Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence

Preface

Engineers and managers must be aware of the life cycles of the parts they incorporate into their systems. Otherwise, they can end up with a product whose parts are not available or a product that cannot perform as intended, cannot be assembled, and cannot be maintained without high life cycle costs. While technological advances continue to meet product development needs, engineering decisions regarding when and how a new part will be used and the associated risks differentiate the winners and losers.

This book will enable manufacturers and supporters of products and systems to manage the obsolescence of the parts that compose their products and systems. This book is intended for engineers and managers, product team members, marketing professionals, business development professionals, and contract negotiators.

This book explains the life cycle of parts and software and presents a process for obsolescence forecasting based on sales data, case studies illustrating forecasting methods, and explanations of reactive, proactive, and strategic obsolescence management strategies.

Chapter 1 describes general definitions and the fundamental issues associated with the occurrence of obsolescence and its management. This chapter builds the foundation for obsolescence management to reduce the risks affecting various products and industries.

Chapter 2 describes the change management methods and controls commonly used by semiconductor manufacturers and the types of changes that they make. ...