Consumer devices are driving a significant portion of today’s electronics industry growth. These new markets are both exciting and challenging for IDMs (Integrated  Device Manufacturers) and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). They are dynamic and usually more difficult to predict and forecast than business-to-business markets. Short time-to-market and fast ramps to high yielding production are especially key to success. IDMs, OEMs and their partners also face other challenges. Increasingly feature rich devices packed into smaller form factors drive complex design and manufacturing challenges. Competition and cost-pressures have driven trends of outsourcing to reduce development and manufacturing costs in order to focus precious resources on improving their core competencies. Geographical production shifts have introduced new communication, logistical and coordination challenges. Shorter times-to-market require that technical obstacles and design trade-offs be identified early and resolved quickly. Traditional roadmap approaches to industry collaboration for technology development are useful but can have limitations in driving communication and collaboration across multiple levels of the electronics supply  chain. Early involvement of value-add partners leading to co-development is suggested.

This article originally appeared in Global SMT & Packaging magazine 6.4 - Apr 2006.

Download the full article (free) in PDF format.

George Toskey is the global market manager for Device Packaging at Dow Corning Corporation. george.toskey@dowcorning.com.

Keywords : partnerships, value-add, partners, co-development

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