Case Study

Sustainable Growth with Lean and Continuous Improvement

Goals: achieve sustainable growth across all operations while maintaining a strong commitment to quality, innovation, and excellence

More on Process Manufacturing

More on Lean

The Company

With over a century of history, the company is one of the most iconic in the European beverages sector and is strongly committed to quality, innovation, and excellence. It has remained a family-owned business over the years, producing around 500 million liters annually, and continues to expand into international markets. It operates in 76 countries while staying true to its roots and the traditional values that define it.

The Challenge

The company faced a challenge common to many fast-growing companies: how to continue expanding without compromising efficiency? With consistent double-digit annual growth, the sustainability and optimization of its processes became a priority.

The continuous increase in demand and the accelerated operational expansion highlighted the need to improve production capacity without losing quality. Additionally, it was crucial to ensure that the administrative areas kept pace with this growth efficiently and permanently.

The Approach

To address these challenges, a Lean program was implemented in 2019, which included creating a Lean School—a space dedicated to training employees in the principles of Daily Kaizen. Over 800 production employees and about 100 mid-level managers were actively involved in driving this transformation and implementing these practices.

In 2021, the methodology was extended to administrative processes with the introduction of Lean Office, involving around 550 employees. This approach included an in-depth operations diagnosis, launching over 50 improvement projects, and generating approximately 850 innovative ideas.

Several workshops were organized to empower teams and align all employees with continuous improvement methodologies. These workshops were held to support the development of Value Stream Analyses (VSAs) and other process analysis methods, aiming to set annual priorities and improvement goals.

The workshops also provided employee training, emphasizing the use of accessible language across all levels of the organization, making it easier to understand and communicate the goals. In addition, they served as a knowledge-sharing platform, fostering collective learning focused on improvement opportunities.

Results

The results of this continuous improvement effort were significant. The initiatives generated profits exceeding 350,000 euros in 2023 through process optimization in the production unit. In administrative operations, the improvements resulted in more than 700,000 euros in savings over three years. This cross-cutting integration of Kaizen principles allowed the company to continue its sustainable growth, increasing efficiency across all its areas.

In addition to the financial benefits, the positive impact of the Lean program resonated throughout the company’s organizational culture, consolidating its position as an example of innovation and leadership in the sector. With digitalization included in the ongoing program, the company continues its journey of sustainable growth, maintaining efficiency and excellence in all its areas.

The implementation of this program has shown the company first-hand that improving all aspects of work guarantees success. By becoming a benchmark in the food industry, the company also hosts benchmarking tours at its facilities, sharing best practices, challenges, and trends in the food sector.

This case study illustrates the transformative impact of a structured approach aligned with the principles of continuous improvement, which is more than just a methodology: it is a way of moving towards excellence day after day. Through its commitment to the Kaizen methodology, this secular and renowned company has achieved sustainable growth.

We are committed to respecting our clients’ confidentiality. While we have altered or omitted their names, the results are genuine.