A Study on the Development of an Effective Framework for Implementation and Sustenance of an Obsolescence Material Management System in an Aerospace Supplier Manufacturing Industry Environment

Obsolescence Material management plays an important and vital role in today’s modern Aerospace manufacturing, Aerospace Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul industry as well as Aerospace Distributors. Aerospace vehicles have a considerable longer product life-cycle when compared to any other consumer goods like automobile and electronics industry. With the advent of new, disruptive technologies, many sources and supplies of materials including COTS and Standard catalogue parts, components and goods, which are widely used in an Aerospace manufacturing environment, are diminishing at a considerable rate and thus result in their obsolescence before the end disposal of the product life cycle. It is one of the leading causes to the sale of counterfeit and fraudulent parts and components, which can result in considerable deterioration of Quality and Cost to Customer. This technical paper emphasizes on the need for implementation of an effective Obsolescence management framework which an Aerospace company can follow through defining, deploying and sustaining Obsolescence Management through Policy, Procedures, Process and People methodology to be followed at manufacturing, maintenance and to identify proactively, notify and mitigate the risk of Obsolescence of Products on a periodic basis. This framework can be utilized in avoiding purchase, stock and re-sale of counterfeit and fraudulent parts and components.