When Jack Welch had launched the Six Sigma programme at General Electric the company was profitable and growing. But the company had a $4 billion cost reduction opportunity that Welch had identified due to variations in product quality or defects. ASPIRE also seeks to sensitise its Champions to the cost opportunity that exists between the company that is "best in the class" and those that have similar processes.

Through ASPIRE all the company's improvement tools have been dovetailed with each other to benefit the business. Its initial focus on Six Sigma will prompt Tata Steel to identify the primary sources of variation such as unstable parts and materials, inadequacies in design and insufficiencies in process capability. "The role of the management is, .'To Change The Process" rather than badgering individuals to do better", according to Deming. Tata Steel intends to bridge all such inadequacies and insufficiencies to make itself EVA+ve.

Deming attributes 85 percent of the reason for failure to deficiencies in systems, rather than the inability of individuals
to perform better, Tata Steel intends to harvest the fruit of ASPIRE by using Six Sigma as a goal and attacking the intangible or hidden quality costs.

The quality model, tools and techniques for ASPIRE are based on the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse Control and Improve) Model, which is similar to the TOP Wave. The first stage in the road map is to define what needs to be done. This requires team chartering to build a business case and state the problem. Then focusing on the customer, process mapping, setting clear objectives and business process mapping and identifying its benefits.

The selection of the project is based on customer inputs so that the three main areas that matter most to the customer - product quality, service quality and price, and his requirements for them - are translated into the Work Process. Six Sigma, in turn, identifies the processes that are off target and corrects the process.

At each stage the improvement tools employed by the company are to be used to make the progress towards the Control stage in a challengingly yet not impossible way, and to make the change last.

Among the ASPIRE roles identified for the company's employees to drive the programme are Champion or Sponsor, who is accountable for and sanctions an ASPIRE project as well as leads the effort in a division or function; the team leader or Black Belt, which is a full-time position and is accountable to the Champion; the Green Belt or team leader holding a part-time position accountable usually to the Champion for team results; team members comprise the ASPIRE project team and are individually and collectively accountable for specific tasks; and the Master Black Belt, a full-time position dedicated to supporting ASPIRE efforts and will act as an "expert' resource to Black Belts and teams.

The Change Acceleration Process also has strong reward and review systems to ensure sustained commitment so that they may feel encouraged and focus on the "big picture".