Unique data approach at ASML, a different view on data

ASML is the worldwide innovation leader in the semiconductor industry. The company provides chipmakers with everything they need – hardware, software and services – to mass produce patterns on silicon through lithography. ASML has its headquarters in the Eindhoven area, the Netherlands, with operations spread across 60 locations in Europe, Asia and the US. ASML has more than 24,900 employees, from 118 different nationalities.

Previous situation

ASML designs and builds highly complex machinery and equipment. Every customer demands different configurations and has specific requirements. Engineers in the factory need to have access to very detailed instructions in order to deliver the high-quality products. For the customers of ASML, for example Intel and Samsung, downtime of their production line is extremely costly. This means that ASML’s support engineers, working worldwide, need to be able fix issues and make repairs in as little time as possible. Proper manuals for each part of every machine are of great relevance for them to be able to do their work properly and to meet the SLA’s.

The content management system that ASML used for these instructions and manuals had become a legacy system: it was outdated and not supported anymore. Uploading updates was very time consuming. Work instructions were applicable to multiple configurations which allowed errors to occur because the wrong configuration could be followed for the wrong machinery or equipment. Last but not least; the system also came with huge compliancy risks, since engineers traveled around the world with confidential information and IP locally on their laptops.

Challenge

ASML was looking for a different approach to their content management system. Was it possible to develop a new application or platform, that would be easy to maintain, user friendly, accessible at any time and at every location and safe and compliant at the same time? For a highly innovative company as ASML, protection of its IP and of customer’s business-sensitive information is crucial. When every minute counts at a customer’s site, an engineer needs to have instant access to the right information, in order to be able to act quickly and correctly.

Solution

Heroes approached this case as it would approach a data-based challenge. Eventually, the information in the working instructions and manuals is nothing more than data. Every step, building block, part or procedure is a piece of data. By giving this data context through visualization & structure and store it in the right way, we give meaning to the information.

In other words: we accomplished a solution in which thousands of step-by-step working instructions, actions and parts are stored on a new data platform which enables editors to create and offer new content in a structured way.

Heroes played an important role in setting up the architecture and product selection. We were also involved in defining the data structure and configuration of the visualization solution as well as managing the external supplier for adding new required functionalities.

The advantage of this unique data approach is that the manuals and work instructions are accessible everywhere and are always up to date. The engineer does not have to download manuals locally on his laptop but can access customer or machine specific information on demand. And even more important, all manuals are also unique and therefore only applicable to one configuration. This ultimately allows the work instructions of a specific device to be transferred to the customer, without risk of IP.

In addition, for ASML employees, a need-2-know principle applies which means that the employee should only have access to the relevant content when he or she needs it to do the task ahead. This is another measure to protect ASML’s IP and prevent data leakage to third parties.

This project shows that a data-based approach can be applied to challenges that might not seem data-related at first sight. Our different, out-of-the-box view and analysis supported not only a new way of structuring and organizing mission-critical, highly complicated and sensitive information, but it also offered solutions to other challenges, such as access, usability and security.