Managing equipment obsolescence

Obsolescence is a hotly debated topic in the wake of growing environmental awareness. It limits the lifespan of consumer goods, thereby undermining sustainable development and the circular economy. The fight against obsolescence is one of the elements of a less consumerist model of society, where objects are maintained to avoid waste and reduce waste.

Programmed obsolescence, designed by certain manufacturers to increase the frequency with which their products are renewed, is now punishable by law. We are also seeing the beginnings of an awareness of the incompatibility of cultural obsolescence (a fashion effect that encourages consumers to renew products in good condition), which aims to adjust demand to production rather than the other way round, with sustainable development. These societal trends are not isolated to industrial activities, where the management of obsolescence has long been the subject of specific actions.

In industry, cases of obsolescence can be found not only in electronic components, but also in a growing number of other types of equipment (electrical, electromechanical, lifting equipment, valves, etc.), thus affecting and complicating the maintenance of long-life systems, which are designed to operate for a period that generally exceeds that of their constituent components. The aeronautics, transport, energy and armaments sectors are particularly concerned. Off-the-shelf products tend to be renewed more and more rapidly, and the hold of consumer markets (multimedia, telecommunications, micro-computing, etc.) on technologies is shortening their lifespan.

Obsolescence is therefore a threat to companies, all the more so as it concerns all products (industrial goods, consumer goods, including software of course), but also skills and services. It is part of the industry's business model, and often appears as a harmful consequence of innovation. We need to know how to manage it to reduce the risks it entails, without holding back the development of new, more efficient products. For product users, obsolescence is inevitable and generally detrimental, but it can be anticipated and its close interactions with maintenance must be taken into account to limit its effects on the life-cycle cost of goods as much as possible.

Company takeovers and restructuring, changes in markets and technologies, and the tightening of regulations all contribute to the obsolescence of industrial goods. Moreover, this phenomenon is combined with the new economic constraints facing companies, especially capital-intensive industries, leading them to extend the operating life of their facilities. We can therefore expect to see an increase in the number of cases of industrial equipment obsolescence, and difficulties in ensuring...