日系IC設計公司晶圓服務的新商業模式探討—以S公司為例

近幾年的科技業產生兩大趨勢：第一、智慧物聯網(AIOT)世代的來臨，無論是車用電子、雲端運算、影像感測等裝置，其晶片功能都將結合人工智慧，具備聯網與深度學習的能力。第二、科技產品供過於求，致使電子品牌商力求產品差異化，紛紛要求IC設計公司為其客製化晶片。上述兩大趨勢，使晶圓設計服務越來越受重視，而有些IC設計業者則看準趨勢，從自有品牌的標準化晶片設計模式，轉型成高階客製化的代工設計模式，不僅脫離品牌經營的風險、更能深入了解客戶的差異化需求，並提升設計技術的能力。本研究以兩大知名日本科技公司的合資企業—S公司為個案研究對象，探討其晶圓設計模式的轉型之路。在日本半導體產業20世紀末衰落之時，持有S公司之兩家母公司進行業務重整與企業轉型，專攻高階系統級晶片的研發設計，累積了豐富的技術資源；此外，也在經營自有品牌的標準化晶片市場中，累積了大量的營銷知識。上述資源也成為現在S公司商業模式轉型的重要競爭利基。本研究首先針對S公司從標準化轉型至客製化的晶片設計模式，進行SWOT分析並彙整出TOWS矩陣，了解其轉型策略與優劣勢，再依序進行商業模式、新產品開發流程、與專案管理方式的比較。研究中發現，有客製化晶片需求的客戶旨在創造競爭差異性，與標準化晶片的快速量產需求截然不同，因此客製化晶片是著重高端技術的ODM商業模式，並在產品開發流程、與專案管理上講求客戶導向，以提升客服品質與合作體驗，藉此達成與客戶共同設計晶片上的口碑行銷。反之，由於標準化晶片技術純熟、且矽智財的配置皆已模組化，可迅速驗證量產，因此標準化晶片是著重廣泛應用的OBM商業模式，在產品開發與專案管理上講求產品導向，以符合既定產品規格，藉此達成晶片設計上的品牌行銷。依據本研究，筆者對於S公司轉型客製化晶片設計的策略規劃與專案執行層次分別總結以下建議，希望做為其日後經營管理上的參考: 在策略規劃上，筆者建議有三：一、針對行銷策略，建議S公司積極與知名製造商、品牌商合作聯名，擴大市場能見度。二、針對供應鏈策略，建議S公司與供應商強化關係，取得最新材料設備或合作機會。三、針對競爭策略，建議S公司與現有客戶鞏固合作關係，培養熟悉與信任感之餘，嘗試最新市場應用與技術開發機會。在專案執行上，建議有二：一、S公司應當教育客戶晶圓設計的驗證機制，使客戶熟悉客製化的流程、培養信任感。二、S公司應積極培養研發人才的高階設計技術、以及業務人員的諮詢與服務品質訓練。

關鍵字

IC設計產業； SWOT分析；商業模式；新產品開發流程；專案管理

並列摘要

In recent years, two major forces have reshaped the technology industry: First, the generation of Artificial Internet of Things (AIOT) is coming. Electronic devices such as automotive electronics, cloud computing and image sensing, are equipped with chips with artificial intelligence, enabling the ability of connecting and deep learning. Second, as electronic products are oversupplied, brand owners will require fabless companies to customize chips to create differentiation. As a result, IC design service are becoming more important than ever. To accommodate themselves to these forces, some fabless companies have started transforming their business model from the original brand manufacturing (OBM) of standardized chip designing to the original design manufacturing (ODM) of high-end customized chip designing. Not only have they removed the risk of brand managing, they also understood customers’ demands more deeply. This research takes S company (S), a joint venture of two well-known Japanese technology companies, as a case study object to discuss the transformation of its IC design model. When the Japanese semiconductor industry started to decline at the end of 20th century, the two companies reorganized and transformed their business to the sphere of high-level system on chip (SOC) designing, which helped them collect many technical knowledges. They managed their own brands, accumulated a lot of experience in sales. Theprocess has created a solid foundation for S to transform its business model. To understand S’s new business strategy, this research conducts SWOT analysis and compiles TOWS matrix for its transformation from standardized to customized designing service. Then, the study compares these business models, disclosing how they affect the process of new product development (NPD) and project management (PM). The research discovers that customers of customized designing service bear tremendous difference from that of standardized designing service. They try to create product differentiation and focus on high-end technical services of ODM business model, conducting NPD and PM for customer orientation and improving word of mouth marketing (WOMM) of cooperative-designing. On the contrary, since standardized designing is matured and its relevant intellectual property cores are modularized, it focuses on OBM business model whose NPD and PM are conducted for product orientation The standardized designing service conforms to the existing products’ specification and improving the profit of brand marketing of chip design. This research concludes suggestions for S’s transformation to customized designing in terms of strategy planning and project implementation, in hope that it provides S with reference for future operation and management: On strategy planning level, there are three suggestions. First, for marketing strategy, S should actively cooperate with well-known manufacturers and brand owners to expand market visibility. Second, for the supply chain strategy, S should strengthen its relationship with suppliers and obtain the latest materials, equipment, and cooperation opportunities. Third, for competitiveness strategy, S should align partnerships with existing customers by cultivating familiarity and trust, as well as exploring the latest technology development and applications. On project implementation level, this research offers two suggestions. First, S should educate customers with the verification mechanism, so they can be familiar with the customized process and develop a sense of trust with S. Second, S should actively enhance talents cultivation in the field of high-level R&D and sales consultancy.