As part of our 20th anniversary, we spoke with the team at Arcos about how Lean, implemented since 2013 with the support of SGS Productivity, has driven a profound cultural shift. The methodology has expanded across all departments, creating shared goals, teamwork, and a unique way of working built through the involvement of everyone.
What made you decide to implement Lean in your company?
Our first contact with Lean was back in 2013. First, through a course at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and later, thanks to a trip to Asia. We realized there was something very powerful there, but we didn’t know how to implement it.
What results have you achieved through the implementation of Lean?
Without a doubt, Lean has led to a cultural change in how our entire team thinks and works. We now feel more confident when facing future challenges, we have shared goals, we act as a team, and we align our efforts and objectives.
We’ve rolled out the methodology across the entire organization—production, sales, projects, product, logistics, maintenance, IT, procurement, HR, and strategy deployment—getting everyone involved and uniting efforts. That’s the most important part, even more than the economic results, which inevitably follow when you implement Lean this way.
What was the key moment or highlight of the project?
I can’t pinpoint a single key moment—there have been many, and they happen constantly. I could highlight three, though I wouldn’t rank them.
As CEO, it was eye-opening to realize that before the cultural shift began, I didn’t really know how work was being done. Once the methodology was implemented, there was no turning back—improvement becomes infinite
Another key moment was the transformation in the early industrial building projects, where we saw a huge change in day-to-day operations. And finally, it was remarkable when we started to implement Lean principles in other departments because people were asking for it—it was a natural extension. We know we’re improving, and we’re all motivated to keep going.
Why did you choose SGS PRODUCTIVITY?
We came to SGS Productivity through two paths. One was thanks to Tomás, Operations Director at Pikolinos at the time. A conversation with him opened our eyes.
The decisive moment, though, was when our entire technical team visited Muebles Royo. It was a wake-up call—we realized how far behind we were and it put us in our place. It was a true lesson.
Can you share an anecdote you’ve experienced with SGS Productivity?
We’re extremely proud of Agustín, the SGS Productivity project director working with us. We’ve been working together for over 10 years. What struck us from the beginning was that beyond methodology, order, and the strict recipe of early steps, the real key was focusing on people’s involvement and adapting Lean principles to our reality.
We really value how you’ve become involved in our daily operations, gradually transforming everything until we developed our own Arcos Lean method—built by everyone from the leadership team to front-line staff.
A big part of our success is thanks to Agustín Pastor and how he’s brought everyone on board. To us, he wears the Arcos jersey.
If you had to define your collaboration with SGS Productivity in one sentence… what would it be?
The people, the patience to look beyond short-term results, and the consistency in applying the Kaizen spirit give us confidence to look to the future with optimism.