Product Lifecycle Management

Long-term Availability and Sustainability of PHYTEC Products

Product Longevity Policy

At PHYTEC we recognize our products are deployed in customer applications with production lifetimes that can exceed 10 years, which is why we strive to ensure long-term availability for all our solutions. While we cannot guarantee continued availability of every component used in every product, our use of pro-active Product Lifecycle Management is vital to sustaining diverse product lines. Creating compatible migration paths to second source and other replacement components in the event of component obsolescence has allowed PHYTEC to ensure availability of products far longer than industry standards.

 

Extended Product Lifecycles

It is what we do. Trust PHYTEC for a quality product and Supply Chain continuity. Browse our Legacy Products for a track record of long term availability of released System on Modules.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Sustainability

Long-term availability of products is one of our most important duties as a reliable supplier of embedded solutions.  With detailed knowledge of the electronics component market PHYTEC avoids potential problems caused by part changes, discontinuations, and obsolescence. We continue to support our System on Modules and other hardware assemblies as long as the applications processors, memory devices and other critical components are available. Through these tools and techniques PHYTEC has supplied key products for over twenty-five years:

  • Close, working relationships with component manufacturers and distribution, including demand pull and flexible demand management programs
  • Pro-active monitoring via SiliconExperts and other tools
  • Internal management and tracking of component PCN, EOL, and allocation notices
  • Maintenance of buffer stock of common and critical components
  • Implementation of 100%-compatible second source or replacement components, including active and transparent Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
  • Last-Time Buy (LTB) of discontinued or obsolete End-of-Life (EOL) parts
  • Transparent Version Control to document any “form, fit or function” change and product revisioning according to JEDEC J-STD-046 Process/Product Change Notification (PCN) standards
  • Redesign to support new parts, with maximum functional compatibility

When a silicon vendor or other device manufacturer issues a Product Change Notice (PCN) or announces the End-of-Life (EOL) of a component, PHYTEC receives advance notification per JEDEC J-STD-048 EOL standards.  This enables ample time to secure risk-buy of impacted components and migration to replacement solutions to best forgo impact on supply chain continuity.

We also use a dedicated team to monitor component-level PCNs and EOLs.  This team is skilled at ensuring drop-in and fully compatible migration paths to second source and other replacement components for use on our products. We also work pro-actively with both our suppliers and customers to ensure materials planning covers not only booked orders but also forecasted future demand for product.

In rare instances where a 100% match in regard to form, fit and function is not available, PHYTEC informs impacted customers and offers a redesign to support new parts that offer functional compatibility. If a custom product is affected, impacted customers are provided with validation units for approval.  In specific cases where a customer cannot accommodate a design change, we can offer risk-buy or other component or Finished Good Lifetime Buy (LTB) options.  In such instances, PHYTEC inventories components in consideration of maximum shelf-life and other reliability criteria.

Questions?

Please contact us with any questions you might have regarding our PLM and obsolescence policies.