Diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages or DMSMS continues to be an especially critical topic for defense manufacturing and supply chain risk management (SCRM). While more and more efforts have been made recently to encourage and support proactive strategies to combat DMSMS and obsolescence, there are still a lot of challenges facing end-users and application OEMs when their electronics go obsolete – especially for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) circuit boards.

Understanding what DMSMS is and is not

In order to determine the best strategies to deal with DMSMS and electronics obsolescence, it’s important to first understand what each of these two issues are–and understand that while they are similar and often intertwined, they are not interchangeable. 

DMSMS is defined by the DAU as the loss or impending loss of manufacturers of items or suppliers of items or the loss or impending loss of raw materials used to manufacture items of supply. Obsolescence management on the other hand is the need to understand why this loss is happening and encompasses the plan to mitigate future obsolescence and DMSMS. The two share significant overlap, especially because obsolescence can often be a cause of DMSMS because as circuit cards go through their product lifecycle, the supply chains supporting them begin to break down and the materials needed to make the CCAs become unavailable. 

DMSMS challenges are not limited to defense-related systems, or even certain levels of a system. All levels of an electronic system are susceptible to both obsolescence and DMSMS, especially as they get older, and so is any support or test equipment used in conjunction with the product itself. Even COTS products are susceptible to DMSMS issues, often more so than defense-specific products. 

Taking on DMSMS and Obsolescence Challenges

DMSMS and obsolescence are inevitable for electronics. Ongoing improvements in technology have made it more difficult to repair and maintain outdated systems and CCAs, and as the demand for obsolete parts decreases, obtaining replacement components or repair parts grows even more difficult. 

There are more options available though beyond just a major upgrade, so long as you can fully comprehend the lifetime requirements of the CCA. For example, if you have a lot of failed assets and a low or consistent failure rate, but can’t get new products, then finding a company that can repair the in-service CCAs could be an excellent option. 

Taking proactive steps is important. But what else can you do right now for CCAs that are already discontinued?

The first step that you should always take is to try and source the CCA or system directly from the OEM or other franchised distributors. Sometimes, these suppliers will have leftover stock to offer, or can offer a pre-stocking agreement to extend or reboot a product’s lifecycle. However, for defense-related systems that need to last ten or more years, this may only be a short term solution. 

For critical or safety systems, finding a non-franchised distributor is rarely a good option and can pose a risk, so if the OEM can’t support the full lifecycle of the CCA, then you may need to turn to other options, like considering an upgrade. Upgrading a system can often be an excellent way to refresh the system and prolong its life cycle. However, upgrades are not always guaranteed to be form, fit, and functional matches for the system, even if they’re made by the same OEM. If this is the case, then the upgrade might not be feasible.  

This is where a legacy equipment manufacturer (LEM) can help. LEMs are specialized types of manufacturers that provide support for embedded systems and CCAs that are discontinued and for which EOL notices have already been issued. OEM authorized LEMs like GDCA can build parts that are OEM warranted and tested to be form-fit-functionally the same as the original product, saving costly upgrades and often providing a much more long-term solution for discontinued CCAs and other electronics threatened by DMSMS issues.

DMSMS is not something that can be ignored, and the more proactive you are about handling it, the more money and stress you can save in the long run. There are more options available to take on DMSMS and obsolescence challenges, and anticipating these challenges and exploring your options early on in the product life cycle will be a significant advantage.