The Dangerous EOL Assumption Regarding Electronic Components

By Logan Wamsley

The EOL designation granted to an electronic component approaching obsolescence used to have a certain meaning to OEMs. It indicated that the component was ending its natural buyer cycle, that customer demand had slipped beyond the point of being profitable, and that it was time for the supplier to move on. It was a designation…

The Price of an EOL Component Is More Than You Think

By Logan Wamsley

The passive electronic components that make up so much of what we use in our everyday lives are getting both smaller and more common. 15 years ago, the total number of components that made up the typical cellular phone was around 60. Today, that number has ballooned to over 1,000. Everyone has heard that there…

Why Does Obsolescence Impact Healthcare Manufacturers More than Most?

By Logan Wamsley

The healthcare industry is somewhat unique in the fact technology, for all of the responsibility it bears for moving society forward, is still not the primary force behind a patient’s decision to seek care. Does access to the latest specialized CT scanning technology sway a patient to seek an accurate cancer diagnosis at one medical…

Understanding the True Definition of Obsolescence Management

By Logan Wamsley

It is widely understood that “obsolescence” as it relates to the manufacturing industry is defined as the transition of electronic components toward end-of-life. There are many reasons this could occur – some as the result of a component’s natural life cycle, others as the result of unforeseeable circumstances – but regardless of precisely why it…

Medical Devices vs. Consumer Electronics: Why Are Their Life Cycles so Different?

By Logan Wamsley

Trends in today’s manufacturing industry have long indicated that product life cycles are lengthening against the electronic components required to assemble them, but nowhere is this conflict more pronounced than in the healthcare industry. The average life cycle for consumer electronics, such as smartphones or tablets, is conservatively about 18 months. While supporting a consumer…