Asa Forsell is a senior product manager for automotive at The Qt Company.
Matt Murphy, the CEO of U.S. chipmaker Marvell Technology, predicted in October that the semiconductor shortage will extend into 2022 and beyond. The shortage is already having a huge impact across the world, with German carmaker Opel announcing the pause of some of its operations until the start of next year.
And this is far from an isolated incident — the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders recently revealed that the number of new cars registered in the U.K. in September was the lowest since 1998. Across the world, automotive manufacturers are struggling with the semiconductor shortage, unable to build and sell enough cars to meet demand.
The impact, however, is even broader. Having seen a surge in demand through the pandemic, consumer electronics are also starting to be affected by the semiconductor shortage, with research suggesting that smartphone production will be hit harder than initially predicted. Microsoft’s executive vice president of gaming, Phil Spencer, predicted that both Xbox and PlayStation game consoles will continue to be in short supply into next year.
This is further demonstrated in research we at The Qt Company recently undertook with Forrester, which looked at the challenges facing the global manufacturing industry. A startling 80% of organizations we spoke to are currently struggling to produce digital products and services, and 62% attributed this to delays in semiconductor provision.
No quick fix
Through 2020, demand for digital products and services grew at an unprecedented rate, and this demand has not yet wavered. The research, which we undertook in the first half of 2021, further revealed that 82% of organizations stated that they need to quickly introduce new smart or connected products and services in order to maintain or grow their market position. For nearly eight out of 10 organizations (79%), this means focusing their attention on accelerating their software R&D lifecycle.
As speed remains paramount for businesses, delays in semiconductor provision and software development cycles are causing significant issues. For many, these delays are lasting for several months. And let’s not forget that sitting firmly alongside the challenges in firmware is the ever-present specter of the developer skills shortage.
While there is no quick fix to talent and semiconductor shortages, there are changes businesses can make that can have an immediate and beneficial impact. And at the heart are the designers and developers who create and deliver the products and services that rely on semiconductors and embedded devices.
Challenging the development process
Businesses must look at their ways of working in order to make fast …….