Service Team wins Major Award

Going the extra mile in customer service has resulted in BlueScope Steel winning the 2004 Toyota President's Award.

BlueScope Steel was recognised in the category of Corporate Services and Materials. The award was presented at the Toyota Annual Supplier Awards in Melbourne and was accepted by Greg Waters, President of BlueScope Steel's Western Port works in Victoria.

Toyota uses the expertise of 93 local supplier companies to build its top selling locally manufactured Camry and Avalon models at its state of the art Altona plant, but this year recognised only five companies with the top President's Awards.

Greg Waters praised the efforts of not only the Western Port workers, but those at the company's Sunshine Service Centre as well as transport and logistics employees and the field sales and service teams who manage the company's relationship with Toyota.

"Winning this award is a fantastic achievement for BlueScope Steel. It also comes in a year of significant milestones for Toyota Australia, which regained local automotive market leadership and set a new 66,000 vehicle record for car exports," Greg Waters said.

"The automotive industry is arguably the most demanding in which Bluescope Steel works and the award is a credit to our people, who have been so diligent in meeting the demands for quality product and excellent service from Toyota.

"We have long been a valued business partner with Toyota, a recognised Preferred Supplier, but this is the first time that BlueScope Steel has won or been nominated for a President's Award, so we are really excited by this significant recognition."

BlueScope Steel is a longtime supplier to Toyota, supplying predominately corrosion resistant zinc coated ZINCANNEAL® steel for the Camry and Avalon models. The company also supplies hot rolled and cold rolled products.

The relationship was strengthened seven years ago with the creation of a dedicated technical working group focussed on issues relating to the formability of BlueScope Steel product.

This and subsequent working groups have worked closely with Toyota's production, engineering and purchasing divisions to ensure that locally produced steel meets with the global standards required of Toyota Australia in its domestic and export markets.

Toyota last year set a new Australian export record, shipping 66,000 cars to more than 20 destinations around the globe, mainly the Middle East.

In the lead in to the next generation of Camry, BlueScope Steel has applied significant resources towards the development of steel grades specific to the needs of the new model.

Much of the work done to bring these world standard locally developed products to fruition has contributed to the company being presented with the President's Award.

The annual President's Awards are designed to recognise and reward suppliers providing outstanding customer service throughout the program period.

The awards are part of the Toyota supplier assessment program (TSA), which is an important part of the manufacturer's performance management program. They are judged by personnel in Toyota's key operating divisions on the basis of Customer Service Ratings.

Toyota acknowledged BlueScope Steel and the other six award winners with full page newspaper advertisements that appeared recently in The Australian, Melbourne Age, Australian Financial Review and Adelaide Advertiser.

"The awards showcase the absolute pinnacle of Australian automotive achievement," said a Toyota spokesman. "Indeed, to be amongst the 'magnificent seven', a supplier must have demonstrated some of the highest global standards in efficiency, reliability, quality and innovation."