Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence

2.5 CHANGE-NOTIFICATION PATHS

The routes by which PCNs reach users also vary widely. Low-volume manufacturers will usually buy through distribution and so may not receive the notices directly. They must rely on their distributor to pass them on. Users who have not bought any parts for a long time may also be dropped from the notification list, even though they may still have future requirements to support equipment in service. Some part manufacturers operate a notification service by e-mail, and any user can sign up to receive them. However, these notices are often just part of the general change-notification system operated by the part manufacturer, and the number of e-mails can be overwhelming, leading to the risk of missing an important end-of-life (EOL) notice.

There are four major paths for the propagation of a PCN through the supply-chain to the equipment manufacturer. These paths are illustrated in Figure 2-2. The choice of paths depends on the manufacturer and customer involved. Some manufacturers send out notifications along multiple paths for maximum assurance that the message will reach its destination.

FIGURE 2-2 Electronic part change notification paths.

2.5.1 Direct to Equipment Manufacturers

The first path for PCNs is direct notification of equipment manufacturers by the part manufacturer making the change. For large customers who buy parts directly, this is the ...