Blendtec: Genchi Genbutsu and Visual Management

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We went to Costco last weekend and there was a demonstration for Blendtec Blender – you know, those Blendtec “Will it Blend” viral videos on YouTube with that white-coat crazy scientist Blendtec founder blending everything from brooms to the iPhone.

As a side-note: I met the founder and CEO of Blendtec, Tom Dickson, about 12 months ago – yeah, he’s the white-coat guy that blends everything. He’s really cool and very friendly. Well, about a year later I finally bought one. Here’s a picture of me and the founder:

I have to say that I was very, very impressed with the demonstration. Well, after a few minutes of watching the demonstration, we bought one.

At the demonstration, he made soup – and, get this: the friction of the blade made the soup piping hot! Pretty amazing. The guy demonstrating Blendtec made a bunch of other stuff also that was good.

But here’s the business lesson: during the Blendtec presentation, this is what the presenter said:

Blendtec was designed to be higher than the standard kitchen cupboard so that the customer won’t be able to put it away. The customer has to keep Blendtec on the kitchen counter because our field studies have shown that if the Blendtec Blender is out in the open, it will be used more.

Needless to say, I was impressed by this. In his explanation, he showed an application of Genchi Genbutsu – through their field studies and studying how customers used the Blendtec Blender in their own homes; and also Visual Management, by explaining that if the Blendtec Blender is out in the open, customers will use it more than if the Blendtec Blender was hidden in the kitchen cupboard.

Their manufacturing facility is close to where I live – I’d love to tour their plant someday.

Well, I’m glad we got a Blendtec Blender. I’m looking forward to trying new recipes with this super, duper Blendtec Blender.

Here’s a video of Blendtec eating up the iPhone 4.