BOM Monitoring and the Lifecycle Mismatch
There is a lifecycle mismatch between the life of an electronic component, or semiconductor, and the life of an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) product. This problem requires that during design, engineers must be cognizant of which electronic components and semiconductors will be available, and which parts may be obsoleted during a product’s manufacturing process.
BOM Monitoring is vital due to the rapid growth of the electronics industry, and dramatic changes in electronic components and semiconductors. Changes in functionality, and packaging technologies, are becoming events that occur almost monthly.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of electronic components and semiconductors transition to obsolescence. Almost 50% of these products transition to obsolescence without the customer receiving a PCN (Product Change Notification) from the component manufacturer. Over 40% of those products had an immediate last time buy date.
Redesign is an extremely expensive undertaking, in which case an obsolescence management strategy is crucial.
Partstat’s BOM Monitoring service has the technology, data, and experience to make this a deflationary issue for customers by keeping them in front of obsolescence in their supply chain. The service is a major departure from how companies have traditionally tried to stay ahead of the mismatch in lifecycles. For the first time, there is a service that combines Big Data technology with experienced product specialists to close the loop in confirming the lifecycle status of a device.
Partstat’s electronic marketplace consists of 50 billion data points on over 21 million unique electronic components and semiconductors. Over 5,000 global suppliers and manufacturers provide daily feeds – and when this data is combined with advanced algorithms, customers around the world can easily price, monitor, predict, and confirm the vitality of their BOM(s).
Each BOM is also assigned to an experienced BOM Specialist who will resolve any lifecycle conflicts inherent to all BOMs. This adds the human element into this technology-driven service to provide intuition and expert analysis.
The ultimate goal here is to reduce the stress and cost of the mismatch in lifecycles for manufacturers. At Partstat, we really wanted to introduce a solution that would keep companies on track with always having their best technology performing throughout the entire lifecycle of their brand.
What has been your experience with obsolescence and the lifecycle mismatch?