Emerging Fabless companies have "systems" ideas that need to be transformed into silicon. At these companies, early focus is on design related issues and the proof of concept. What is often overlooked is that ultimate success means getting to production on time and at cost, and this is dependent on how well the company has selected and managed key design and manufacturing suppliers and dealt with the many "gaps and traps" that can impede a successful launch. The need for an experienced Operations skills set to address this creates a dilemma for the company principals, addressed here.
http://www.fsa.org/resources/whitepapers/ December 2002

This paper outlines the Operations issues that must be considered pro-actively in order to set the foundation for smooth execution of I.C. development and manufacturing. The Operations functions are organized into four phases spanning the planning, design, prototyping and production ramp phases. We provide a description of the tasks involved in each phase and some ideas on how to avoid many pitfalls that can hinder a successful production launch.

 FSA Forum, March 2003 http://www.fsa.org/publications/forum/article.asp?article=0303/henderson

Operations Practices for Emerging Fabless Companies
http://www.fsa.org/resources/bestpractices/index.asp July 2005

Published in FSA Forum, December 2005