ABSTRACT
In manufacturing semiconductors, silicon is purified, melted and cooled to form an ingot that is then sliced into discs called wafers. A chip is a complex component that forms the brains of every computing device. While chips look flat, they are three-dimensional structures and may include as many as 30 layers of complex circuitry. Chips are fabricated in batches of wafers in ‘clean rooms’ that are thousands of times cleaner than hospital operating theatres. In the high-technology sector, international competition is fierce; smartphones, tablets and wearable devices have altered the market and have created demand for new and different products. The business also recognized the need to change its procurement model from one of transferring risk to one of shared ownership of the problems and their solutions. The collaboration with supply chain partners also led to the development of owner/supplier commitments for each work package.
