As far as Quality Management System (QMS) certification is concerned, my first exposure was to ISO 9000: 1994, about seven years after the first ISO 9000 standard emerged from the former BS 5750. The 20 + auditable QMS requirements has resulted in a bewildering and voluminous mass of documentations. It was virtually a system of documents, contrary to a documented system. According to the standard, the company was expected to establish, implement and maintain a documented procedure for all the auditable requirements of the standard. It was a period when the standard was spreading like bush fire, creating a gold mine for Consultants who thrived on the ignorance of the client companies. Preparation and maintenance of the documentation alone, engaged considerable managerial time, and hence the tendency to consider ISO 9000 based QMs as an area separate from the Quality Assurance and other operational functions which has still continued to the present day. This created some dichotomy between the ISO Department and the other functional sections resulting in conflicts. On doing the QMS audits, as an independent auditor for many companies, I have the experience of being confronted with a cart-load of files and documents. This was of course before, the soft copy methodology firmly got established. Many of the External Auditors, spent considerable time, in checking Document and Records, in scrutinizing document reference and revision numbers of even the less significant documents and formats, rather than concentration on the more important requirements. In this respect, I have a great respect for one of the very senior officers of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, whose approach was to study the operational relationships and their effectiveness.

The transition in to ISO 9001:2000 saw some very significant and far-reaching changes, which the industries, took about one to two years to fully realize. It was a challenge for the auditors and the Certification bodies as well. A careful scrutiny of the eight principles of quality management, will show that they are nothing else but common business sense. The eight principles are:

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of people
• Process approach
• Systems approach to management
• Continual improvement
• Factual approach to decision making
• Mutually beneficial supplier relations.

 A casual glance at the principles, will reveal that it is about common sense of good managerial practices., irrespective of whether one goes for certification or not. However, it was an uphill task to grapple these concepts and integrate them holistically in to the quality management systems. Process approach in very simple terms means how to relate the inputs to outputs through the value adding conversions and how to control the activities, realize the desired results. It is directly related to the traditional definition of productivity, namely the ratio of out puts to inputs. What was difficult to comprehend was the fact that, the other seven quality management principles also provide inputs for the process approach. As an example, the auditors found it a grey area when it comes to evaluating leadership, in the context of the process approach. Regarding the establishment of the Quality Policy, which in turn is a requirement under leadership, I have seen many quality polices with attractive wordings which more often serve as show pieces. Very few companies have used the quality policy to provide direction for the setting up of quality objectives. One of the meaningful but concise quality policies I have seen is “We do everything, correctly, right first time at all times’’.

While the 2008 version of the ISO 9001 standard consisted of some notional changes only, the 2015 version signified a complete change of the concept of quality stressing the importance of quality in business strategy, by considering the impacts of external and internal factors and the expectations of internal and external parties on quality and including risk management as an important aspect of quality. Although the prime focus on ISO is product or service quality, companies cannot ignore the impact on quality, which covers product quality (Q), Price (P), and Delivery (D). The recent impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the above aspect of quality, was amply seen throughout the world. The above requirements under the Organization Context, is a move in the right direction, in integrating quality in to all aspects of the business. However, most companies and even auditors, consider this in isolation as another requirement of the ISO 9001, which need minimum compliance. Similar comments can have made on the Identification of the risks and opportunities of the operational processes.

Product and service quality is used by most companies as means of maximizing the profit. The Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, Milton Friedman in 1970, stated that the sole responsibility of a business is to “use its resources to increase its profits. As a result of the rapid growth in consumerism, both locally and globally, business firms operate in a challenging and continually changing business environment. The rapid change is supported by rapidly expanding technology, and particularly of information technology. Dynamic organizations are making serious efforts to keep abreast of developments, in the changing business environment, while many traditional and conservative organizations are failing. Change has become inevitable.”

While we cannot find any fault with this approach, one cannot overlook the Social and Environmental bottom lines, which together with the Economic bottom-line, constitute the Triple Bottom of Sustainable development. The role of quality management on the social and environmental bottom lines, is a concept that has great potential in the modern-day concept. The reduction of scarp and rejects, especially in the tyre industry, will improve the environmental performance, while reducing the health and fire risks, often caused by irresponsible dumping.

 Internal and external communications under the requirement 7.0, Support of the ISO 9001 and 14001:2015 standards are another area where adequate attention has been given. Despite the great advances in ICT, we can trace miscommunications as the root cause of most of the Non- conformance report raised during the QMS audits.

John Ruskin, the English author, (1819 -1900 ) once said, “ Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligence effort.” I have seen this famous quote adorning the walls in some offices of CEOs and Senior Managers. However, the perennially repeating non-conformances related to quality in a large number of companies, make me to wonder whether the management and the mangers, “walk the talk.” Companies have in their procession, a handy tool, in the disguise of ISO 9001:2015, to enable them to establish the standard procedures, (SOPs), operate them and control, but many consider it as something to worry about only during the external audits of the certification bodies.

In this respect, it is worthy of mentioning that, in my country Sri Lanka, there is a famous Buddhist Cultural Pageant, in August every year, that attracts locals as well large numbers of tourists from across the globe. For the past 400+ years, this event follows the SOPs, without any, awareness of the ISO 9000, emphasizing that there is no magic or mystery about ISO, but the prevalence of good common sense. (TT)

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ZC Rubber has unveiled plans to establish a new tyre production base in Vietnam, adding another site to its worldwide manufacturing map. The plant, occupying 344,195 square metres within IDICO Phu My II Expansion Industrial Park, is targeted to start output in 2027.

A newly created subsidiary, ZHONGCE RUBBER VIETNAM COMPANY LIMITED (ZCV), will run the operation. The company marked a developmental milestone in Ho Chi Minh City on 12 November 2026, when it obtained the investment registration certificate and formalised a land sublease with IDICO Corporation.

The Southeast Asian nation's location, trade relationships and maturing industrial base make it a sound choice for the venture, which will cater to Vietnamese and regional demand while reaching European and North American buyers. The move fits ZC Rubber's wider push to spread production across multiple countries and reinforce supply flexibility for distributors and customers globally.

Henry Shen, Senior Deputy General Manager, ZC Rubber, said, “Our overseas investments are guided by a long-term goal: to build a manufacturing network that supports our customers as their markets evolve. The Vietnam facility will give us greater flexibility to serve key markets and support our partners’ growth. We appreciate the support of the local authorities and will work closely with IDICO to deliver this project to high standards.”

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Tyres Europe has released its members’ replacement tyre sales figures for Q3 and the first nine months of 2026. Secretary General Adam McCarthy cautioned that modest nine-month gains should not obscure a weak third quarter. Consumer tyres across passenger car, SUV and light commercial dipped 1 percent in Q3 versus 2025, though nine-month volumes stayed 1 percent ahead, with all-season tyres up 13 percent in the quarter and 10 percent over nine months.

Summer tyres slipped 1 percent in both periods as demand shifted towards all-season, while winter tyres fell 11 percent in the quarter and remained 9 percent lower over nine months. Miles travelled declined again on high fuel prices and weak consumer confidence amid Middle East conflict, at about half Q2's pace, and PCLT imports into the EU27 plus UK dropped 7 percent from January to August.

Chinese imports more than halved year on year in July and August after July's anti-dumping duties. Truck & Bus tyres were stable in the quarter after strong Q2 growth and stood 4 percent higher over nine months, with freight volumes beating expectations and truck tyre imports up 26 percent. Agricultural tyres fell 34 percent quarterly and 17 percent over nine months, Moto & Scooter tyres dropped 5 percent in the quarter but stayed 2 percent higher over nine months. The full report is available on Tyres Europe's website.

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Goodyear brought generations of performance heritage to the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where its tyres appeared on some of the event's most talked-about vehicles. The annual automotive aftermarket gathering ran from 3–6 November at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drawing builders, manufacturers, buyers, media and enthusiasts for four days centred on innovation, new products, craftsmanship, performance and emerging trends. For Goodyear, the setting was familiar territory, as racing has long served as both a proving ground and an inspiration for its street products.

A 1928 Ford Model A reimagined by TQ Customs as an F1-inspired mid-engined hot rod stood out among the featured builds. It pairs a custom chassis and roll cage with a Honda K20 engine and Porsche transaxle, riding on custom Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres sized 275/45R18. Three F-550 Super Duty trucks wore Goodyear's heavy-duty G275 MSA in 335/80R20, while the new 819-horsepower Ferrari 12 Cylindri was fitted with application-specific Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres, sized 275/35R21 front and 315/35R21 rear.

Goodyear's presence also extended through Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels, the enthusiast performance brand within its portfolio. Mickey Thompson maintained a significant show footprint with displays in the Race/Performance section of Central Hall and the Silver Lot, showcasing products and builds spanning street, strip and off-road performance. Its SEMA programme highlighted the limited-edition Street Comp GHT Signature Series street-performance tyre, expanded Baja Boss A/T and Baja Boss M/T sizes and new MT Classic Forged wheel sizes.

The vehicles on display ranged from vintage American muscle to cutting-edge performance machines and purpose-built off-road rigs, yet they shared a fundamental drive to perform better, make a statement and become more personal.

Andrew Lau, Enthusiast Account Lead at Goodyear, said, "The SEMA Show highlights the best of the industry – emotionally charged and technology-filled and crossed with dramatic and eye-catching, which is where Goodyear and our dynamic portfolio really shine. For cars worth bragging about, we make tyres worth bragging about! Our Goodyear Eagle lineup fits the ever-growing supercar market, which we see growing especially as more enthusiasts get their hands on these cars at a range of price points. And it wouldn’t be SEMA without giant trucks and extreme lift kits, where we saw Mickey Thompson and Goodyear tyres shown off in a dramatic fashion.”

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Yokohama Tire has partnered with Tread Lightly! for the Protect What Moves You fundraiser, running through 30 November. Consumers who donate can enter to win GEOLANDAR tyre prize packs or a full set of tyres. Proceeds support trail stewardship, responsible recreation and keeping public lands open.

According to Yokohama’s Senior Manager of Corporate Communications Melissa Aguirre, each USD 10 donation earns one entry for a GEOLANDAR prize pack, while donations of USD 100 or more earn one entry for a set of Yokohama tyres. The initiative complements Yokohama’s environmental ‘Caring for our Communities’ partnerships, which include Surfrider North Orange County and the California State Parks Foundation.

Aguirre said, “We’ve been an official partner of Tread Lightly! for three years and have collaborated on several stewardship projects across the country to improve access, restore trails and protect natural resources for off-road enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. The Protect What Moves You campaign will definitely help with those efforts.”

James Boyd Jr., Executive Director of Tread Lightly!, said, “We’re grateful for Yokohama Tire’s continued partnership and commitment to protecting the places we all love to explore. Through our work together, we’ve made a meaningful impact on trails and public lands across the country. The Protect What Moves You fundraiser gives outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to support responsible recreation and hands-on stewardship while helping ensure these places remain accessible for future generations.”

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