Deutz Spain remained competitive even though it was in Zafra-Badajoz (Spain), more than 3,000 km (1,900 miles) away from its main customer, Deutz AG, and its main suppliers. And not just that, Deutz Spain was a benchmark in the DEUTZ AG group in terms of quality and service, and Fernando Angulo had become responsible for the Machining Competence Center of the entire German group. One hundred and fifty years of engine manufacturing history in this Extremadura city and more than a decade of "Lean journey" and Continuous Improvement underpinned this success This case presents the history of Deutz Spain, starting at its origins as an iron foundry and agricultural machinery manufacturer in the late 19th century and moves on to describe the continuous improvement and Lean processes they undertook, their models, tools, and results, emphasizing the human resources plan and the company’s environmental, health, and safety goals. The final reflections put back on the table the recurring dilemma of the need to keep improving to remain competitive, and whether to hire external talent or retrain the existing profiles.
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