Oracle Corporation has announced it has developed a "roadmap" to help semiconductor manufacturers meet the challenges presented by the imminent move from current 200mm to a 300mm-wafer production environment. This production change is driving front end ("fab" and foundry), back end (assembly and test) and "fabless" semiconductor manufacturers to reconfigure their current enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and the supporting IT infrastructure in order to accommodate the exponential increase in the amount of data managed. The Oracle roadmap minimises the amount of time semiconductor manufacturers spend reconfiguring existing or implementing new ERP systems for this new environment. This roadmap was developed with input from industry leading customers, many of whom participate in the Oracle Semiconductor Advisory Board (OSAB), a 2-1/2 year old organisation dedicated to identifying semiconductor manufacturing challenges and developing solution specifications that enable companies to achieve a competitive advantage. Some of the challenges identified as critical to the transition to 300-mm wafer production include: * Tight integration of standard shop floor (MES, Advanced Planning) and ERP systems * Managing increasing amounts of data throughout a supply chain, and analyzing collected data to accurately predict and plan cyclical manufacturing trends * Using the Internet effectively to easily manage the manufacturing process * Reacting quickly to industry trends such as mass customization Oracle offers a suite of high value business applications tailored to meet the needs of the semiconductor industry, including Oracle Project Manufacturing, Oracle Shopfloor Execution Management (OSEM), which links ERP to traditional MES point solutions, and Oracle Financials, which offer global accounting capabilities critical for semiconductor manufacturers. Oracle`s semiconductor offerings cover front and back office solutions, decision support systems, as well as partner applications integrated according to Oracle`s Architected Best In Class* framework. Managing the Transition: Three Alternative Paths to 300-mm Wafer Production The 300-mm wafer production process requires a high-performance information infrastructure that supports data mining, shopfloor/ERP integration, and fast user response. There are three possible transition paths for companies upgrading from todays 200-mm based IT environment: * Extending 200-mm environment: By linking legacy MES systems to Oracle`s manufacturing systems, manufacturers can gain critical visibility through ERP applications and to the shop floor, add Advanced Planning Systems (APS), and ensure rapid, accurate decision making through timely data availability and analysis. * "Green Field" or rapid deployment model: A phased deployment model which follows a prescribed implementation path that can get organizations up and running in less than two months.* Open 300-mm integration model: This approach Empowers customers to link ERP systems to any 300-mm enabled MES solution, which creates an ideal IT solution infrastructure, allowing customers to maximise the benefits of the 300-mm technology. OSAB identified Oracle`s Network Computing Architecture* (NCA) as a strong foundation for organizations adopting the "Green Field" or open 300mm integration approaches. Network Computing Architecture provides a fully Web enabled, low cost, flexible and scaleable infrastructure for semiconductor companies. Building on NCA, Oracle provides high value business applications tailored to the semiconductor industry. "The new 300-mm wafer standard requires a significant modification to an organisation`s production and related business processes," said George Kadifa, Group Vice President, Industrial Sector, and Oracle Corporation. "We will work with customers to identify and integrate supply chain management, flexible manufacturing, financial and customer service technologies to strategically support 300-mm systems and improve their overall value chain performance. This service is an example of commitment to helping customers manage their business from Concept to Care."
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