Cooking For Engineers

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In case of products having a long life, component obsolescence can impact the life cycle of an end product, production cost of the end products, supportability and service to the end customer, the cost to redesign the end product and the cost to re-qualify and get certified from the respective authorities. Component Obsolescence Management is needed to mitigate the risk of component obsolescence. Effective obsolescence management strategies can save a lot of money and time, by avoiding the redesign of end products.
Reactive obsolescence management is the method of acting upon the end of life of a component, after the EOL notice is released. Proactive obsolescence management is a method of creating a strategy to mitigate the risk of component obsolescence for future. If Proactive obsolescence management is followed since the design phase, then maximum results can be achieved. However, Obsolescence management is essential to anticipate and mitigate the risk of costly redesign cycles. Obsolescence is most effectively managed when it is considered from the beginning of product development at the design stage. Obsolescence management techniques can be categorized as either production engineering-based techniques, that attempt to control an existing situation, or design-based techniques that attempt to minimize the initial problem. While there are no quick or easy solutions, using production- and design-based obsolescence management techniques can minimize the problems faced on long life-cycle programs. By replacing old technology with new technology, the change frees up board space and also often utilizes programmable devices to achieve a longer product life.