Proactive vs. Reactive Approaches to Obsolescence Management

This whitepaper makes a case for all OEMs, regardless of size, to use proactive obsoles­cence forecasting measures. This whitepaper also illustrates the risks of using component lifecycle forecast data points from the manu­facturers themselves, versus using forecasts based on algorithmic & historical data points from independent electronic component da­tabases. With the growth and sophistication of electronic component databases growing yearly, lifecycle forecasts, intelligent com­ponent selection, and overall obsolescence mitigation are within reach of all OEMs. Read More

Commercial and Defense/Aerospace OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) face daily risks from component obsolescence and the resulting impacts on the longevity of their end products. Regardless of the lifecy­cle length of the end product, all OEMs have some measure of obsolescence manage­ment in place in order to mitigate the risks and costs of diminishing components. His­torically, defense, aerospace and commercial OEMs with long end product lifecycles have placed greater emphasis on a well-managed obsolescence strategy. Conversely, OEMs with smaller end product lifecycles have placed less emphasis on sophisticated pro­active approaches to obsolescence manage­ment, relying mostly on reactive measures.