On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of SGS Productivity, we share experiences from companies that have known how to use Lean as a tool for evolution and consolidation.
Hinojosa is a leading company in the design and manufacture of sustainable packaging solutions. With more than 75 years of history, its model is based on the principles of the circular economy.
Thanks to continuous innovation, customer focus and the pursuit of excellence, the group has continued to grow, experiencing a significant boost in recent years through its commitment to internationalization. Today it has 3,000 employees and 24 production plants located in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, combining the strength of a global group with proximity to the local area.
Hinojosa’s commitment and performance is to generate a positive impact wherever it operates, contributing to greater collective well-being. Because it is not only about manufacturing the best packaging, but also about caring for everything around it.
What led you to implement Lean in your company?
We identified an urgent need to improve the efficiency of our production and administrative processes. We were operating with traditional, poorly standardized methodologies, which generated inefficiencies, downtime and variability in quality. We were looking for a transformation that would impact not only operational results, but also the work culture: we wanted to involve people in improvement, empower them and encourage proactivity by fostering ownership of results through autonomy and the growth of both the employee and the organization.
What have you achieved thanks to Lean?
We have achieved a deep transformation. At a cultural level, today the team is much more aligned, with common goals and a continuous improvement mindset. At an operational level, we have reduced changeover times, improved OEE in the plant, and standardized key processes. In addition, visibility and control over production have improved substantially thanks to visual tools and daily tracking systems. All of this has led to the conscious elimination of waste and therefore to an improvement in material and production efficiency.
What was the key moment of the project?
Without a doubt, when we implemented visual management boards and structured production meetings. Having a structured communication process that covers the organization 360º, ensuring that information reaches where it is needed to take action, was impressive. Seeing how, in just a few months, teams began to identify problems themselves, propose actions and make decisions based on data. The level of involvement and empowerment grew exponentially. It was the moment when we felt that the methodology had truly been integrated.
Why did you choose us?
We chose SGS Productivity for its practical approach, its ability to adapt to our specific characteristics and its proven experience in industrial environments like ours. From the very beginning, you understood our needs and knew how to combine methodological rigor with a closeness that gave us great confidence. Likewise, the methodology proposed in its Lean management system places our core pillar, people, at the center, which is directly aligned with our own culture.
If you had to define the collaboration with SGS Productivity in one sentence… what would it be?
The change has been remarkable. At the beginning, there was reluctance and skepticism. Today, many area managers are true improvement leaders. They take initiative, manage indicators, train their teams and propose improvements. We have created a solid foundation of operational leadership that did not exist before, and this is noticeable in daily work, helping both the organization and the people within it to grow. A shared transformation journey, with visible results and committed people.