As a supply chain professional, the COVID-19 pandemic was a nightmare as I faced significant challenges in securing enough critical ICs to support the production of new products. Even though our contract manufacturers had prepared some buffer stock, it didn’t last long enough to get us through the crisis. This experience emphasized the importance to have an accurate capacity and supply prediction from solid market intelligence. Traditionally, we relied on third-party consulting to gather the intelligence, but this approach was often time-consuming and not always cost-effective. With the development of Generative AI, I planned to turn to ChatGPT to obtain market intelligence which focuses on critical ICs.
To start the experiment, I planned to obtain market intelligence on IC Microcontroller Units (MCUs) to analyze capacity and supply over the past three years and project trends for the next two years. Additionally, I wanted the market intelligence to highlight the top three MCU suppliers, with a focus on PC and automotive industries. The intelligence needed to feature clear statements, supported by relevant data. For the content, I ensured it encompassed industry insights, lessons learned and recommendations for proactive solutions.
After inputting above requests into ChatGPT, I received an outline detailing the market intelligence. This included sections such as historical market analysis, current market situation, future market projections, top three MCU suppliers which focus on automotive and PC industries, lessons learned and recommendation for proactive solutions, all accompanied by data and relevant sub-bullets.
However, this version didn’t fully meet my expectations, so I asked ChatGPT to have a deeper dive by breaking down each section in more detail. As a result, I received a more comprehensive version. For instance, under the “Historical Market Analysis” section, it was expanded to include details on “Global MCU Production and Supply Constrains” and “Automotive and PC Industries Impact” during 2021 and 2023. After several rounds of interaction, I finally obtained a market intelligence that provided me with a comprehensive understanding of supply and capacity in the MCU industry over the past three years and trends projection for the next two years.
Through this experience, I realized how powerful Generative AI like ChatGPT can be in supporting us in our daily work. To fully utilize its capabilities, it’s essential for us to craft precise prompts to communicate with AI and guide it to execute step-by-step analysis, ensuring it produces the content we truly need. Additionally, while AI-generated content can be useful, it’s important to apply critical thinking, leveraging our knowledge and experience, rather than blindly accepting everything created by the machine.
Appendix: Part of the Market Intelligence Report
