You basically cover the whole flow from manufacturing all the way to shipping orders to our customers. Everything is tailor made, or custom made to the fabless or semiconductor companies demands or requirements. So, I think that’s a very, very good fit for the industry and for our company as well obviously.”
– Sunny Suen, Senior Vice President of Operations, XMOS
Company Overview
XMOS is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, with a global footprint that includes offices in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Taipei, and the United States. Founded in 2005, it specializes in audio and voice products, and multicore microcontrollers, serving customers worldwide in consumer, industrial, and automotive products. XMOS is driving innovation in intelligent IoT through its adaptable xcore® technology. Its flagship xCORE platform has advanced through multiple generations, with the latest iteration embracing RISC-V architecture to boost accessibility and foster broader ecosystem integration.
Business Challenge
Before implementing Tensoft SemiOps, XMOS relied heavily on spreadsheets to manage its ERP functions. This included manufacturing orders, build releases, logistics, and order fulfillment. “We were basically an Excel house in terms of all the data and all the records and everything,” said Sunny Suen. He is the Senior Vice President of Operations overseeing manufacturing, logistics, quality assurance, test and product engineering across XMOS’s international operations. This manual approach posed significant challenges in terms of scalability, data integrity, and operational efficiency.
As a fabless semiconductor company, XMOS needed a solution tailored to the unique demands of the industry. The company had previously explored Tensoft nearly a decade ago but wasn’t ready to implement it until they had the resources and bandwidth to move forward. “It didn’t take us long to think it would be something that is compatible to and suitable for what we need,” Suen explained.
Solution
When XMOS was ready to transition from spreadsheets to a robust ERP system, they felt confident in their decision to choose Tensoft.
“Your core feature functionalities and the cost performance are suitable for fabless companies,” Suen noted. “You basically cover the whole flow from manufacturing all the way to shipping orders to our customers. Everything is tailor made, or custom made to the fabless or semiconductor companies demands or requirements. So, I think that’s a very, very good fit for the industry and for our company as well obviously.”
XMOS implemented:
- SemiOps for manufacturing operations
- DemandOps for sales and order fulfillment
- Integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for financial transactions
This combination provided XMOS with a complete ERP solution that seamlessly connected operational and financial data. “It is pretty much a whole ERP with a reasonable interface to our financial systems,” said Suen. “The whole flow is pretty effective and efficient.”
The implementation process was smooth with no big hurdles. “The support we got from Tensoft during that time was very good. We got constant feedback and when we had problems, you guys responded promptly.”
Tensoft’s responsiveness and professionalism stood out during the implementation. “When we provided feedback, you guys helped us improve on things either through workarounds or by implementing enhanced capabilities,” Suen added. “So far, I think we’re a happy customer.”
The benefit we really got is it provides one single integrated system and platform for us to store our data and also to process all our processes.”
– Sunny Suen, Senior Vice President of Operations, XMOS
Benefits
The transition from spreadsheets to Tensoft’s integrated ERP system delivered immediate and long-term benefits:
Improved Efficiency
“Once the system is set up and you get to use it after the first couple of months, the process itself is smoother and easier,” Suen said. “It does save time compared to doing it using the spreadsheets.”
Single Integrated System for Data and Processes
The centralized system improved data integrity and audit readiness. “The benefit we really got is it provides one single integrated system and platform for us to store our data and also to process all our processes,” Suen explained. This has significantly improved the record keeping compared to relying on spreadsheets. “It helps us in terms of ease of proof for auditing purposes when we get audited by external auditors and things like that. There’s one place to go to and easy to find things. So that’s a plus,” Suen added.
Reduced Human Error
The integration between SemiOps and DemandOps helped prevent inventory mishandling. “You can select different batches of devices for different shipments to customers and everything is synced up automatically,” Suen said. “It reduced human errors because when you do that, then it basically blocks out inventory for that and it cannot be mistakenly reused for something else.”
Smooth Financial Integration
Data flows from DemandOps into Business Central without issues. “It’s a smooth process so far. It just seems to work fine,” Suen confirmed.
We have a very solid foundation by using Tensoft ERP and we’re definitely ready for future growth.”
– Sunny Suen, Senior Vice President of Operations, XMOS
Conclusion
By moving from spreadsheets to a holistic ERP system like Tensoft SemiOps, XMOS laid the groundwork for scaling operations without increasing complexity or risk. From improved operational efficiency to better audit readiness and reduced errors, the benefits have been substantial.
“We have a very solid foundation by using Tensoft ERP and we’re definitely ready for future growth,” Suen said. One area of future interest is suppliers system integration capabilities, which the company plans to explore when the time is right. “We’re very happy with Tensoft, what we’re doing right now, and we definitely look forward to future cooperation when the time comes,” Suen concluded.