Obsolescence management for long-life contracts: state of the art and future trends

This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on the problem of obsolescence in “sustainment-dominated systems” that require support for many decades. Research on this topic continues to grow as a result of the high impact of obsolescence on the in-service phase of long-term projects. Research on obsolescence also seeks to understand how it can be managed, mitigated and resolved. The paper aims to clarify and classify the different activities that may be included in an obsolescence management planning, taking into account not only electronic components but also other aspects of the system such as mechanical components, software, materials, skills and tooling. The literature review shows that although there are many commercial tools available that support the obsolescence management during the in-service phase of the life cycle of a system, little research has been done to forecast the costs incurred.