A new supply chain optimization service from Linx Consulting, the premier consultant to the electronic materials industry, creates quality requirements for electronic materials suppliers to improve supplier quality.
Linx Supply Chain Optimization Service addresses the strategic quality requirements of electronic materials suppliers serving the advanced semiconductor manufacturing market segment. The new service improves supplier quality by providing participants with guidance and clarity of end-user expectations to meet the strategic requirements of supplying to advanced electronics end-users.
“This new service drives changes that transform the perception of quality from quality as a cost center, to a quality a differentiator that customers are willing to pay for. Improving quality can bring a company from a bulk vendor to a world class supplier,” said Mark Thirsk, Managing Partner of Linx Consulting.
The current market trend is to push supplier quality into the supply chain to avoid costly in-FAB excursions. Suppliers are being directed to pre-emptively qualify multiple aspects of their supply chains. Some companies are developing firewalled, confidential, collaborative programs shared with a select few materials suppliers, while others are demanding more information with an expectation of supplier transparency for across their entire supplier base.
Linx supply chain optimization services include:
• Organizational training of expectations for supplying to advanced electronics end users
• Quality system auditing or pre-audit assessment
• Supplier quality system benchmarking
• Quality/Product Management system set-up or augmentation
• Excursion management
Supply chain optimization allows companies to compete for business from advanced electronics manufacturers by improving product line management. Linx Supply Chain Optimization Service provides the data required by end-users to assess and select the materials supplier as a strategic partner for next generation materials development.
Linx offers supply chain optimization services to companies at all levels in the value chain. End-users, prime suppliers and sub suppliers all need help establishing and maintaining quality systems to improve the value chain.
Linx Consulting has added Kyle Flanigan, Ph.D. to the firm’s management team as director. Dr. Flanigan has over 17 years of experience in advanced materials development with a focus on bringing new materials and products to the market and expanding into adjacent markets to capture opportunistic revenue.
“This is a big step for us. Adding another consultant broadens our capabilities, allowing us to offer a brand new Supply Chain Optimization Service to the semiconductor industry. Kyle’s expertise in supply chain optimization has helped us address the needs of all supply chain participants” said Mark Thirsk, Managing Partner, Linx Consulting.
Dr. Flanigan has led development, scale-up and HVM ramp activities for suppliers to the semiconductor, PV and LED markets for the past ten years. As a key member of Intel’s FAB Materials Operations, Dr. Flanigan participated in the development of many of the strategies & tools used by Tier 1 manufacturers to assess the strength of their suppliers.
Previous to Linx, Kyle was Global Marketing Director at Avantor Performance Materials, Inc. headquartered in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, where he was responsible for product portfolio management, strategic planning and new business development. Prior to that, he spent 9 years at Intel as a Staff Research Engineer and 3 years at Honeywell Electronic Materials as marketing manager.
At both Honeywell Electronic Materials and Avantor Performance Materials, Dr. Flanigan managed teams responsible for ramping new materials for use in advanced semiconductor processes and enabling suppliers to meet sub-22nm requirements. This was accomplished while maintaining the product portfolio in good health with respect to overall delivered quality and the raw materials supply chain.
With extensive experience optimizing high-performance advanced manufacturing operations that support the world’s top semiconductor manufacturing operations, Dr. Flanigan offers Linx clients valuable insight on how big suppliers operate with Intel and each other.
Linx Consulting is the world’s leading electronic materials consulting firm, serving the semiconductor, photovoltaics, and electronics industries worldwide. The firm develops unique insights and creates knowledge at the intersection of advanced thin film processing and performance chemicals and materials.
To obtain more information about Linx Supply Chain Optimization Service contact Kyle Flanigan, +1-503-519-8776, kflanigan@linx-consulting.com. More information about Linx Consulting can be found at http://www.linx-consulting.com.