After thorough assessment by trained examiners and accomplished business professionals, Hologic, Costa Rica Free Zone Coyol has been awarded the internationally recognized Shingo Prize from the Shingo Institute, a program of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

LOGAN, Utah – The Shingo Institute , a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University , has awarded its top and most prestigious honor, the Shingo Prize, to Hologic , Coyol, Costa Rica.

“Receipt of the Shingo Prize is a worldwide recognized symbol of an organization’s successful establishment of a culture anchored on principles of enterprise excellence, such as respect for every individual, leading with humility, quality at the source, the quest for perfection, and creating value for the customer,” said Ken Snyder, executive director at the Shingo Institute. “Ultimately, these recipients are in a class of the best organizations in the world, regardless of industry or country.”

“The Shingo Prize affirms the purpose-driven ethos of Hologic Costa Rica,” said Nilo Caravaca, Hologic’s vice president of operations for Costa Rica and Latin America. “This recognition reflects what is at the heart of our mission: pursuing continuous improvement that allows us to deliver services and products of the highest quality with the goal of enabling healthier lives everywhere, every day,” he said.

Hologic as a medical devices manufacturing company in Costa Rica, is a crucial part of the global medical innovator and women’s health champion Hologic, which focuses on early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Hologic provides its lifesaving and life-changing products in more than 110 countries. Its advancements include invention of the world’s first commercial 3D mammography system to fight breast cancer; leadership in testing for cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, respiratory illnesses, and the virus that causes COVID-19; and minimally invasive surgical technologies for uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding. The company also advocates for women through the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which provides a science-backed data roadmap for improving women’s well-being, and Project Health Equality, which elevates awareness, research insights, and access to quality care for underserved women.

Medical devices manufacturing

Hologic Costa Rica makes medical devices for breast and surgical health and provides financial services for various Hologic sites. The team’s manufacturing lines include the NovaSure ablation system for abnormal uterine bleeding, the MyoSure surgical system for uterine fibroids, the Brevera and Eviva breast biopsy systems, and markers used in breast surgeries.

In recent years, Hologic Costa Rica has increasingly implemented the Shingo Model to build a systemic culture centered on its employees. This holistic emphasis on excellence has enabled the team to overcome challenges such as increased global competition, greater customer expectations, growing product lines, and the economic impacts of COVID-19.

“We are very happy and proud to be awarded the Shingo Prize,” said Paula Astorga, senior manager of new production introduction and support engineering for Hologic Costa Rica. “This has been a wonderful journey of operational excellence that has helped us to develop our internal culture based on the Shingo Guiding Principles. We have seen great results because our people are highly engaged in delivering world-class results.”

By “challenging” or applying for Shingo recognition, organizations invite a group of accomplished professionals and examiners to thoroughly review their culture and operations. The examiners evaluate the challengers based on a rigorous set of standards and the Shingo Institute awards the organizations according to their assessment results.

Representatives of Hologic Costa Rica will receive the Shingo Prize during the institute’s Awards Gala at the 34th Annual Shingo Conference held on May 19–20, 2022 in Orlando, Florida, USA.

The hybrid conference will feature keynotes and interactive breakout sessions. Attendees will also have the option to add pre-conference workshops and company tours to their agenda. The annual conference is designed to provide ongoing knowledge, insights, and experience for organizations in their pursuit of operational excellence.

About the Shingo Institute

The Shingo Institute is home of the Shingo Prize, an award that recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture that fosters continuous improvement. A program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser, Shigeo Shingo. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems, and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Production System.

Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model, which is the basis for its several educational offerings, including workshops, webinars, podcasts, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute’s licensed affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates, or to register to attend the Annual Shingo Conference, please visit www.shingo.org.