Infographics refers to a visual representation of information or data. PowerPoint widely used in the last one or two decades and the availability of more affordable tools have posed more challenges for industrial analysts. We transform original news or charts into visual infographics, an efficient way to convey the information to the readers and listeners. That's a very basic skill for analysts now.
A good analyst has a multitude of infographics models. You can feel the speaker's style, and even personality from his or her presentation. Some people are meticulous; some are very good at outlining and highlighting ideas; some even make good use of sound effects to create striking impressions with sensational and stunning expressions.
But many visualized contents embody the sophisticated methodologies of research institutions and the depth of market management and strategies. Taiwan's upstream position in the supply chain, with its large wafer fabs, diversified IC design houses, and very prosperous distribution channels of components, gives Taiwan absolute advantages in monitoring the volatile supply-demand environment.
While Taiwanese firms move operations to ASEAN and South Asia, we need to watch the deployments of American EMS firms, or the strengths/weakness and competitive strategies of local magnates in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. The data is not a windfall but acquired through appropriate sources; or even a service fee is required before it can be interpreted, analyzed and turned into insightful information for Taiwan's industry. Analysts may offer links to the database without exposing individual company's data, enabling customers to access the real raw data. Such an operation, which generates a variety of service plans paid by customers of different levels, is often adopted by market research institutions.
In general, most industry analysts have the ability to interpret raw data and draw attractive charts, but it's not easy to cultivate talent with keen insights and sense in industry research. Over the years, I've led at least 500 industry analysts, but there is a very limited number of them that I have really appreciated. But if an enterprise has four or five cross-industry data banks that can be cross-referenced, coupled with our understanding of core trends of each industry, industry analysis may not be as difficult as it seems.
N American makers' production bases in ASEAN
Note: Bracketed numbers indicate rankings in terms of 2020 sales
Souce: DIGITIMES Research, July 2021
(Editor's note: This is part of a series by DIGITIMES Asia president Colley Hwang about industry research work.)
