Medline Industries Inc. Recognized with Affiliates Choice for Systems Excellence
April 2, 2026 – the Shingo Institute
Medline Industries Recognized with the Affiliates Choice for Systems Excellence
LOGAN, Utah—April 2, 2026—The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, is pleased to announce that Medline Industries has been selected for the Affiliates Choice for Systems Excellence recognition. This honor is awarded to affiliate‑nominated organizations that have developed and matured a model system aligned with the Shingo Guiding Principles, with measurable improvement over time clearly attributable to that system.
Nominated by Opex Academy, a Shingo Licensed Affiliate, Medline is being recognized for its Strategic Planning System, which supports the organization’s purpose to “make healthcare run better.” Medline’s approach is rooted in solving problems across the continuum of care, ensuring that improvement efforts translate into meaningful value for patients, providers, and healthcare systems.
Medline’s strategic planning system brings alignment to scale, connecting purpose, priorities, and mindset across approximately 10,000 employees who collectively produce 900,000 surgical kits each day through operations in the United States and Mexico, enabled by the Medline Kitting Operation System. Senior leadership reinforces this alignment through a disciplined strategy deployment process, clear and consistent communication, and active employee engagement, ensuring that strategic intent is reflected in daily work throughout the organization.
This integrated, system‑level approach has delivered tangible results. Medline has achieved consistent year‑over‑year revenue growth, strengthened quality performance, and realized cost savings, while continuing to earn recognition as a top employer. These outcomes reflect a mature strategic planning system that supports enterprise alignment, fosters engagement, and enables reliable execution in a complex healthcare environment.
“Medline Industries demonstrates how a clearly aligned strategic planning system can connect purpose, people, and performance,” said Ken Snyder, Executive Director of the Shingo Institute. “Their disciplined approach to strategy deployment and engagement across a large, distributed workforce exemplifies the principles of systems excellence and makes them a deserving recipient of the Affiliates Choice for Systems Excellence Recognition.”
Medline Industries was formally recognized at the Shingo Connect Awards Gala in San Diego, California, on March 19, 2026. Shingo Connect bring professionals from across industries together to learn, connect, and grow with one shared goal: to improve every day. To learn more about the event, please visit https://shingo.org/events.
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of 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, one of the world's thought leaders in 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, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, 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 an event, please visit https://shingo.org.
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