In 1999, ASM’s Heat Treating Society set forth a view of what the ideal future for the heat treating industry would be by the year 2020. Among the goals is to “Achieve zero distortion and maximum uniformity in heat treated parts.” Since heat treating is a crosscutting technology, it affects, and is affected by, many aspects of part design and manufacture. All the parties in the lean manufacturing value chain, including the heat treater, must realize that “everything matters” when trying to eliminate waste. Lean concurrent engineering teams must collaborate to integrate their innovations, they develop seamlessly, into the methods and equipment they use to make and to market their products. The author will review the 1999 ideals set forth in Vision 2020 and how far we have come as of 2017. The author combines his dual perspectives performing traditional commercial heat treating for over 35 years for over 1,200 different customers, as well as his work with many lean part making customers and “heat treat waste-fighting” colleagues commercializing advanced heat treat quenching methods and equipment since 1997.