Creating a Research Agenda Framework for Semiconductor Supply Network Integration

Abstract

Semiconductor manufacturing is at the heart of the electronics industry, which is the second largest industry in the world, trailing only agriculture. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been a common buzzword in industry for the last decade and has been discussed in the literature since about 1985. In this chapter, the SCM needs for the semiconductor supply chain (or more accurately supply network) are analyzed. First, an overview of SCM is provided. Then, the challenges of SCM for the semiconductor industry are discussed. Next, a survey that seeks to determine a research agenda for semiconductor supply networks is described and results analyzed. Finally, the survey results are synthesized into a research agenda comprised of seven clusters. The first cluster is concerned with the management of demand and the second is focused on designing the supply network. The next two research clusters describe issues associated with supply network planning and execution, respectively. The last three research clusters are concerned with the infrastructure needed to successfully manage the supply network. Cluster five focuses on the financial infrastructure, cluster six on the IT infrastructure, and cluster seven with the organizational structure.