A study of the roles of consultants in facilitating theassembly manufacturing flow among segments of the US semiconductor and electronics industries

Three separate research approaches were utilized to study technology, markets, and business factors underlying current and future demand for consulting services in packaging and assembly. This research included a literature search, an expert opinion survey, and a series of case studies of consulting practices. Findings of the individual studies were compared and combined to develop conclusions about current demand for consulting services and to construct a consulting opportunity roadmap as a guide to future demand for and application of these services. These findings indicate that major determinants of current and future demand include the increasing dependency of semiconductor and end product manufacturers on suppliers for both input materials and technology supporting the manufacturing process. Evolution of the semiconductor technology toward ever greater complexity is driving companies to concentrate resources in the primary area of wafer fabrication, thus driving a continuing exodus of operations and component sourcing to external contract manufacturers. This complicates both the manufacturing flow and the innovative process of bringing new products to market. Consulting services are not highly specialized in assembly and packaging at present, but increasing demand for support in creating and maintaining industry infrastructure is expected to drive specialization in the future