Obsolescence management of electronic and control systems

The fast changing pace of electronic and control systems dictates the necessity to start planning for asset obsolescence at early stages of the asset lifecycle. Monitoring and managing the obsolescence following a planned strategy through the asset lifecycle, will achieve cost effective long term system availability and reliability. Activities such as life of type purchases, special order manufacturing or stepping up the maintenance, individually, will not eliminate the long term obsolescence problems. Obsolescence management strategy has to include all of these but also must be flexible, versatile and be able to offer multiple paths to achieve the ultimate goal: cost effective sustainment of an asset without compromising the asset capability, availability and reliability. Obsolescence management strategy also has to be flexible enough to accommodate for possible future changes in the capability requirements. Unfortunately not many assets have a developed obsolescence management strategy until they are affected by obsolescence. For these reasons, steps presented in this paper were developed to assist with the asset support and to provide methodology for proactive obsolescence management. This approach may also encourage the asset owners to take the necessary steps early, before the inevitable obsolescence strikes again.