From Data to Decisions: Protecting Yield and Building Smarter Semiconductor Operations

The semiconductor industry is entering a period of significant manufacturing expansion. At the same time, equipment, processes and products are becoming increasingly complex, while technical teams have access to more operational data than ever before. In this environment, protecting yield, uptime and quality becomes increasingly important, as a problem that takes too long to diagnose, a recurring quality issue or a poor technical decision can have significant operational and financial consequences. How can organizations help already talented people think and work together better and faster?
The opportunity is not simply to add more data, more technology or more individual expertise. High-performing technical teams need to establish what matters quickly, ask precise questions, separate relevant information from noise, test possible causes and make sound decisions based on evidence. AI can accelerate this work by analyzing large quantities of information, identifying patterns and helping engineers explore possibilities faster, but human judgment remains essential. A common way of thinking can also make it easier to transfer experience, bring newer engineers up to speed and apply lessons learned across technical functions—ultimately creating a stronger foundation for problem prevention, eliminating recurring issues and moving closer to near-zero defects.
The discussion will explore how semiconductor organizations can strengthen these capabilities at scale and convert better thinking into improvements in yield, uptime, quality and overall operational performance.

Kepner-Tregoe is a global consulting and training firm that has helped the world's leading semiconductor companies solve their hardest technical problems for over 20 years. We are known for a structured approach to critical thinking that turns complex equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and decision-making into skills people can learn, apply, and repeat. From field service and manufacturing to process engineering and quality, we help chipmakers and equipment manufacturers restore tools faster, prevent recurring failures, and build the problem-solving capability of their own engineers at scale.