Advantest Utilising Kinaxis to Manage Semiconductor Test Device Supply Chain

Helping to build an agile supply chain foundation to handle growing demand for semiconductors

Kinaxis® Inc., a leader in supply chain management software, confident decision-making in an unpredictable world, announced today that Advantest Corporation is using Kinaxis to help manage the growing demand for semiconductors. Advantest has just completed its first phase of rollout in its Japan facilities in just 16 weeks, complementing their global use of Kinaxis.

Advantest is the largest manufacturer of testing devices used in the semiconductor production process. As the global demand for semiconductors continues to increase, the company needed a solution that provides visibility into demand fluctuations in real time to identify business opportunities and enable quick decision-making, while ensuring a continuous supply of products in the market.

Advantest selected Kinaxis for its deep expertise in the semiconductor industry. Leveraging the RapidResponse platform, concurrent planning and a suite of applications, Advantest gains the ability to help reduce inventory costs, plan customer projects more effectively and maintain a competitive advantage.

“Increasingly, the topic of advanced digitalisation is in the spotlight, along with the growing importance of semiconductors and their quality and reliability,” said Soichi Tsukakoshi, Director and Senior Executive Officer at Advantest. “We look forward to Kinaxis providing us with real-time reporting and what-if simulations that factor in data analysis of market trends. It will also play a role in helping our supply chain governance evolve, including business continuity planning, which will enhance our flexibility and resilience capabilities to deliver increased customer value.”

“The semiconductor market is under pressure with the growth of electric vehicles, an increase in telecommuting and higher investment levels in 5G communications and other aspects of the IoT infrastructure environment,” said John Sicard, CEO of Kinaxis. “I am extremely pleased that we are able to support the mission of Advantest, a company that aims to solve the global-level issue of semiconductor manufacturing and supply through measurement technology. With concurrent planning and RapidResponse’s ability to manage market uncertainty, we will provide Advantest with the supply chain resilience and enhanced agility needed to respond to change in time to make a difference.”