Nirvana

IEEE Spectrum published a brilliant article titled “The New Economics of Semiconductor Manufacturing” focusing on applying Toyota Production System (TPS) principles to improve efficiency and production capacity.

The TPS is briefly summarized as

(1) highly specify activities,

(2) clearly define the transfer of material and information,

(3) keep the pathway for every product and service simple and direct, and

(4) detect and solve problems where and when they happen, using the scientific method.

Authored by Clayton M. Christensen (author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma”) et. al. the article elaborates on the TPS principles as applicable to semiconductor fabs with real examples and the results gained by the changes.

To cut costs by 12%, increase production capacity by 10% and lower cycle time by 67% in six months without additional investment is astounding to say the least.

Highly recommended to read !

Thanks to my FIL for forwarding this article to me.

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One of the reasons I love Broadcom is execution - To integrate all the mobile features like Baseband processor, Bluetooth, FM and HSUPA into a single chip and well ahead of competition in 65 nm is a great achievement and reflects the strong technical expertise within the organization. I believe no other company has made an unbelievable success story out of it’s acquisitions as Broadcom has.

Check out the news here.

Nokia and Samsung as customers and now this piece of good news while Qualcomm is caught in legal wrangles. Hopefully, the stock flies up tomorrow

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What a difference a year can make! In late 2003, I had an inconsequential role to play as a designer in a large team devising a product about to be discontinued. It was dissatisfying to go to work everyday and work on mundane issues without exercising my brainpower. I was depressed, I was itching to move onto a newer project more challenging to realize my own potential - I came close to resigning my post and relocating to Bangalore with a suitable job in hand.And then things fell into place in early 2004. Call it Providence, call it Destiny, it doesn't matter. I was moved along with five of my colleagues to an exciting and refreshingly innovative product in the consumer space. The awe-inspiring and untiring Director conceived the whole product, pooled all the resources together and carried us forward as a team.

I was filled with a sense of excitement and trepidation at the initial stages of the project. All things said and done, I was in a new environment not aware of my capabilities and functioning in a new role as a system architect. Any doubts or fears dissipated over the course of the project. I have come to realize that I thrive in a challenging and a stimulating environment - it's very easy for me to be enthusiastic and diligent at the workplace while reposed with trust and assigned interesting tasks.

G.H.Hardy in Mathematician's Apology states that if all his works were disregarded, he still had achieved something that no other person could ever lay claim to - he had rubbed shoulders with the likes of Ramanujan and Littlewood. My sentiments are similar, it's a blessing that occurs not often in everyone's life - I work with a esteemed and well-respected team of colleagues. I am the youngest of them all, a novice compared to their collective years of experience in the industry.

They have mentored and guided me in times of uncertainty and I have learnt a lot working with them over the past one and half years. I am often amazed by their humility and dedication to the product's success. The product is in final stages and should be validated in the coming months. I sincerely wish that it is a resounding success for all the effort that has gone into it.

I believe it will.

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