Obsolescence Group Aids European Industry

The growing problem of early part and component obsolescence caused by the rapid pace of technological change is being met by a U.K. organization specifically formed to aid industry with these growing difficulties.

Established originally in 1997 to serve as a forum for the exchange of information by industry professionals, the Component Obsolescence Group has since grown into a recognized advisory and consultancy body that has direct contact with component suppliers, government departments, and OEMs for the benefit of its members. With early component obsolescence seen as a growing major problem for the aviation industry, the COG has found itself in an ever-widening role. Apart from aiding companies to manage and mitigate obsolescence problems through information exchange, the COG now organizes conferences and trade exhibitions, arranges training courses in the field of obsolescence management, provides data-sharing links, and identifies and analyzes obsolescence problems for interested parties.

Michael Trenchard, chief executive of the Hertfordshire, U.K.-based group, said that early obsolescence of component parts is becoming a real problem for industry as a whole. "In recent years components have had a high reliability and long life expectancy; the average annual failure rate for electronic components has been just 2 percent, for example. This is no longer the case, and many have been misled into ignoring the issue until there is a failure and no like replacement parts are available."

For British Airways, according to Martin Buzzard, the airline's chief avionics engineer, electronic parts represent the greatest problem, with semiconductors, microprocessors, and similar items going out of production early to be replaced by new technology. It is said that on average 2,000 electronic components become obsolete each month. Buzzard noted that with new items the reliability is higher but the pace of change faster. Microprocessors are out of date quickly, and for some flight information system screens it is no longer possible to obtain the glass. According to the COG, in the military field, fasteners and bearings represent a major problem.

Much quicker obsolescence can be laid firmly at the door of the rapid pace of change with new technology, and as Michael Trenchard said: "Companies can be caught out unless they have early recognition of the problem. Too often, companies are taking a reactive approach when prevention can be far more cost effective than cure. Once components are obsolete, the cost of replacement parts can be many times the cost of the original, and on top of that there might be expense of equipment being out of service for some time. Obsolescence needs to be addressed by the whole supply chain, with manufacturers, suppliers, and end-users working together to identify the best strategy to manage systems for their whole lifespan."

With 160 members, most of them in the U.K. and mainland Europe, the COG is regarded by Trenchard as "a pretty unique body." It is funded entirely by subscription, and has few comparable bodies anywhere else in the world. In the U.K. a National Obsolescence Centre has been created by COG and Qinetiq, the former Defence Research Establishment at Farnborough, and the COG itself is widening its scope with the recent launch of a German arm, in Munich, where the office is manned by German personnel under the authority of the U.K. body. Michael Trenchard sees this trend continuing, with further offshoots being established in other countries "to achieve wider international cooperation." -- By Roy Allen