Tata Steel awarded NACCO prize for continuous improvement
27 February 2015
Tata Steel has been awarded the 2014 Continuous Improvement award by NACCO Materials Handling Group, one of the world’s largest lift truck manufacturers, for its commitment to improving the quality of mast profiles delivered to NACCO plants over the last three years.
As a result of this process, the number of rejected parts has been reduced by more than 97 per cent.
Tata Steel was one of four suppliers to receive a prestigious award from NACCO, putting them in the top one per cent of the forklift manufacturer’s suppliers. Nacco Materials Handling Group, which is responsible for the Yale and Hyster brands, is the third largest forklift truck manufacturer in the world.
NACCO tasked Tata Steel with improving its identification of and response to dealing with problems which might arise during the manufacturing and supply process. To address this challenge Tata Steel committed to NACCO’s Supplier Quality Excellence Programme, which involved building closer working relationships at all levels of both organisations and focus across the global supply chain. As a result of this work, NACCO’s key quality metric, the parts per million (PPM) target, was exceeded within three years.
The award ceremony was held in Troon, Scotland, and the commendation was presented to a Tata Steel team, which included Skinningrove Manufacturing Manager Gordon Frame, who provided a short presentation at the event on how Tata Steel special profiles was able to deliver this continuous improvement.
Tata Steel received the award for its global supply of mast profiles to a number of NACCO plants; just one of a wide range of steel products delivered to the forklift manufacturer.
Trevor Corkin, NACCO Materials Handling Group’s Commodity Purchasing Manager, said: “This award is very well deserved. We have had regular face-to-face contact with the team at Tata Steel and we have worked closely together to make improvements. As a result Tata Steel offers us collaborative solutions, rather than just supplying steel. Tata Steel always deals with any issues professionally and in a quality manner and we look forward to improving this relationship even further in the future.”
Grant McBain, Sales Leader at Tata Steel Lifting & Excavating said: “We have worked with NACCO since 1977 and, in order to keep offering the best service, it is essential we constantly improve and adjust our work to meet their needs. But this closer relationship has been mutually beneficial and we have been able to apply the things we’ve learnt and our improved working practice across our customer base.
“Our Lifting & Excavating sector and mill teams have developed close working relationships with their counterparts at NACCO and this award is welcome recognition of how much we have jointly achieved.”
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Contact details:
For further information, contact Caroline Holmes on T. +44 (0) 20 7952 1072 or cholmes@torqueagencygroup.com.
Photo details (L-R):
Trevor Corkin – Senior Commodity Buyer – NMHG; Karen Wood – Customer Value Creation Manager – Tata Steel Lifting & Excavating; Grant McBain – Sales Leader – Tata Steel Lifting & Excavating; Andy Bainbridge – Roll Design Manager – Tata Steel Special Profiles; Gordon Frame – Manufacturing Manager – Tata Steel Special Profiles; Steven McLoughlin – Supplier Quality Engineer – NMHG
About Tata Steel’s European operations
Tata Steel is Europe's second largest steel producer, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company supplies products and services to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging, rail, lifting & excavating, energy & power and aerospace. The combined Tata Steel group is one of the world’s largest steel producers, with a steel capacity of more than 28 million tonnes and 80,000 employees across five continents.
The forklift truck industry and Tata Steel
Tata Steel is along the world’s leading suppliers of special profiles to the forklift truck industry. The company has more than 40 years’ experience in the manufacture of profiles for forklift truck components. This manufacturing capability and expertise provides customers with an extensive range of mast and carriage (hanger) bar profiles.
Tata Steel’s manufacturing processes provide an extensive range of profile shapes for all applications. The size range available covers a wide range of requirements – from the smallest warehouse truck to the largest container handler. As part of Tata Steel, one of the world’s leading steel producers, the company has a secure, world-class quality steel supply, together with its own research and development facilities.
Tata Steel is continually striving to provide a unique service to customers to help them preserve their competitive edge in today’s market place.
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