Integrated circuits are what enable digital enterprises in our society… and yet, they’re considered by some to be a constraint.  Disruptions in integrated circuits have been a hot topic recently, and while the pandemic may be partly to blame, there are several additional reasons behind these shortages, from outsourcing and supply chain to resourcing.  On today’s episode of The Digital Enterprise Society Podcast, Thom Singer puts Craig Brown in the guest seat as they take a deep dive into the word ‘digital’, attempt to unpack all that is behind integrated circuits, shortages, and supply chains, and highlight the importance of resilience in all that we do. 

 

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

 

Identifying integrated circuits 

• Integrated circuits are everywhere — from your phone to your car, they are a critical piece of digital technology. 
• These tiny silicon chips hold upward to the billions of simple gates. 
• The pandemic placed an unprecedented strain on supply and demand, but who is to blame for that? 
• Highly streamlined supply chains have resulted in limited capabilities in times of trade war or global crisis.

 

The role of models in digital technologies

• Building models to better understand the decisions that need to be made is key.
• Models can have a broader reach than simply what is being manufactured, from the plant to the flow of materials. 
• How much time and money will be required to build increased capacity and resiliency?
• There is value in building plants in locations that don’t require shipping goods across oceans

 

Resilience in the digital enterprise

• Supply chains will adjust to balance out capacity and economics. 
• Can digital engineering help fabrication and design through transitions? 
• Resilience to the unknown is a critical component in every industry. 
• Improved and rapidly increasing integration and chip design play an essential role in effective digital design. 

 

Timelines toward improvements 

• Adjustments will have to continually be made as we progress out of the pandemic. 
• Effects from the pandemic are going to be a factor in all processes for the foreseeable future. 
• Awareness of potential variants is essential to resilience and progression. 
• Better models lead to better decisions and allow for adjustments that eliminate surprises. 

 

Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.

 

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