Tata Steel launched its Vision-2007 on May 2, 2002. 2007 is a landmark year for Tata Steel as it is its centenary year. The new Vision envisages a relentless effort by the employees of the company to achieve the unique distinction of being the world's best wealth creator in the steel industry.It also continues to emphasise on the age-old philosophies of the Tata's, to return to the society more than what it takes from it.

On the first anniversary of the launch of the new Vision, the company has formulated a programme that seeks to unleash the creative potential of all its employees through a combination of the best practices and improvement methodologies. This programme is called ASPIRE, which stands for ASP irational Initiatives to Retain Excellence.

Under this programme, the company has combined some of the well-proven techniques of improvement, such as Total Productive Maintenance - the Japanese technique of total employee involvement by complete ownership of equipment and work process. Similarly, it has also combined the best practices of Six Sigma, TOP, Suggestion Management, Quality Circles and even the Tata group's Tata Business Excellence Model into the new ASPIRE programme.

Learning from its success of using trained facilitators in the TOP programme, the company has decided to extensively train about a hundred middle management executives as Black Belts and TPM co-ordinators to work as full time facilitators of the ASPIRE programme. There will be thousands of Green Belt projects mentored by these Black Belts. They will also train their colleagues and other employees as Green Belts to enable them with superior problem solving techniques.

All the improvement initiatives in Tata Steel will henceforth be facilitated actively by the Black Belts and TPM co-ordinators. Even the facilitators of its earlier highly successful programme will undergo a rigorous training regime in project selection and problem solving techniques that the company will bring in with the ASPIRE programme.

ASPIRE programme is also an open platform to incorporate new improvement techniques as they appear on the horizon in future. It is already contemplating adoption of techniques such as Value Innovation, Theory of Constraints and Lean Manufacturing. The company is also inviting the guru of Value Innovation Prof Chan Kim of INSEAD University to kick-off Value Innovation Projects in Tata Steel. Tata Steel is drawing a three year rolling programme for ASPIRE to draw about the creative potential of the employees wherein employees can contribute to the achievement of its Vision-2007.

The launch of the ASPIRE programme today by Mr B Muthuraman, Managing Director along with Mr RBB Singh, President, Tata Workers Union kick starts the improvement initiative and makes a case for all employees of the company to change and to take it to greater heights of excellence.