
Yet, as can be seen from this documentary footage of Mr. Claus, Santa was abiding by this ideal many years earlier. His chagrin, when asked to “push” toys that were slow movers, indicates St. Nick’s abhorrence for speculative production also known as overproduction. After all, the Christmas list was the original Kanban. Without this pull system, Santa’s elves would, like many manufacturers, always be very busy building the wrong things; and Santa would have to leave backorder notes under the tree on Christmas morning. As for standardization, anyone familiar with Norad’s Santa tracker will attest to his standardized conveyance route. And Oh! What a Takt time for the jolly old elf! I have to admit that despite my enduring admiration for Toyota’s Production System, none other than Santa Claus is the penultimate just-in-time provider. Thank you, Santa.
To everyone else, ho ho ho. Have a restful and happy holiday. Gratitude.
O.L.D.