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Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturer Gains Double Digit % Savings on Parts Using aPriori
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)
Applicable Industries
- Semiconductors
Applicable Functions
- Procurement
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
The semiconductor equipment manufacturer faced significant challenges in estimating the costs of high-tech, complex parts produced in low volumes. These parts often require precision machining and have a high sensitivity to geometric tolerances, making cost estimation particularly difficult. The company needed a solution to provide accurate cost estimates early in the product design process to make informed design decisions, compress cycle times, reduce development costs, and bring new products to market more quickly.
About The Customer
This semiconductor equipment manufacturer is a leading provider of equipment and services to the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company is known for its relentless pursuit of operational excellence and innovation. Its customers include many of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, who rely on its equipment and process expertise to develop transistors for various electronics, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and personal music players. The company offers a powerful suite of manufacturing technologies for the IC manufacturing process and extensive aftermarket service and support, including spare parts, equipment upgrades, maintenance services, and customer training. It works closely with customers to tailor its offerings to their unique needs and goals.
The Solution
The semiconductor equipment manufacturer implemented aPriori’s Product Cost Management software platform to reduce product costs. The software equips engineering, manufacturing, and sourcing professionals with the knowledge and technology infrastructure to quickly and precisely determine the cost of a part or complete product. It leverages computer-aided design and intelligent cost models to generate detailed manufacturing analysis and cost estimates, quantifying the impact of changes to product design, materials, manufacturing processes, volumes, and location in real time. The software also enables users to refine costs by providing detailed inputs and overriding defaults to create a should-cost for supplier negotiation or a manufacturing estimate. Additionally, it allows for the import of complex engineering Bills of Materials (BOMs) from ERP, PLM, MRP, or other enterprise applications, facilitating communication of product cost information across all functional organizations involved in product definition and delivery.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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