As GDCA enters the last quarter of our fiscal year, and our third quarter of this pandemic, it’s time for us to start our FY21 planning process. The only thing it seems we can predict with any level of certainty is that things will continue to be unpredictable. Therefore, I’ve been thinking a lot more […]
Dealing with military users who still want obsolete products is not a new problem for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who make more revenue on the latest products as users migrate away from mature products to faster, better versions. However, people don’t always jump quickly to the next revision because they can’t upgrade an entire system […]
Product obsolescence is not new to aviation, and neither are the costs and inefficiencies caused by this issue. Yet some industry experts say too often, the avionics industry fails to take a strategic view on how to manage obsolescence as a business process.
Starting in the late 1980s, the embedded industry started to see a change in electronic product life cycles. Before that time, computing technology was primarily commercial and capital equipment had long introduction phases. Today, however, consumer demand for electronic products drives component manufacturers toward a quick-to-market life cycle. Balancing new product introduction and legacy product […]
As Congress and businesses continue to cut budgets, some question how legacy aviation systems can remain feasible – in the face of sequestration and COTS obsolescence.
Defense programs are growing in complexity. Not only are programs becoming more complicated, but the supply chain has become volatile and difficult to navigate.
Hurricane Isaac’s interruption of Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) 2012 and subsequent rescheduling instigated the pairing of DMSMS with the Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) for the 2013 event, located in Kissimmee, FL and hosted by the Navy. Bringing together these two complementary aspects of Department of Defense (DoD) operations created a unique opportunity […]
PHOENIX, 21 Jan. 2014. “Innovation is a double-edged sword: offering new product improvements, with diminishing support for aging products,” says Ethan Plotkin, CEO, GDCA.
In the face of relentless budget cuts, defense programs face system life cycles lasting longer than originally anticipated. By the time a ship or plane is decommissioned, it has often been in use decades beyond its original life expectancy. When warfighter programs are affected by aging, unreliable products, or lack of funding for spare boards […]
Now more than ever, long-lasting embedded systems require proactive obsolescence management. Because of growing legislative and environmental requirements and shrinking budgets, program managers and sustainment teams are forced to take another look at COTS end-of-life-cycle costs – and how to avoid them. A proactive obsolescence management solution is the key.
Critical Thoughts RSS Feed