Veteran Engineering Leader Highlights the Need for Smarter Workflows in Regulated Sectors
SAN ANTONIO, TX, December 24, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In a recent spotlight interview titled "Paul Arrendell: From Systems Engineer to Industry Leader", respected quality executive Paul Arrendell shares a timely message for professionals in healthcare, engineering, and manufacturing: productivity shouldn't be about moving faster—it should be about moving smarter.
With over 30 years of leadership experience at companies like Abbott Diagnostics, KCI Medical, and Becton Dickinson, Arrendell's career has centred on building scalable quality systems that reduce errors, improve consistency, and help global teams thrive under pressure.
"We tried a sprint model once. Ten teams, ten versions of the same form," Arrendell explains in the interview. "It looked fast, but we were redoing everything. We had to go back and build something that actually worked long-term."
Why It Matters: The Productivity Crisis in Technical Fields
According to a 2023 McKinsey report, 40% of engineers in healthcare and manufacturing report high levels of deadline pressure, yet only 12% say it improves performance. Many of these teams operate in high-risk environments where speed without structure can lead to product recalls, audit failures, and patient risk.
Arrendell warns that the typical sprint-style workflow doesn't work well in these environments.
"You can't sprint your way through an FDA inspection," he says. "You need systems that guide people, catch issues early, and build trust across teams."
The Solution: Simple, Scalable, System-Based Workflows
In the interview, Arrendell describes how visible workflows, shared accountability, and reduced process friction helped his teams deliver better results. One of his strategies was turning complex quality forms into visual checklists with clear deadlines—cutting internal product hold times by 40%.
He also encourages teams to track process friction, not just time spent. In one example, a team realised that change approvals were taking 11 days to clear, even though the actual changes took only 2 hours. Fixing that bottleneck made a bigger difference than any productivity tool or deadline pressure ever could.
A Call to Action for Professionals and Leaders
Arrendell is not asking for new tech or fancy tools. He's asking people to look closer at how they work—and to fix what's slowing them down. He suggests a few simple steps any professional can take:
Track where work gets stuck, not just where it gets done
Create shared systems that don't depend on "hero mode"
Turn reports into feedback loops that lead to change
Train for understanding, not just task completion
"If your process only works because two people know the shortcuts, it's not a system. It's a ticking clock," he says.
Paul Arrendell is a seasoned engineering and quality executive with over three decades of experience in the medical device and manufacturing industries. He has led global quality systems at top companies and served on the College of Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Texas at Arlington. His leadership philosophy centres on systems thinking, mentorship, and sustainable performance.
He has been featured in Fortune Magazine, recognised as Top Chief Quality Officer of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals, and listed among San Antonio's Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders.
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