Foreword 4.indd - Tata Steel

Achieving success
As you will see in the interview with one of our new
product managers, Andrew Milner, the business
is focused on achieving success. This edition of
Foreword is very much about success—defining it,
working towards it and achieving it, not only for our
business, but crucially also for our customers and
others involved in manufacturing industry.
In the opening article on page 4,
Foreword interviews Andrew Milner,
one of three new product managers.
Responding to some tough questions,
Andrew talks about the new focus on
product management.
On page 6 there’s an article about the
planned Financial Shared Services centre
at Port Talbot in South Wales and how
that will affect customers.
Understanding our products and how to
use them is vital to achieving success in
new product design and manufacture.
The new literature shown on page 7
includes both basic and advanced data
on some of our high-strength steels.
The screen sales module on e-SURE
—a relatively new venture—has been a
great success. The main on-line order
management system that supports it has
operated for over fifteen years. Foreword
looks at the benefits of the latest version
of this system on page 8. The e-SURE
system was a regional finalist in the
Best Use of Technology category of
the National Business Awards last year,
which is an indication of how far the
system has come in that time.
Things are hotting up at the Zodiac
galvanising line, where a £4.4M
investment described on page 9 will
increase output and add new steels
to the range. This is part of a £212M
round of investments that aims to help
the business compete successfully and
deliver the products and services that
will help our customers to do that too.
As sponsor of Coventry University’s MA
Automotive Design show, Corus is proud
to celebrate the creative achievements of
what are likely to be some of the world’s
most talented automotive designers in
the future. Designs from the show are on
page 10. Some of the topics discussed
during the Automotive Industry Forum
hosted by Corus at the Design show
are included with this article, as well
as the result of the Best Production
Exterior category at the Interior Motives
Design Awards 2004—another Corus
sponsorship.
Success in manufacturing is rather
more complex than it used to be.
Environmental awareness has dramatically
changed the way manufacturers satisfy
the needs of their markets. On page 14,
Foreword looks at Blagden Packaging
to see the influence of environmental
considerations upon their finished
products and how our steel helps.
As an upstream manufacturer, we
understand that our success depends
upon that of our customers. On page 16,
Foreword speaks to Trevor Harvey, CEO
of Caradon Plumbing, about how Corus
and his company have worked together
to help create success.
The News in brief section on page 18
talks about the annual visit to Corus
of senior automotive industry figures
and tier-one suppliers and the Business
Commitment to the Environment and
Steel Business Briefing awards.
I would also like to mention the
appointment of a new Managing Director,
Phil Dryden, since we last published
Foreword. Nick Busby also joins us
as Commercial Manager, Transport,
which includes the yellow goods and
automotive sectors.
Success is something that has to be
re-defined often. As goals are achieved,
the bar is raised—or the market simply
raises it for us. We believe that we have
come a long way, but are working hard
all the time to improve our products
and services. The recent favourable
financial results of Corus and our positive
contribution towards them are further
signs of success.
If you have any suggestions about the
magazine, please let us know. I wish you
every success in the coming year.
Joe Vazquez
Commercial Director
Corus Strip Products UK