Strategic product management and cost-saving initiatives are crucial in semiconductor equipment development, where precision, innovation, and cost efficiency drive industry success. By aligning advanced engineering with cost-effective strategies, companies can enhance product performance, streamline production, and maintain a competitive edge, ensuring sustainable growth in the fast-paced world of semiconductor technology.Product management and cost-cutting measures are of great importance in designing semiconductor equipment as these industries are all based on high precision, high creativity, and high reliability at a minimal cost.
Shubham R. Ekatpure has made fundamental advances in this direction especially the growth of strategic product management, cost-effective measures, and the technological development of semiconductor equipment.
He has been responsible for launching and sustaining five new products under semiconductor packaging, handling over 200 suppliers, and managing supply chain efforts at a global scale. Such skills and know-how related to time-to-market optimization, risk analysis, and capacity management are used in the course of the launch of this important product for the semiconductor manufacturing process.
“We pioneered the development of a never before attempted cost model using Python for the fabrication of semiconductor equipment. This machine works on semiconductor models and costs range from $1 million to $2 million, an astounding 5% error margin,” he states. In order to make better sense of their results and offer such a tool to the executives for sale integration of the model into CoGS was also done whereby control over expenditures was made more precise and forecasting of costs improved thereby bringing more efficiency into strategic planning activities.
His organization has experienced the ability to generate large cost reductions as high as $1.5 million from 1,000 different parts spending which has resulted to more than $10 million in product savings over the product life cycle.
In addition to cost management, his work in digitizing rapid product development processes has shortened the development cycle, enabling faster time-to-market for critical semiconductor products. Leveraging digital tools and automation enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of product development, allowing his organization to maintain a competitive edge in a highly dynamic industry.
“I and my team have led the semiconductor packaging machine program, overseeing the sourcing of over 25,000 Bill of Material (BOM) lines from CAD design to production pilot lot”, he informs. Such meticulous attention to detail and strategic oversight ensured the successful deployment of these machines, which are now pivotal to semiconductor manufacturing.
Reportedly, the procurement strategies have delivered over $10 million in cost savings, a testament to his ability to optimize sourcing and supply chain management. His Python-based should-cost model, with its 5% accuracy, has provided a crucial tool for cost estimation, improving decision-making processes at the executive level.
Shubham and team also implemented Six Sigma which helped the organization to minimise costs associated with inbound freight by 12% or saving the company close to $80,000 annually. This ability to cut costs while preventing disruptions in the supply chain has played a big role in the financial performance of his organization.
Nevertheless, the semiconductor industry is full of problems, and Shubham has shown a great ability to tackle those problems when they arise. He, for example, created a tool for managing supply risks which was useful during the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid production interruptions and ensure availability of crucial electronic elements. Such measures made sure that his business unit did not suffer losses in profits as well as operations, demonstrating his ability to deal with complicated supply chain issues.
In addition, he delved into the issues associated with complicated structured bills of materials (BOMs) which consist of tens of thousands of lines and demanded accurate costing and resource distribution among various suppliers. Being able to carry out such undertakings without jeopardizing quality or time delivery has been an important factor.
His rich experience in supply chain management combined with the development of new semiconductor equipment gives him the industry perspectives needed for its future. He insists that there is a need to leverage more sophisticated analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to support supply chains. This is built on the premise that by using data, organizations will improve their decision-making while minimizing waste and forecasting changes in the market more accurately.
The work of Shubham R. Ekatpure in the semiconductor sector shows how strategic product management together with technology can enhance cost-reduction measures and increase efficiency. Shubham’s innovative approach to cost modeling, sourcing, and the digitization of the supply chain has transformed the sector for the better with results that have redefined traditional practices in the development of systems used in semiconductor manufacturing.
As the semiconductor business grows, Shubham’s innovative solutions and forward-thinking concepts will certainly be useful in transforming the supply chain aspect. His capacity to combine technical know-how with business possibilities makes him a game changer in the development of new generations of systems for the semiconductor industry, maintaining the sector at the forefront of technological advancements.
