Innovative ways of thinking are tantamount to making changes in procedural methods. Just in Time (JIT) procurement for acquiring EOL’d embedded boards is often not an option for Legacy Equipment Manufacturing (LEM). Once an EOL notice has been issued and the parts for your system are no longer in production you’ll want to know the correct steps to take to get the embedded boards you want when you need them. In an effort to meet the growing need of legacy products, a new approach to obsolescence management is emerging.

The Legacy Engineering Consultants at GDCA are introducing a new standard for managing obsolete embedded boards— Legacy Assurance. This program has been innovated to ensure product is available to fulfill your needs for the complete lifecycle of your system. With a Legacy Assurance Program in place you will not only know at any given time the state of your system’s risk to obsolescence, but you can rest comfortably knowing that the part you want will be available at a fixed cost, within your budget constraints, when you need it.

Comparatively, JIT and ad-hoc ordering work well while parts are still in production and the supply chain is robust, but once the manufacturing process is disrupted and supplies become limited or non-existent things drastically change; attempting JIT procurement could leave you dealing with lead times of weeks or months, unstable supply chains and unnecessary expenditures. Unavailability of one small component can tie up procurement teams and hold up production indefinitely. With oversight and planning, delays can be avoided and obsolescence issues won’t cause major problems in your systems.

Once EOL’d, finding the embedded boards you need when you need them is never guaranteed. Unless, you plan ahead—and that assures less stress for everyone involved. We call that Legacy Assurance.