New-Tech Magazine - Europe | January Digital edition

over into a gradual decline, the next generation of OEM products is in the growth phase (refer back to Figure 3). Parts availability is the other major factor. An instrument, such as a microwave signal analyzer, contains thousands of individual parts produced by hundreds of vendors. Each part goes through its own lifecycle, from introduction to discontinuance. External forces such as changes in government regulations (e.g., RoHS compliance) may also affect parts availability. Parts manufacturers, as independent businesses, also go through a natural lifecycle of growth and decline. Extending the Life of a Test System All of the preceding provides context - but it is still possible to create an effective strategy that adds years to the usable life of a test system. The best chance to plan and execute this strategy is at the time of the original purchase. If this opportunity has passed, there is still time while the instruments remain in production. Even if the instruments are out of production, there are ways to extend system life. At the initial purchase (Warranty Period) As noted above, A/D systems may be expected to last 15 years or longer. When defining a test system and evaluating the available instruments,

provide strong support; however, new instruments typically require much less support than older equipment. The need for support increases as instruments age, but an OEM’s support capabilities typically decline due to discontinuance of manufacturing, reduced parts supply and fading expertise (Figure 1). The underlying cause is the natural lifecycle of any commercial product: introduction, growth, maturity and decline (Figure 2). Every product progresses at a different rate, driven by outside factors: adoption by customers, competition from other manufacturers, overall economic conditions, and so on. As demand declines, OEMs often introduce new products to replace aging models, and this requires new investments in manufacturing, parts and expertise. As each product ages, the OEM makes tradeoffs and decisions about the allocation of the scarce resources dedicated to manufacturing and support. Sustaining an older product consumes resources that could be used to develop new products based on newer technologies (Figure 3). One reason to shift resources is the expectation of higher returns on the money invested in a new product. Astute OEMs do this in a manner that meets the needs of existing customers by providing compatibility modes,

Figure 1. Instrument Lifecycle Solutions address service requirements for the instruments customer’s use to support long- term programs long lead times for notification of discontinuance, and extended service capabilities. The most challenging scenario is an aerospace/defense (A/D) program, which may be expected to live for 15 to 25 years. In general, the duration of a commercial product’s lifecycle is much shorter than that of an A/D program (Figure 4). This creates a timing problem: in many cases, the instruments in a test system have passed their peak demand and are beginning to decline as the A/D program is reaching its peak. As the A/D program crests and then noses

Figure 2. There is often an out-of-phase relationship between an OEM’s ability to provide support and a long-term program’s need for that support

Figure 3. The traditional product-support lifecycle periods (bottom bar) follow the demand lifecycle (red curve)

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