Obsolescence management
- scarce material availability on the global electronics market
- growing price dynamics, changes from year to year
- confrontation with discontinuation of components
- mastering the material supply through high own storage
- smart supply chain with experienced buyers
- EMS customers benefit from risk analysis of the customer parts lists and professional handling of discontinued components
Obsolescence risk is ubiquitous
Obsolescence is a complex topic that affects every single product and all components equally. From the development phase of a product, there is an obsolescence risk of the installed components. This risk increases with the progression of the product life cycle - until it is discontinued and beyond that until the warranty period expires. For all conceivable component discontinuations, it is important to recognize and assess their risks at an early stage. Measures must then be defined on the basis of this assessment in order to avoid obsolescence risks and the resulting costs as far as possible right from the start. Because discontinuation can never be ruled out, you also need to be prepared for the actual obsolescence case.
OM system as a solution
Comprehensive documentation helps here. Action plans must be approved and the procedure accepted by all process participants. In addition, the necessary tools and other resources for the implementation must be available. For all of this to work, an OM system must be implemented that accompanies all products along the entire value chain and across all phases of the product life cycle. It is not a question of a single measure. An effective OM system can only be guaranteed by a combination of strategic considerations, proactive action and the planning and definition of reactive processes.
What needs to be considered to avoid costs and risks as far as possible? Prevention is better than reaction in this case. Our white paper provides answers, including a checklist for risk analysis and useful information for contractual regulations.
