For decades, lean manufacturing has helped food companies eliminate waste, standardize processes and continuously improve operations. But as supply chains become more connected, automated and data-driven, the principles of lean are undergoing their own digital transformation. Digital Lean combines proven continuous-improvement practices with real-time data, connected technologies and increasingly artificial intelligence to give manufacturers greater visibility into plant performance, identify problems faster and make better operational decisions.
For food companies like Hershey that are embracing “lean,” the opportunity extends well beyond the factory floor: more reliable production can translate into better inventory management, greater agility, improved product availability and stronger performance across the entire supply chain.
The Hershey Co., a Pennsylvania-based, industry-leading snacks company, produces some of the world’s best-known confectionery and snack brands, including Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. Hershey's portfolio now spans confection, salty and functional/protein snacking, with more than 20,000 employees worldwide, 85+ brands in approximately 65 countries, and annual revenue exceeding $11.7 billion.
Having a strong digital foundation has become a primary focus, says one manufacturing and supply chain executive at Hershey: “And that foundation generally doesn’t begin with technology. It starts with people, processes and purpose.”
He says there’s a good reason that Hershey is constantly looking for ways to improve its processes: “So that we can continue to meet — or, better, exceed — consumers’ expectations, and deliver high-quality products at an affordable price. A lot of that falls to our manufacturing division, where we’ve spent years putting the right systems in place, hiring and/or training the right talent, building robust data architecture and developing an integrated software system that allows all these areas to work together.”
Hershey’s commitment to manufacturing excellence is nothing new. One important step along the way has been “Hershey Lean.” This refers to the company’s manufacturing operating system that standardized work processes, and changed behavior among its front-line workers and digitized workflows.
From there, Hershey has focused on modernizing and expanding the capacity of its plants. As of December 2025, Hershey operates 23 owned and leased manufacturing plants across six countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India and Malaysia.
Hershey’s investment in a digital backbone established a data and software foundation from which the company can now leap forward. Much has been invested in basic infrastructure, such as servers and networking equipment.
A recent phase of Hershey’s manufacturing excellence journey involved digitizing its Hershey Lean daily management systems. To start, the company established a roadmap and then re-established and standardized all of its processes to make sure they were lean before digitizing anything. This involved meeting with leadership teams to revisit and redesign the processes as needed to make sure they’re running correctly. After that, the company trained employees. Hershey also made sure the entire approach was sustainable.
For Hershey, this corporate journey began in 2024. Since then, the food manufacturer has implemented Digital Lean across all its U.S. candy, mint and gum (CMG) and international sites.
Hershey says this step is critical, as it builds the foundation and prepares for Phase 2 of the company’s strategy: “Connected Worker,” where the company will further enhance how teams access information, collaborate, and execute work.
“In every plant we’ve rolled Connected Worker out in, we’ve seen a lot of excitement and energy around this tool and what it delivers,” continues Venegas. “As our community at large hears about these changes, there’s also a lot of curiosity. Here are answers to some of the most common questions my team receives about Connected Worker, and what this evolution means for Hershey, its customers and consumers.”
What is “Connected Worker” and why is this concept a priority for Hershey? It’s a term that's used to describe an approach that places mobile devices in the hands of production operators so that they are connected to the data coming from the factory operations, they’re connected to information that is relevant to their jobs and they’re connected to each other.
“We call it the ‘one pane of glass’ that allows for communications throughout the factory, because it brings together data from various systems, sources and applications so that our operators have the right information available to them to make decisions,” says Venegas. “It’s built on generative AI, so it has the capability to do a lot of different things.”
Advancing its digital and technology capabilities is a priority for Hershey because it allows for a competitive advantage, both in terms of productivity and savings, at a level hasn’t experienced in the past.
Venegas addresses three critical questions when it comes to the Connected Worker Program:
What are some of the specific changes this technology is bringing to factory operators? It’s moving manufacturing work from paper and binders to intuitive digital tools. Before Connected Worker, there was a heavy reliance on paper checklists and printed manuals. Operator communications didn’t flow efficiently. Training and other documentation were sometimes inconsistent and incomplete; and often, knowledge was transferred informally, from one person to another.
Now, with Connected Worker, operators are digitally connected via mobile devices to their production data, their training and documentation and to each other. They have real-time access to systems, guidance and information and experiences are consistent and repeatable across shifts, roles and plants.
Aside from connectedness throughout the factory, what are some other ways that this tool is being used? Knowledge and training is one important area. These tools allow for the creation of material using generative AI capabilities, so you can film or describe an activity, and then the tool can generate the work process at hand. Workers can then search for those videos and guides, which enables faster onboarding, continuous learning and knowledge preservation. The technology also allows for easy access to information when and where you need it. For example, a QR code on a piece of equipment can bring up related information about training and qualifications. And, because this information is all digitized, it allows you to store it and access it in the future.
Who else benefits from the technology? It has implications across the whole enterprise. Maintenance, for example, is able to track requests clearly and transparently, which enables the team to prioritize and coordinate as needed. In addition, operators can see the maintenance status of their equipment, instead of waiting and wondering as they did in the past.
Supervisors also benefit, because the data is streamlined and they have real-time visibility into what’s happening all around them, with regards to performance; they’re also better connected to their operators and teams. This enables them to spend more time coaching and supporting people, and less time chasing information.
Hershey expects the program to reach all of its manufacturing facilities - both salty snacks and confection locations within the next 14 months.
“Success starts with our people,” says Venegas. “It means operators, maintenance technicians, and manufacturing teams across our global network actively using the Connected Worker platform because it genuinely makes their jobs easier, safer, and more effective. The system becomes a natural part of daily work, supporting clear standards, consistent processes, and real-time access to knowledge where and when it matters most.”
By strengthening process discipline and enabling teams to do their best work every day, Connected Worker elevates the quality of the work environment and increases engagement and job satisfaction on the shop floor. These people-first outcomes translate into measurable business value: reduced waste, higher efficiency, increased line output, and more consistent performance across our global manufacturing operations.
Hershey’s Digital Lean program affects the supply chain primarily by improving the manufacturing link of the end-to-end chain — making production more reliable, responsive and data-driven. Hershey itself connects those factory improvements directly to product availability, inventory, service and supply-chain agility.
The biggest impacts on supply chain include:
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