Obsolescence
Now’s the Time for Electronics OEMs to Shape Their Futures
May 12, 2020
In view of the COVID-19 disruption and anticipated aftermath in the embedded electronics industry, computer board OEMs face an existential challenge right now: How do they best allocate their resources to satisfy the competing objectives of 1) sustaining existing designs while simultaneously 2) inspiring and capturing the market for new designs? If OEMs spend too…
5 Actions Teams Must Implement Into Their COVID Response Right Now
May 12, 2020
COVID-19 has changed the industry landscape in ways we are still trying to understand, and companies must respond—or be left in the dust. Although change is never easy, often the hardest part is deciding to reevaluate what we think we know. The alternative is to wait out the pandemic health crisis and hope that things…
When Tomorrow Never Comes
February 22, 2019
Obsolescence and Changing Our Minds You’ve got to know when to hold ’em Know when to fold ’em Know when to walk away And know when to run “The Gambler” – Kenny Rogers Maybe the writing is on the wall. Maybe the truth is hidden in between the lines of your BOM. Maybe you really…
7 Perspectives about Legacy Engineering
October 26, 2018
Once component EOL notices have been issued and COTS embedded boards are discontinued, the processes for keeping your embedded systems vital drastically changes and so must your overall thinking about them. When the supply chain is active, acquiring the boards and components you need requires simply placing an order. Extending or even reviving a product…
Why Repeated LTBs Fail and Legacy Assurance Succeeds
September 11, 2018
Albert Einstein said, “Problems cannot be solved with the same thinking that created them,” and we agree. The speed with which technology is advancing causes new issues in system sustainability; problems that up until now, provide chronic headaches for most engineers and companies. For instance, note the vast differences between the processes of building embedded…
What is PLM+™ ?
August 17, 2018
PLM+ is GDCA’s targeted approach to legacy sustainment, developed over decades by working closely with board and application OEMs. The process offers a new organizational structure to legacy sustainment, a time-tested way of being prepared. Traditional PLM (product lifecycle management) doesn’t address the intricacies of indefinitely sustaining legacy equipment after EOL. Traditional PLM leaves out…
The Value of Developing Second Source for Obsolete Boards
July 10, 2018
I’ve recently come back from an exciting two-week road trip, and I’ve been talking to a lot of people about the impact obsolete electronics have on their enterprises. The people I met were knowledgeable, passionate, and in many cases struggling to find a solution or make a business case to remedy their particular obsolescence problem.…
What is a Legacy Equipment Manufacturer (LEM)?
June 6, 2018
Once your electronic embedded board has reached EOL, but your system still needs to be viable, you will want to talk with an experienced equipment manufacturer that specializes in legacy sustainment. A Legacy Equipment Manufacturer (LEM) is a specialized embedded board producer that supports and services embedded board level products after OEM’s are no longer…
Legacy Assurance vs. Just in Time (JIT) Procurement
May 10, 2018
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…
What is Obsolescence Management?
April 12, 2018
Obsolescence Management takes into account the life span of all the moving pieces of your complex system with a plan to replace obsolete parts as they age, before it becomes a crisis. This is not a simple process. Challenges include parts availability, diminishing materials, counterfeit avoidance and knowing where to look to find what you…