Obsolescence Management Archives

May 15

How do you fulfill long-term demand for a system when you don’t have a long-term support contract?

Proactive Obsolescence Management

Often, having a maintenance contract misleads Application OEMs and Prime Contractors into a false sense of long-term protection. When Primes are not privy to an accurate assessment of a system’s life cycle, gaps between the end of a contract and the continuing need for parts creates production and sustainment vulnerability. Reacting to these vulnerabilities adds […]
Feb 28

5 Common Miscalculations OEMs Make That Impede Effective Proactive Obsolescence Management

Proactive Obsolescence Management

…and What You Can Do Embedded and Application OEMs both face issues with their customers when product life cycles are longer than originally anticipated. Thinking critically about servicing systems past component EOL notices is vital for effective forecasting and maintenance, not only for end users but for manufacturers as well. Paying attention to the following […]
Aug 07

Legacy Manufacturing: Where Discontinued Embedded Boards Still Have a Future

Manufacturing

With technology advancing at lightning speed and embedded boards being EOL’d sometimes even while a system is still in the design phase, new methods and ways of thinking must be introduced to meet the needs of programs and applications with long lifecycles. When embedded boards become obsolete, a Legacy Manufacturer can step in and provide […]
Jun 06

What is a Legacy Equipment Manufacturer (LEM)?

Manufacturing, Obsolescence

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 […]
May 10

Legacy Assurance vs. Just in Time (JIT) Procurement

Obsolescence

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 […]
Apr 12

What is Obsolescence Management?

Obsolescence

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 […]
Aug 03

Knowing the Difference Between a Legacy Equipment Manufacturer (LEM) vs. an OEM Saves You Time and Money

Manufacturing, Obsolescence

When you need an embedded board that is still in production, it is easy to call the OEM, order what you want, and receive delivery. Because everything needed to produce your product is still readily available, you don’t have to worry about issues like accessibility, documentation, or counterfeit parts. However, after the point when an […]
Aug 20

Sensors Going Blind: Obsolete Medical Scanners in the Developing World

Medical, Obsolescence

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with chest pains. You can’t call 911 because you live in a region without telephone service. There are few emergency services available and, even so, there are few functional roads. The pains pass, but you know you need to have it looked at. You begin the long, possibly dangerous trek from your remote home to one of the surrounding urban areas. You will try to locate a medical center, where you will receive modern medical care and access to high-tech diagnostics and treatments that aren’t available in your area.
Apr 23

Counterfeit Components Hurt More Than Military Applications

Anti-Counterfeiting, Manufacturing, Obsolescence

When reading the news around counterfeit components, much of the dialogue is driven by the defense industry. When you are dealing with systems that protect our national security and the lives of the people out in the field – you’re not dealing with counterfeits in a bunch of trivial electronics. You’re taking necessary steps to protect the lives of men and women who depend on the systems for their safety. Since 2011 more than 1800 cases of counterfeit components were reported in defense applications, including mission computers operating the THAAD missile system, in the Air Force’s C-27J, in the Navy’s P-8A, and in electromagnetic interference filters on an SH-60B helicopter.

However, the trouble with counterfeits isn’t limited to the defense industry and the military. They’re just currently the ones driving the conversation and legislation such as the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Sec. 818.
Mar 12

Drinking From a Too-Short Straw: The Brutal Costs of Mismanaging Obsolescence

Manufacturing, Obsolescence

It can be easy for those of us in the embedded industry to think of obsolescence as predominantly an electronics or software issue and to imagine its scope as limited to small- or medium-scale consequences. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that obsolescence is a problem across many industries, and the consequences can be severe. The […]