Why Communication is at the Heart of yieldHUB

Blog by Madelaine Finucane, Communications Expert

February 6, 2025

Did you know that one study found that communication problems in the workplace cost US businesses $1.2 trillion per year?

That sounds pretty bad to me. According to a 2024 report, also by Grammarly and The Harris Poll, 66 percent of professionals wish they had better communication tools to help them be more effective.

Now, let’s look at this from the perspective of semiconductor companies. If engineering teams face communication issues, the consequences could be significant, especially in an industry where time, data, and reliability mean everything.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked across many different industries and teams. I find that the teams that work the best together aren’t just successful because of a good personality mix or a healthy workplace culture, but because they have clear, consistent and effective communication.

However, it’s not always straightforward to get there. Some of the most common issues I’ve encountered that can hinder teams from collaborating at optimum levels include:

• Using the wrong tools or switching between too many systems, leading to confusion

• Lack of training on how to use systems effectively

• Team members unwilling to adapt to new processes or technologies

• Time zone differences making coordination difficult

• Overlapping duties or confusion about who is responsible for what

There are too many reasons to list here, but personally, I don’t think that having a heavy workload or being under time pressure is an excuse anymore because of the technology we have at our disposal.

For many of us, automation and AI have become part of our everyday lives, and if used correctly, it can skyrocket productivity and help us work seamlessly as a team. In saying that, I don’t think we should rely purely on technology. In my experience, teams work best when led with a holistic approach, that is, making sure you continue those face-to-face interactions where possible and ensure your team has clear expectations, goals and roles. Technology should complement the process.

yieldHUB for example, is an intuitive yield management platform that was designed to remove silos and ensure engineers in semiconductor companies can collaborate easily. Instead of using several tools across multiple systems, everything can be done online, in a centralised system that also builds up a knowledge base. You can add and send comments through the system itself, share reports and send data at the touch of a button. yieldHUB enables you to communicate and work collaboratively across multiple time zones, all looking at the same data and reports. A single source of truth. It’s a repository of knowledge and insights that builds up every day.

When I first began working at yieldHUB, I didn’t realize what a big deal our centralised approach to an analytics platform and knowledge base was. It wasn’t until I began speaking to our customers that it became abundantly clear that collaboration and automatically building knowledge were indeed components missing from many systems and tools on the market today. 

As our Founder and CEO, John O’Donnell, puts it, collaboration and knowledge is at the very core of yieldHUB.

"Before yieldHUB, I spent many years in the industry and saw a recurring challenge - data silos. This happens when engineers work in isolation, keeping critical yield data on their own computers instead of in a centralized location,” John said.

“While this might not seem like a problem at first, it can create major disruptions down the line.”

He said one of the biggest risks is when that engineer leaves the company or moves to another department. 

“If their knowledge and data aren’t properly documented or accessible, the company may lose crucial information. 

“The next person who takes over is left scrambling to piece it together when an issue arises, wasting valuable time.”

Recognizing this challenge, John wanted to create a solution that would give our customers peace of mind.

“That’s why yieldHUB isn’t just a data analysis toolset - it’s a collaborative platform with a knowledge base of expertise that builds up over time. Our system doesn’t just store historical data; it enables teams to comment on data, share reports, and work together seamlessly. The observations are saved in contextual threads throughout the system.

"With yieldHUB, knowledge isn’t lost when someone moves on. It stays within the company and the platform, empowering teams to make smarter decisions and improve yield management far more easily.

"Instead of struggling with fragmented communication, why not empower your team with a platform built for collaboration and expanding knowledge?"

If you think your team can benefit from breaking down silos and using a knowledge-building platform for yield improvement and collaboration, we can offer a walk-through of yieldHUB. Schedule a discovery call here.