Industry overview
What is shaping semiconductor
The semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem is expanding, bringing new fabs, design centres and suppliers. Talent, supplier readiness and policy support decide its pace.
- New manufacturing capacity needs a local supplier base
- Design and fab talent is in high demand
- Policy incentives shape investment decisions
Client background
A semiconductor assembly company in Malaysia, working in Penang & Kulim, Malaysia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A semiconductor assembly company in Malaysia
- Sector
- Semiconductor
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Quantitative research, Qualitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
Cleanroom work involves long shifts in protective gowning and strict procedures. The company wanted to understand operator wellbeing, fatigue and safety perceptions as it scaled up.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding cleanroom workforce wellbeing and safety.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of operators.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 900 operators.
- operators900
Audiences we typically reach in semiconductor
Design and manufacturing companiesComponent suppliersEngineers and studentsB2B buyersIndustry bodies
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Penang & Kulim, Malaysia. Market: Malaysia.
- Malaysia
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Anonymous survey
- 3Shift-team discussions
- 4Insight
We ran an anonymous survey across all shifts covering fatigue, breaks, training, safety concerns and career progression, followed by discussions with shift teams. Surveys were completed outside the cleanroom during breaks, in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil, and results were reported only for groups large enough to protect anonymity.
Quantitative researchQualitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- operators
- 900
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Night-shift fatigue and limited career progression were key concerns.
Wellbeing and productivity improved together when shifts were designed around people.
Recommendations
- The company adjusted shift rotations, improved rest facilities and introduced skill-based career pathways.
- Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Absenteeism and early attrition among new operators declined in the months after the changes, and the survey was scheduled to repeat annually.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how ready is the supplier ecosystem?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.