Teradyne Corporation: the Jaguar Project

Teradyne Corporation: The Jaguar Project

As Jack O’Brien, project lead of Teradyne’s Jaguar project, sat in traffic on his way to work he pondered his team’s efforts over the past eight years. Teradyne, a manufacturer of semiconductor test machines, had long been awaiting the arrival of their new full-range testing equipment. The project marked a number of firsts for Teradyne including up-front project planning, formalized tools for project tracking, and a structured development process. Despite the learning curve all new methodologies impose, O’Brien’s project had become a success in the hardware department, yet the software group struggled through much of the implementation, and was still working on deliverables. Had the new tools and techniques hindered the development processes? This paper will analyze Teradyne’s traditional project execution strategies in contrast to those of the Jaguar project, will describe how the new project management tools made an impact on the project, and present the lessons learned throughout the experience.

Company History

Teradyne, a 45 year veteran of the semiconductor industry, specializes in testing equipment for transistors and other electrical components. The company was founded in 1960 by two MIT graduates with a vision to bring a line of reliable, fast testing equipment to the industry. As the complexity and volume of components manufactured by their customers increased, so did Teradyne’s investment in research and development. By 2004 Teradyne had five business units, including semiconductor test, assembly test, broadband test, connection systems, and diagnostic solutions. Semiconductor test remained the largest business operation for the company, producing just under two thirds of annual revenue in 2004. The company had six major engineering operations across the United States, with three of those facilities housing manufacturing operations. Teradyne had also dispersed across the globe with smaller engineering...