|
by Jeff Moad, MA Editorial Staff   Not long ago, Skyworks Solutions Inc. was all about streamlining the demand side of its business, rolling out new systems that made it easier for customers to place and track orders. Projects associated with that strategy helped Skyworks earn top honors in the Integration and Data Mastery category of Managing Automation's 2005 Progressive Manufacturing Awards. (Click here for full story.) Having largely achieved its objectives on the demand side, the $790 million maker of electronic components for cell phones and other mobile communication devices is now focusing its efforts on automating the supply side of its business. The Woburn, MA, company is deploying and upgrading a wide range of technologies -- from EDI to supplier portals -- intended to give it clearer, more up-to-date insights into whether key suppliers will be able to keep up with demand for Skyworks' products. "We've had issues in the past, like most companies, where we expected products to arrive on a certain schedule and in certain quantities to meet our ability to support demand, and it didn't happen," says Gil Hurtado, director of IT enabling technologies at Skyworks. "By automating many of those processes, we want to remove errors and improve visibility." [Click to continue] |