Posts by Tania Scroggie
The Real Risk of Legacy Products Is Reputation
May 19, 2026
For Embedded OEMs, the risk of legacy isn’t just technical—it’s reputational. When aging products remain in your portfolio without a clear plan for support, the brand you’ve worked so hard to build is what takes the hit. Strategic customers expect continuity. When legacy products fail in the field or can’t be supported, they don’t just blame the product—they question the company. Legacy Isn’t Neutral Holding on to legacy…
LEM vs Vendor: Why OEMs Need a Legacy Equipment Manufacturer for Long-Term Sustainment
April 9, 2026
If you treat legacy like a transaction, you’ll keep paying for it. Many OEMs think of end-of-life and sustainment transfers as a simple handoff. You document the product, pick a vendor, issue a PO, and move on. But what happens when that “simple” PO fails an audit? Or when a critical DoD program is grounded because that…
Product Portfolio Optimization: Why OEMs Should Transfer Aging Product Lines Now
March 31, 2026
Managing Product Portfolios in Uncertain Markets: Why Now’s the Right Time to Transfer Aging Product Lines In volatile markets, every product in your portfolio should justify its place. If legacy lines aren’t delivering growth or strategic value, why are you still carrying them? For Embedded OEMs, the challenge isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about ensuring that every product in the portfolio actively…
Wood Burning as Disposition for End-of-Life Products
June 19, 2021
Wood Burning as Disposition for End-of-Life Products I live on a ranch in northern California. This winter, we accounted for the dead oak trees and cleared them for the first time. Some of the wood we used for decoration, some to frame the dog’s new pen, and some we decided to sell. Because we do…
The Cost of Ad Hoc Obsolescence Management
May 6, 2021
The Cost of Ad Hoc Obsolescence Management Original Equipment Manufacturers that approach the support of older or legacy designs as a random eventuality often adopt an ad hoc attitude toward production. “Ad hoc” means they solve the obsolescence management issues as they come without establishing a general strategy for adapting to subsequent support requests. These…
Mergers and Acquisitions
April 6, 2021
Mergers and Acquisitions Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. These days, it is not difficult to think this when social media allows us to paint beautiful pictures of who we are from a computer screen. During my marketing research, I came across a media campaign for an…
Interview: Are Obsolescence Management Processes Crucial to Corporate Strategy?
February 25, 2021
In the following Q&A format, Holger Wussman, chief executive officer for Kontron Electronics, an electronic manufacturer service provider, gave his feedback to Tania Scroggie for the article “Why Obsolescence Management Processes Are Crucial to Support Corporate Strategy.” If you like the Q&A read the article, like and comment on our posts. Tania: It is a…
Are Obsolescence Management Processes Crucial to Corporate Strategy?
November 25, 2020
Why Obsolescence Management Processes are Crucial to Support Corporate Strategy Since I began working at GDCA, I have had the opportunity to work closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to better understand and deal with the impact of low-performing older designs. The nature of my work often has me talking with team members throughout their…
How to Effectively Prune Your Embedded Product Portfolio
July 8, 2020
In embedded computing, product pruning is the selective removal of certain products that no longer contribute to the health and growth of a company. Product families that are generating little or no profit for the company because of production complications, small market share, and/or outdated function can harm an embedded computer manufacturer’s bottom line. The…