing processes utilize a kanban pull system that minimizes work-in- process inventory by only manufacturing what is needed, when it is needed. This system has also been implemented with Wonka's raw ma- terial suppliers, who have eliminated raw ma- terial inventory through electronic data inter- change transactions and supplier-managed in- ventory programs. Kanbans have also been set up with Wonka's retail customers so that prod- uct replenishment is driven by consumption, not forecast. Overproduction Waste Overproduction waste is minimized in a variety of ways at the Wonka Chocolate Fac- tory. First, the Wonka voice of the customer program assures that the factory is only mak- ing products that customers want, eliminat- ing finished goods obsolescence. Next, the kanban pull continuous flow manufacturing system minimizes the work-in-process inven- tory that normally builds up between oper- ations. Finally, the six sigma process perfor- mance level keeps defects to a minimum, and the just-in-time kanban systems eliminate raw material and finished goods inventory at the Wonka factory. Transportation Waste Transit time waste was greatly reduced by utilizing a very impressive global logistics sys- tem to distribute Willy Wonka candy bars from the factory to retail outlets throughout the world. Order fulfillment is accomplished via a massive, well-oiled freight division that utiliz- es company-owned ground and air transpor- tation. A cutting-edge "Television Chocolate" technology is also currently under development that will transport a chocolate bar through the TV to customers all over the world, thus elimi- nating transit time waste. 4 — Life Imitates Art Or does art imitate life? In the end, Char- lie's dad gets his job back at the toothpaste factory as a robot technician, keeping the machine that replaced him operating. One of the biggest fears people have of Lean is that they will no longer be needed. Charlie's dad was retrained and redeployed at a new position that was much more personally enriching, which happens every day in the real world. Willy Wonka's processes were environmen- tally friendly, with much of the by-products edible and biodegradable. The bottom line is that, yes, Willy Wonka was a Lean visionary and his Chocolate Factory a study in the ulti- mate goal of Lean: manufacturing perfection! Although this is obviously a tongue-in-cheek look at a fictional company, the concepts and theory liberally applied by the author's imagi- nation are technically sound and based in fact. It then follows that, if Lean can be success- fully implemented in the fantastical setting of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, it most certainly will work in your company. Conclusion: Lean Works I would be willing to take it a step farther and state that I can guarantee that Lean will work in any industry, in any organization if the following two conditions are met: (1) Senior management must fully buy in to the program, and (2) it is implemented correctly. As with any new program, initiative, or philos- ophy, management buy-in and commitment is mission critical. Lean is not free, or even cheap, when you consider the time and human resources that must be expended on a regular basis. It takes money to save money, and an organization