TYPICAL QUESTIONS WE ANSWER:
- What is my competition?
- How shall I position my product?
- Is my new idea feasible in today’s manufacturing environment?
- How does my product impact my customer’s costs? How does he benefit?
- How do I ensure design and delivery of a reliable, cost-effective solution to my customers?
- Will my product be competitive in the future?
- Where shall I make my new product?
- I make or buy the components?
- What should I outsource? What are the costs/benefits?
EXAMPLE CONSULTING PROJECTS:
Click on the “Related Links” for more information
| Project Description | Company Description | Benefits | Related Links |
| Data collection and financial analysis | Chemical company | Strategic advantage | ACM Mar 2001, p.1 ACM Sep 2000, p.11 |
| Consolidate/simplify product design | Defense electronics | Reduce parts & options counts, costs | |
| Integrated analysis of cost of ownership for a new metrology inspection equipment and its impact throughout the fabrication process flow | Equipment supplier | Equipment performance impact to production | ACM Mar 1999, p.1 |
| Design-in quality, reliability, safety, manufacturability, and maintainability (DFX) | Equipment supplier | Higher quality, reliability, and safety; better maintainability and manufacturability; lower COO | |
| Review and assess equipment designs for quality, reliability, safety, manufacturability, and maintainability | Equipment supplier | Higher quality, reliability, and safety; better maintainability and manufacturability; lower COO | Link to recommended book “Hi-tech Reliability” |
| Reliability predictions | Equipment supplier | Higher reliability; lower COO | |
| Training and consulting of simulation implementation for capacity planning and design of their new factory | Flat panel manufacturer, semiconductor manufacturer | Data validation, verification | ACM Sep 2000, p.1 |
| Analysis of semiconductor DRAM supply chain and delivery risk | Internal use | Determine minimum inventories | Supply chain white paper |
| Estimate impacts of changes in marketing strategies on competitor’s revenue | Packaging supplier | Refine marketing strategy | ACM Mar 2000, p.1 |
| Forecast impacts of a new technology on the cost and profitability of a semiconductor wafer fab | Research & development organization | Validate continued R&D, establish marketing strategy | ACM Sep 2001, p.5 |
| Cost of ownership analysis comparing equipment for new gate process | Semiconductor manufacturer | Equipment with lower COO | |
| Cost of ownership analysis comparing new process and materials on photolithography | Semiconductor manufacturing | Justification of additional cost resulting in lower COO | ACM Fall 2005, p.1 |
| Evaluation of Cost of Ownership for a new CVD and CMP processes | Semiconductor materials supplier | Lower cost | |
| Evaluated a passivation material and process technology for overall product cost impact on semiconductor fabrication and final assembly | Semiconductor materials supplier | Lower cost | |
| Forecast long-range semiconductor equipment demand | Investment bank | Enhance investments | ACM Sep 2001, p.5 |
| Assess relative technical/business strengths/weakness of semiconductor equipment manufacturers | Investment bank | Guide investment decisions |
