The Challenge: Medtronic MiniMed’s Insulin Pump location in Northridge, California, recognized the need to enhance their Lean initiatives. Despite having significant resources for their Lean Beach initiative, there was a gap in diversity and Spanish-speaking capabilities. To address this, Carlos Conejo was brought on board to train over 120 employees on Lean principles.
Insights: Carlos Conejo’s unique contribution was the introduction of diversity and Spanish-speaking capabilities to Medtronic’s Lean initiative. Recognizing the importance of reaching all employees, his insight was to implement a comprehensive 13-week curriculum covering basic, intermediate, and advanced Lean principles.
The Solution: Carlos structured the training by dividing the group into project teams, each tasked with implementing changes simultaneously in various areas, including the engineering and testing lab, and the production floor for both the insulin pump and hypodermic needle groups. This approach ensured a holistic and integrated transformation of the entire operation.
The Results: The implementation of Lean principles under Carlos Conejo’s guidance yielded numerous successful and significant improvements. A notable achievement was the optimization of a specific department, enabling them to complete their daily work in less time. Leveraging the flexibility of this success, the decision was made to close the department when the daily work was completed and redeploy the skilled employees to other areas of the company where their expertise was needed. This demonstrated true flexibility and adaptability, showcasing the power of Lean principles in maximizing efficiency and resource utilization across Medtronic MiniMed. Carlos Conejo’s approach not only enhanced Lean practices but also fostered a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability within the organization.
