Obsolescence Management as a Tool for Effective Spare Parts Management

Abstract

Spare parts for long-living primary products have to be constantly available during the supply period, which may be up to several decades. Due to special characteristics electronic spare parts are particularly problematic and require specific attention in spare parts management. Electronic elements are often discontinued by semiconductor manufacturers since their main customers, like communication and information technology industry, constantly demand new and better products. The OEM of long living primary products are faced with the problem of not being able to predict which components and electronic elements will become obsolete, i.e. unavailable at a certain point of time. Gathering information and deriving required measures are tasks of the obsolescence management. In this article a structured methodology is described how an effective obsolescence management can be applied and how the needed obsolescence management database can be selected.