I like your planer analogy, though it is indeed off for woodworkers, but in a way that’s rather nuanced, so it doesn’t inhibit getting the idea across to normal people who don’t know a lot about intricacies or working with wood.
There are a couple of reasons why it would be hard to change the upstream process to not necessitate planers. The main one is that logs are typically ripped into boards when the wood is still green, and in the process of drying, boards change shape and dimensions: they bow, cup, warp, and shrink, and you might still need a planer to bring them back to flatness and to desired final thickness.
I guess the only way to change it would be to rip them when they are green... dry them to a decently low moisture content and then plane them again. it's still a bit off since wood is never static and the differential in moisture between the shop and your shop can also change the wood. you really do need to dimension it after it has stabilized in your shop for a spell.
There are a couple of reasons why it would be hard to change the upstream process to not necessitate planers. The main one is that logs are typically ripped into boards when the wood is still green, and in the process of drying, boards change shape and dimensions: they bow, cup, warp, and shrink, and you might still need a planer to bring them back to flatness and to desired final thickness.