The company and its commitment to sustainability

Based in Europe, the company specializes in producing sustainable metal packaging for the food industry, including infant nutrition. With over 350 employees, its operations are divided into three main areas: components (lid production), cans (three-piece can manufacturing), and printing.

Over the past two years, the company embarked on a cultural transformation journey, implementing continuous improvement (CI) routines. This transformation has propelled it from underperforming within its group to becoming one of the leading companies in the sustainable packaging segment. Today, the company is recognized for its reliable delivery performance and close collaboration with customers while maintaining a strong focus on operational excellence.

The operational challenge

The company aimed to strengthen its leadership position by achieving better operational results and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous development.

An initial analysis identified the following opportunities to enhance existing processes:

• Effectively integrating customer feedback into improvement initiatives, establishing it as a strategic pillar.
• Making KPIs more tangible and understandable for employees, enabling them to see how their work directly impacts results.
• Improving communication between teams and promoting a culture of engagement and accountability.

Journey of transformation and continuous improvement

To address the identified challenges, the company committed to transforming its organizational culture by adopting a mindset of continuous improvement at all levels and actively engaging all employees in the change process.

The cultural and continuous improvement transformation program, grounded in Kaizen principles and Lean Manufacturing methodology, aimed to enhance performance and quality while aligning all employees with the company’s strategic goals. Key actions and tools implemented include:

Implementation of continuous improvement tools and culture

To improve processes and foster a culture of operational excellence, the company introduced improvement routines, trained employees in Kaizen and Lean tools, and organized pilot workshops to test and validate these tools. The main actions undertaken were:

• Performance management and improvement: Control rooms were established in key factory areas, where indicators and opportunities are visually displayed in a clear and accessible way for all employees. Daily team meetings were held in these rooms to analyze operational performance and identify improvement opportunities to be implemented.

• Structured problem-solving: Key opportunities with the most significant impact on the performance and quality of each production area were identified. The company developed and implemented solutions that delivered substantial gains using root cause analysis and structured problem-solving tools, such as the 9-step A3 method. This process was conducted through weekly workshops that engaged the entire team and visually represented the work.
• SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die): The most frequent and high-impact tool changes affecting production line availability were tackled using SMED. This facilitated the reduction of equipment setup times, the elimination of variability in the changeover process, and the training of employees.
• 5S methodology: Applying the 5S method to workspaces improved productivity by reducing the time spent searching for tools and materials, enhancing workplace safety, and boosting employee motivation. Workspaces were visually organized, and tool boards and trolleys were introduced for better storage and accessibility of tools and materials.

• Visual management and KPIs: Visual boards were used to manage improvement actions and track KPIs, increasing team engagement in the improvement process and helping them better understand the impact of these actions on operational results.

Supporting elements for the continuous improvement system and culture

A thriving cultural transformation goes beyond applying Kaizen tools—it requires comprehensive organizational support. The transformation was supported through the following measures:

• Ongoing training: Employees were trained in Kaizen and Lean methodologies, such as Standard Work, with a particular emphasis on Green and Black Belt certification, as well as training in 5S, structured problem-solving, and SMED.

• Leadership involvement: Leadership actively committed to the process by conducting Gemba walks (visits to the workplace) to demonstrate how management decisions aligned with the company’s long-term vision.
• Active employee engagement: Employees were encouraged to participate in identifying opportunities and proposing improvements. A recognition system was also introduced to reward employees who stood out in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Improved management of indicators and KPIs: Visual indicators and daily meetings were implemented to ensure alignment with company objectives and provide employees with a direct view of how their work contributed to results.

Results achieved after project completion

The implementation of the continuous improvement program delivered groundbreaking results, both in production metrics and employee engagement:

1. Waste reduction

The continuous improvement program significantly reduced waste. In the printing department, waste levels dropped from 25% to 12% in 2023—an impressive 52% improvement. In the cans department, waste was reduced from 4.2% to 3.3%.

2. Increased operational efficiency

Operational efficiency showed a positive evolution as well. The OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) in can production increased from 41.5% to 42.3%, reflecting higher productivity and better utilization of the factory’s resources.

3. Development of organizational capabilities

The company made significant strides in developing its organizational capabilities by engaging all employees in regular training on Lean and Kaizen methodologies.

Leadership played an active role, conducting Gemba Walks and consistently aligning the company’s strategic vision with day-to-day operational management decisions.

4. Improved KPI visibility and performance impact

Using 5S boards and performance dashboards provided greater visibility into daily results, helping employees understand how their work directly influenced the company’s KPIs.

5. Sustained and cross-organizational improvement

The company reinforced its commitment to continuous improvement across the organization by encouraging the sharing of best practices between units, implementing digital standards to streamline information exchange and updates, and organizing benchmarking visits to various facilities. These initiatives accelerated the learning process, enhanced agility, and enabled teams to integrate improvements quickly whenever needed.

The cultural transformation and continuous improvement journey led to significant enhancements in production quality and operational efficiency. With a strong and engaged leadership team dedicated to the Kaizen methodology and Lean practices, the company focused on enhancing employee skills and incorporating customer feedback into its improvement efforts. As a result, the company solidified its position as one of the leaders within the group.

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