The praised solution has been in use at Eurl Saterex-Iris in Algeria since autumn 2019. Eurl Saterex-Iris is the third biggest tyre manufacturing plant in Africa, serving both local and export markets. The modern plant was mainly designed and constructed by Black Donuts Engineering and its international partner network. Black Donuts is also responsible for production management, which applies the core principles of Lean Management and focuses on reducing the interim stocks to the bare minimum according to the pull method. To enhance this, the company developed an RFID-based electronic eKanban solution together with Toptunniste.

“The eKanban project started from a need to improve production management. The first acute challenge we met was the lack of adequate and accurate information on the overall production status,” Solution Manager Aki Nurminen recalls.

Originally, there were nine Kanban boards located all over the two-floor factory. One had to check each board manually, so it took time and effort to capture a complete view of the production status.

Another deficit concerned the insufficient information provided on manufacturing schedules. The old Kanban boards did not give enough information on when certain materials were supposed to be in production.

The returned cards included no accurate time markings, so it was hard to stay updated, notice stock alerts and to respond on time.

Real-time production status

New technology was needed to solve the problem. It became clear that initiating remote monitoring would require electronic boards instead of the traditional ones. Black Donuts contacted another Finnish technology company, Toptunniste, to present the idea and search for a way to actualise it. The solution was simple: adding RFID features to an existing Kanban board would upgrade it to a more accurate, more informative, and easy-to-use eKanban board. Next, the old cards were replaced by RFID tagged cards, readable through RFID technology.

Now, all nine eKanban boards are online in Saterex’s internal data system and easily monitored from any computer. Consequently, an up-to-date overall view of the entire production is now always at hand.

The eKanban solution enables better and real-time tracking of overall production status and enhances the supervision of production processes.

It adds the time markings automatically to each card on return, keeps account, and establishes automatic triggers to replenish stock when predefined minimums are reached for each inventory item.

The system also calculates and presents the estimated time left before reaching the pre-defined minimum of each item in the downstream processes. This is the lens that helps us prioritize and schedule the production runs.

Optimised processes

The new eKanban boards were taken into use at Saterex tyre plant in fall 2019. For the users operating in the production lines, the new solution has not brought any changes in their daily routines, but the Kanban boards are used the same way as before. For the supervisors and factory management, the new system enables a remote and real-time view of the production status through a web interface.

The new solution helps in prioritizing the tasks and shortens the reaction time to different problems arising in production. eKanban is also a great planning tool, as it gives us a complete process overview, Aki explains.

The eKanban system gets all the production information it needs straight from the company’s MES, where the daily consumption levels of each process, as well as the minimum and maximum storage levels, are defined. Separate eKanban views, visualizing the interim storage levels, can be reviewed through MES which enables effective inventory management.

The eKanban solution is designed for tracking the production, not to automatically assign anything. It is always the team, the people, who make the decisions based on the information they receive. However, the solution helps to improve tracking and optimizing operations, Aki says.

Advanced work management

Moreover, the eKanban solution enhances work management.

Compared to manual Kanban systems, eKanban gives additional information on storage unit rotations, events and even stock rotation history. It is valuable information for both follow-ups and for managing transportation activities and best working methods. Earlier, the material transportation could idle, and the return of cards to the Kanban boards be irregular, which caused various scheduling challenges, stockouts and unexpected changes in demand.

It was nearly impossible to find the root cause for problems and consequently improve it. Thanks to the digitised solution, we can now track every event, which supports work development and feedback giving.

While the manual Kanban boards already gave a good boost for companies in optimizing production, the new eKanban solution brings monitoring, tracking and optimizing to a remarkably higher level.

eKanban is an excellent example of how we can improve proven old methods during digital transformation.

eKanban was designed to add a remarkable value to the supply chain support operations. This was accomplished by optimizing cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and the movement of materials. Currently, Aki’s team is already developing the next generation eKanban solution, one without any physical cards or printed labels and boards. This will serve the needs of the highest automation solutions, which require visual identification instead of manual labelling or printed cards.

The operators do not even need to touch the storage units anymore, but the Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) completes the visual identification. Electronic Shelf Label is automatically updated during the manufacturing processes and events referring to RFID identifications and data communication. This way, the labels are never missing, old or wrong, and they are readable in all occasions and all the time, Aki explains.

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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has approved a plan to close its last two chemical manufacturing plants in the United States, located in Niagara Falls, New York, and Bayport, Texas. This decision, made on 29 September 2026, signifies the company's complete withdrawal from the chemical sector as it seeks to streamline operations and concentrate solely on its core tyre products and services.

The decommissioning process is set to begin immediately, with operations at the Niagara Falls facility potentially ceasing by 31 October 2026. The full shutdown is expected to be largely finished by the end of 2027. This move will result in roughly 85 job losses across both sites. Goodyear anticipates total pre-tax exit charges between USD 55 million and USD 75 million, yet projects an annual boost of USD 15 million to USD 20 million to its Americas segment operating income starting in 2027.

This announcement follows the company's October 2025 sale of most of its polymer and chemical operations to a Gemspring Capital Management affiliate for USD 650 million. The Niagara Falls plant, operational since 1946, has also been under heavy regulatory scrutiny and investigative reporting concerning emissions of ortho-toluidine, a known carcinogen, which allegedly surpassed legal limits.

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Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) celebrated the critical role its customer service teams play in shaping the customer experience with the Customer Service Appreciation Week 2026, recognising them as the vital connection between customers and the many internal teams working together to deliver on company commitments.

This year’s theme, ‘The Extra Mile’, honours the dedication behind that work, including coordinating complex logistics, anticipating customer needs, connecting customers with appropriate expertise and navigating unexpected challenges. Teams bring together people, information and solutions to keep customers moving forward, often making a difference through extra follow-up, proactive updates or determination to find a solution.

Levi Neufeld noted that the EVAL customer service team keeps the customer at the centre of every decision, a commitment shared across all service teams. For Dental, Dinesh Weerasinghe said going the extra mile means understanding each customer’s needs, providing accurate guidance and ensuring nothing is left unresolved. Tim Davis pointed to the PVOH team’s strength in supporting one another through heavy workloads, weather disruptions and unexpected challenges to provide seamless service.

Christian Amad emphasised AIS’s role as the first point of contact, ensuring customers receive needed information and products on time. David Steinberg highlighted Elastomers’ can-do attitude, which helps the team stay flexible and work effectively across three business units and product lines. Across all teams, that extra effort builds customer trust. KAI thanked each member for their responsiveness, knowledge, teamwork and care.

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Hankook Tire, a leading global tyre company under Hankook & Company Group, has earned a place on the ‘World’s Best Companies 2026’ list compiled by the US weekly news magazine TIME. Since 2023, TIME has collaborated with global market research firm Statista to identify the world’s top 1,000 companies annually, evaluating factors such as employee satisfaction, three-year company growth and Statista’s key ESG indicators.

The selection was driven in part by sustained performance growth over the past three years. Hankook Tire’s tyre division reported revenue of KRW 10.3186 trillion in 2025, exceeding KRW 10 trillion for the first time since the company’s founding. This achievement was supported by an expanded premium-focused portfolio and stable sales in major global markets.

Sustainability management has also yielded notable results. The company has broadened its renewable energy procurement, including a long-term power purchase agreement for its Hungary plant signed in February, and now holds international ISCC PLUS certification at four production sites: Geumsan, Hungary, Daejeon and Jiaxing in China. Its recently published ‘2025/26 ESG Report’ introduced a group-wide ESG management framework and an integrated materiality assessment system, with transparent disclosure of key outcomes in sustainable materials, supply chain management and human rights.

Beyond these efforts, Hankook Tire continues creating social value through its group’s integrated ESG brand. It is advancing a ‘Mobility-Tech’ strategy incorporating artificial intelligence and data while adding eco-friendly vehicle models to its flagship ‘Vehicle Sharing’ social contribution programme and expanding it into a demand-tailored support model. The company has set a ‘2050 Net-Zero’ goal, became the first Korean tyre company to receive SBTi approval for 2030 reduction targets in 2023 and earned FIA 3-Star Environmental Accreditation in 2024. It was also named to TIME and Statista’s ‘World’s Most Sustainable Companies’ list and the Financial Times and Statista’s ‘Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders’ list in 2024.

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Tegeta Green Planet was represented by its director, Shalva Akhvlediani, at the 4th IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress & Exhibition, convened by the International Road Federation (IRF Global). The three-day gathering assembled specialists possessing international and regional expertise, alongside public and private sector delegates and researchers, to deliberate on pressing matters concerning road infrastructure development.

Sustainable, Smart and Safe Roads for Sustainable Economic Growth served as the congress's central theme. Akhvlediani took part in a session titled ‘Sustainable Road Infrastructure: Climate Risks, Emissions and Long-Term Efficiency’, which examined methods for reinforcing the resilience and sustainability of road infrastructure across its complete lifecycle, spanning planning, design, construction, maintenance and renewal.

Climate change adaptation, low-carbon materials, circular economy approaches and environmental efficiency featured among the session's principal subjects, together with solutions guaranteeing road infrastructure's durable, long-term performance. Akhvlediani shared Tegeta Green Planet's expertise and outlook, noting that the company's operations accord directly with circular economy principles by converting waste into resources and advancing responsible waste management.

Operating within Extended Producer Responsibility, Tegeta Green Planet occupies a significant role in Georgia's collection and management of specific waste streams, including used tyres, waste oils and automotive batteries. This practical experience illustrates how circular economy principles can be embedded in real business and infrastructure solutions. Congress discussions additionally addressed international experience exchange and practical approaches for strengthening infrastructure resilience, environmental efficiency and long-term durability.

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