The inability to respond to increasingly stringent customer requirements put business viability at risk.  Accumulating point solutions did not support their customer’s needs.

Improvements in semiconductors are driving increasingly stringent requirements for materials. The company is a supplier of specialty chemicals to the semiconductor industry, and their product variance and traceability data became unacceptable.  They had grown rapidly without a manufacturing process and automation architecture strategy.  The accumulating point solutions were jeopardizing customer service, satisfaction, and time-to-market (TTM).  Management was concerned with losing customers and business failure.

ARC provided help with their manufacturing systems architecture and future roadmap.  In a quick series of workshops within the company over 3 days, an ARC senior consultant reviewed the existing applications, technology infrastructure, organizational structure, and business processes.  A presentation to management with a progress report and initial findings followed.  A few supplementary teleconferences ensued.  The extensive final written report covered both plant floor automation and manufacturing systems.  It also included responsibility by organization, skills needed, technology recommendations, IT roadmap, and infrastructure issues.

The process used by the ARC Analyst facilitated development of an architecture and technology roadmap with wide organizational consensus. Implementation has started and the company is now confident of its future.

Internal consensus was achieved on a clear business and automation strategy that does not limit their future options.  The company’s senior management team, including the Vice President of Manufacturing, accepted the plan.  Organizational changes were made with updated team responsibilities and assignments.  IT and manufacturing are successfully working together while implementing the projects.  New technologies and applications are being installed while unnecessary capital expenditures are being avoided.  Though it is too early to gauge the full impact on improving customer satisfaction, the company is now confident that it has a viable future.

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