As part of our 20th anniversary, we continue sharing real stories of transformation with companies that have embraced continuous improvement as a driver of sustainable evolution.
Today we speak with Alfredo Cabrera, Logistics Organization Manager at Consum, a worker-owned cooperative and one of the leading retail chains along the Mediterranean arc. He shares how Lean has helped them standardize processes in their logistics platforms, strengthen employee engagement, and improve perceived quality for both the team and their customers.
What made you decide to implement Lean in your company?
As a worker-owned cooperative, our continuous improvement efforts began with a focus on enhancing employee satisfaction at our workplaces, encouraging communication through 5-minute meetings at the start of each shift, promoting the sharing of improvement ideas, and organizing team-building activities.
We realized that we needed to improve process standardization across different logistics centers and work shifts, encourage greater staff participation, and align with management’s objectives.
That’s why we turned to a company specialized in Lean.
What results have you achieved through the implementation of Lean?
Thanks to Lean, we’ve achieved a clear improvement in process standardization, quality, and productivity — which, in turn, has increased store satisfaction.
What was the key moment or highlight of the project?
Traditionally, continuous improvement had always been a complementary activity with no direct impact on management. Although we tracked indicators, they were monthly. The key to success was shifting to daily indicators, managed directly by the work teams, allowing them to influence results through improvement opportunities and work standards. Employees feel heard and actively involved in the improvement process.
Why did you choose SGS PRODUCTIVITY?
After a long experience with various consultancies, we realized we needed more specialized support in Lean.
Tell us about a memorable moment you’ve had working with SGS Productivity.
In our self-assessments, we usually score very high; however, through SGS PRODUCTIVITY’s audits, we discovered a great improvement potential we thought barely existed.
In what ways has your team evolved over the course of the project?
We’ve provided extensive training, and the team has grown in knowledge, and above all, in a clear focus on process improvement, productivity, and quality. All of this has been achieved with strong employee involvement.
If you had to sum up your collaboration with SGS productivity in just one sentence…what would it be?
The Lean management system we’ve implemented in our logistics platforms has contributed greatly to our business objectives by improving our customers’ perception of service and quality, all thanks to the involvement of our employees, which in turn has boosted their satisfaction and sense of belonging.
In short: Happy employees, satisfied customers.