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{{Short description|State of being obsolete}}
{{redirect|Obsolete|the album|Obsolete (album)}} {{Redirect|Obsolete|the album by Fear Factory|Obsolete (album)}}
⚫ {{Wiktionarypar2|obsolescence|obsolete}}
'''Obsolescence''' is the process of becoming antiquated, out of date, old-fashioned, no longer in general use, or no longer useful, or the condition of being in such a state. When used in a biological sense, it means imperfect or rudimentary when compared with the corresponding part of other organisms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsolescence |title=Definition obsolescence noun |date=2023 |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/obsolescence |title=Definition of obsolescence |date=2022 |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref> The international standard IEC 62402:2019 Obsolescence Management defines obsolescence as the "transition from available to unavailable from the manufacturer in accordance with the original specification".<ref>IEC 62402:2019 Obsolescence Management - published 15 July 2019 ISBN 978 0 580 96776 4</ref>


Obsolescence frequently occurs because a replacement has become available that has, in sum, more advantages compared to the disadvantages incurred by maintaining or repairing the original. '''Obsolete''' also refers to something that is already disused or discarded, or antiquated.<ref>Fowler HW and Fowler FG (1st ed.), Thompson Delia (ed.) (1995). ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English'', 9th Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford. {{ISBN|0-19-861319-9}}.</ref> Typically, obsolescence is preceded by a gradual decline in popularity.
'''Obsolescence''' is the state of being which occurs when a person, object, or service is no longer wanted even though it may still be in good working order. Obsolescence frequently happens because a superior replacement has become available e.g. smaller, faster, lighter or less expensive.


==Consequences==
⚫ ==Types of obsolescence==
Driven by rapid ]s, new components are developed and launched on the market with increasing speed. The result is a dramatic change in production methods of all components and their market availability. A growing industry sector is facing issues where life cycles of products no longer fit together with life cycles of required components. This issue is known as obsolescence, the status given to a part when it is no longer available from its original manufacturer. The problem of obsolescence is most prevalent for electronics technology, wherein the procurement lifetimes for microelectronic parts are often significantly shorter than the manufacturing and support life cycles for the products that use the parts. However, obsolescence extends beyond electronic components to other items, such as materials, textiles, and mechanical parts. In addition, obsolescence has been shown to appear for software, specifications, standards, processes, and soft resources, such as human skills. It is highly important to implement and operate an active management of obsolescence to mitigate and avoid extreme costs.<ref>Bjoern Bartels, Ulrich Ermel, Peter Sandborn and Michael G. Pecht (2012). ''Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence'', 1st. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. {{ISBN|1-11-814064-8}} .</ref>
===Technical or functional obsolescence===
Technical or functional obsolescence may occur:
] making way for ]s]]
* When a new, more functional product or technology supersedes the old (example: ] to ], ] to CD-ROM, video tape to DVD).
⚫ * When the product becomes useless due to changes in other products. For example, ]s became obsolete when people started to travel in cars rather than in horse-drawn buggies.
* When spare parts become so expensive that it becomes more attractive to purchase a new item.
* When poor quality materials shorten the product's lifetime.
* When component parts are no longer available to enable the manufacture of an item. Management of this type of obsolescence is required if long-term product availability is important.


==Types==
====Differences between technical and functional obsolescence====
Technical obsolescence is when a product is no longer technically superior to other, similar products. For example, a consumer may buy the latest ], which has the most storage and largest screen of any iPod available. A week later, ] may introduce a new iPod model that has twice the storage, a larger screen, and more functionality. The new iPod is technically superior to the model the consumer purchased, which means the iPod purchased a week earlier is "technically obsolete." That does not mean the older iPod is functionally obsolete; it can still play music and can download new songs from ].


⚫ ===Technical obsolescence===
Functional obsolescence, on the other hand, occurs when a product no longer functions the way it did when it was first purchased. To use the iPod example again, if Apple released a new version of iTunes that worked with only the new iPod, the original iPod would be limited in its capability to download and play new music. This would make the first iPod "functionally obsolete." Since companies prefer to maintain their consumer base, they have a strong incentive to support products for several years after their release.
{{See also|List of obsolete technology}}{{Unsourced section|date=April 2024}}
Technical obsolescence usually occurs when a new product or technology supersedes the old one, and it is preferred to use the new technology instead. Historical examples of new technologies superseding old ones include ] replacing ] in hand-tools, ]s replacing ], and the ] replacing the ]. On a smaller scale, a particular product may become obsolete when a newer version replaces it. Many products in the computer industry become obsolete in this manner. For example, ]s (CPUs) frequently become obsolete in favor of newer, faster units. Singularly, rapid obsolescence of ] formats along with their supporting hardware and software can lead to loss of critical information, a process known as ].

In many cases, a new technology does not totally replace the old technology because the old technology is still useful in certain applications. For example, ]s replaced ]s in TV and radio receivers in the 1960s, but vacuum tubes were still used for powerful transmitters because transistors for these power levels were not available. Even today, one has to use multiple transistors for a purpose that used to require just one tube. {{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Products may also become obsolete when supporting technologies are no longer available to produce or even repair a product. For example, many ]s, including CPUs, memory and even some relatively simple logic chips may no longer be produced because the technology has been superseded, their original developer has gone out of business or a competitor has bought them out and effectively killed off their products to remove competition. It is rarely worth redeveloping a product to get around these issues since its overall functionality and price/performance ratio has usually been superseded by that time as well.

⚫ Some products become technologically obsolete due to changes in complementary products which results in the function of the first product being made unnecessary. For example, ]s became obsolete when people started to travel in cars rather than in horse-drawn buggies.

=== Functional obsolescence ===
{{Unsourced section|date=April 2024}}
Items become functionally obsolete when they can no longer adequately perform the function for which they were created. For example, while one could theoretically adapt an ] to deploy modern ] bombs, the situations in which it could actually succeed at doing so against modern ] would be so few that it would be essentially useless.

Manufacturers and repair companies will typically cease support for products once they become obsolete as keeping production lines in place and parts in storage for a shrinking user base becomes unprofitable. This causes scarcity of spare parts and skilled technicians for repairs and thus escalates maintenance costs for obsolete products. This ultimately leads to prohibitive expense in keeping old technology functioning.

] Through Planned Obsolescence'' by ], 1932]]

=== Architectural obsolescence ===
The term "obsolescence" was first applied to the built environment in 1910 in an attempt to explain American skyscrapers' sudden loss of value.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Abramson|first=Daniel|year=2012|title=From Obsolescence to Sustainability, Back Again, and Beyond|journal=Design and Culture|volume=4|issue=3|pages=279–298|doi=10.2752/175470812X13361292229078 |s2cid=143319829 }}</ref> New York engineer Reginald P. Bolton attributed this phenomenon to "something new and better out-competing the old" and calculated the average architectural lifespan of varying building types in order to formulate a rough estimate for their impending obsolescence.<ref name=":0" /> For example, he suggested that hotels' obsolescence will occur faster than banks due to their ever-changing functions and tastes.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Building for Profit: Principles Governing the Economic Improvement of Real Estate|last=Bolton|first=R.P.|publisher=De Vinne|year=1911|location=New York}}</ref>


===Planned obsolescence=== ===Planned obsolescence===
{{main|Planned obsolescence}} {{Main|Planned obsolescence}}
Sometimes ]s deliberately introduce obsolescence into their ], with the objective of generating long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases. One example might be producing an inexpensive washing machine which is deliberately designed to wear out within five years of its purchase, pushing consumers to buy another washing machine within five years. In a highly competitive industry, this strategy can be risky because ]s may buy from competing producers. The practice of planned obsolescence is also considered by most consumers to be a sign of unethical behavior; although it generates a massive financial profit. Sometimes ]s deliberately introduce obsolescence into their ], with the objective of generating long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases. One example might be producing an appliance which is deliberately designed to wear out within five years of its purchase, pushing consumers to replace it within five years.


===Style obsolescence=== ===Inventory obsolescence===
] obsolescence occurs when retailers and other vendors hold stocks for anticipated future sales which turn out to be too slow to materialise. Holding excessive levels of stock or over-predicting potential demand increase the risks of products becoming obsolete and have a detrimental effect on the organisation's ]. Companies may address this problem alongside a periodic ] by assessing which of their stock items are slow-moving or not selling at all.<ref>Dell, , published 2012, accessed 25 February 2021</ref>
⚫ When a product is no longer desirable because it has gone out of the popular fashion, its style is obsolete. One example is "acid-wash" jeans; although this article of clothing may still be perfectly functional, it is no longer desirable because style trends have moved away from the acid-wash look.


]'s bell-bottoms]]
⚫ Because of the "fashion cycle", stylistically obsolete products may eventually regain popularity and cease to be obsolete. A current example is flared-leg jeans, which were popular in the 1970s, became stylistically obsolete in the 1980s and early 1990s, and returned to popularity in the early 21st century.


===Postponement obsolescence=== ===Style obsolescence===
{{Unsourced section|date=April 2024}}
Postponement obsolescence refers to a situation where technological improvements are not introduced to a product, even though they could be. One possible example is when an auto manufacturer develops a new feature for its line of cars, but chooses not to implement that feature in the production of the least expensive car in its product line.
⚫ When a product is no longer desirable because it has gone out of the popular fashion, its style is obsolete. One example is ]; although this article of clothing may still be perfectly functional, it is no longer desirable because style trends have moved away from the flared leg cut.

⚫ Because of the "fashion cycle", stylistically obsolete products may eventually regain popularity and cease to be obsolete. An example is "]" jeans, which were popular in the 1980s, became stylistically obsolete in the mid to late 1990s, and returned to popularity in the 2000s.


===Obsolescence management=== ===Obsolescence management===
{{Main|DMSMS}}
⚫ Obsolescence management refers to the activities that are undertaken to mitigate the effects of obsolescence. Activities can include last-time buys, life-time buys and obsolescence monitoring.

⚫ Obsolescence management, also referred to as "Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages" (DMSMS), is defined as to the activities that are undertaken to mitigate the effects of obsolescence. Activities can include last-time buys, lifetime buys, and obsolescence monitoring.

==See also==

* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Unreferenced|date=July 2007}}

<references />
==Further reading==
* Bjoern Bartels, Ulrich Ermel, Peter Sandborn, and Michael G. Pecht: ''Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence'', 1st. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2012, {{ISBN|1-11-814064-8}}, ({{Google books|rgaUwTQIV6gC|online copy (Google)|page=}})


==External links== ==External links==
⚫ {{Wiktionary|obsolescence|obsolete}}
* , a historical web site by Brad Kellett listing out-of-date techniques and technological know-how
{{Wikiquote}}
* This 20-minute video gives quick explanations of ], ], perceived obsolescence, and many other concepts that so many people find hard to grasp as they "vote their pocketbooks" while shopping and spending themselves into a polluted hole. It's become so popular that viewing it takes longer than 20 minutes to allow for all the "buffering". YouTube has the 6 individual segments starting with the .
*{{Commons category-inline}}


{{Authority control}}
⚫ ]


⚫ ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 22:37, 28 April 2024

State of being obsolete "Obsolete" redirects here. For the album by Fear Factory, see Obsolete (album).

Obsolescence is the process of becoming antiquated, out of date, old-fashioned, no longer in general use, or no longer useful, or the condition of being in such a state. When used in a biological sense, it means imperfect or rudimentary when compared with the corresponding part of other organisms. The international standard IEC 62402:2019 Obsolescence Management defines obsolescence as the "transition from available to unavailable from the manufacturer in accordance with the original specification".

Obsolescence frequently occurs because a replacement has become available that has, in sum, more advantages compared to the disadvantages incurred by maintaining or repairing the original. Obsolete also refers to something that is already disused or discarded, or antiquated. Typically, obsolescence is preceded by a gradual decline in popularity.

Consequences

Driven by rapid technological changes, new components are developed and launched on the market with increasing speed. The result is a dramatic change in production methods of all components and their market availability. A growing industry sector is facing issues where life cycles of products no longer fit together with life cycles of required components. This issue is known as obsolescence, the status given to a part when it is no longer available from its original manufacturer. The problem of obsolescence is most prevalent for electronics technology, wherein the procurement lifetimes for microelectronic parts are often significantly shorter than the manufacturing and support life cycles for the products that use the parts. However, obsolescence extends beyond electronic components to other items, such as materials, textiles, and mechanical parts. In addition, obsolescence has been shown to appear for software, specifications, standards, processes, and soft resources, such as human skills. It is highly important to implement and operate an active management of obsolescence to mitigate and avoid extreme costs.

Types

Technical obsolescence

See also: List of obsolete technology
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Technical obsolescence usually occurs when a new product or technology supersedes the old one, and it is preferred to use the new technology instead. Historical examples of new technologies superseding old ones include bronze replacing flint in hand-tools, DVDs replacing videocassettes, and the telephone replacing the telegraph. On a smaller scale, a particular product may become obsolete when a newer version replaces it. Many products in the computer industry become obsolete in this manner. For example, central processing units (CPUs) frequently become obsolete in favor of newer, faster units. Singularly, rapid obsolescence of data formats along with their supporting hardware and software can lead to loss of critical information, a process known as digital obsolescence.

In many cases, a new technology does not totally replace the old technology because the old technology is still useful in certain applications. For example, transistors replaced vacuum tubes in TV and radio receivers in the 1960s, but vacuum tubes were still used for powerful transmitters because transistors for these power levels were not available. Even today, one has to use multiple transistors for a purpose that used to require just one tube.

Products may also become obsolete when supporting technologies are no longer available to produce or even repair a product. For example, many integrated circuits, including CPUs, memory and even some relatively simple logic chips may no longer be produced because the technology has been superseded, their original developer has gone out of business or a competitor has bought them out and effectively killed off their products to remove competition. It is rarely worth redeveloping a product to get around these issues since its overall functionality and price/performance ratio has usually been superseded by that time as well.

Some products become technologically obsolete due to changes in complementary products which results in the function of the first product being made unnecessary. For example, buggy whips became obsolete when people started to travel in cars rather than in horse-drawn buggies.

Functional obsolescence

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Items become functionally obsolete when they can no longer adequately perform the function for which they were created. For example, while one could theoretically adapt an Avro Lancaster to deploy modern JDAM bombs, the situations in which it could actually succeed at doing so against modern air defenses would be so few that it would be essentially useless.

Manufacturers and repair companies will typically cease support for products once they become obsolete as keeping production lines in place and parts in storage for a shrinking user base becomes unprofitable. This causes scarcity of spare parts and skilled technicians for repairs and thus escalates maintenance costs for obsolete products. This ultimately leads to prohibitive expense in keeping old technology functioning.

Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence by Bernard London, 1932

Architectural obsolescence

The term "obsolescence" was first applied to the built environment in 1910 in an attempt to explain American skyscrapers' sudden loss of value. New York engineer Reginald P. Bolton attributed this phenomenon to "something new and better out-competing the old" and calculated the average architectural lifespan of varying building types in order to formulate a rough estimate for their impending obsolescence. For example, he suggested that hotels' obsolescence will occur faster than banks due to their ever-changing functions and tastes.

Planned obsolescence

Main article: Planned obsolescence

Sometimes marketers deliberately introduce obsolescence into their product strategy, with the objective of generating long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases. One example might be producing an appliance which is deliberately designed to wear out within five years of its purchase, pushing consumers to replace it within five years.

Inventory obsolescence

Inventory obsolescence occurs when retailers and other vendors hold stocks for anticipated future sales which turn out to be too slow to materialise. Holding excessive levels of stock or over-predicting potential demand increase the risks of products becoming obsolete and have a detrimental effect on the organisation's cash flow. Companies may address this problem alongside a periodic stock count by assessing which of their stock items are slow-moving or not selling at all.

Jimi Hendrix's bell-bottoms

Style obsolescence

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

When a product is no longer desirable because it has gone out of the popular fashion, its style is obsolete. One example is flared leg jeans; although this article of clothing may still be perfectly functional, it is no longer desirable because style trends have moved away from the flared leg cut.

Because of the "fashion cycle", stylistically obsolete products may eventually regain popularity and cease to be obsolete. An example is "acid-wash" jeans, which were popular in the 1980s, became stylistically obsolete in the mid to late 1990s, and returned to popularity in the 2000s.

Obsolescence management

Main article: DMSMS

Obsolescence management, also referred to as "Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages" (DMSMS), is defined as to the activities that are undertaken to mitigate the effects of obsolescence. Activities can include last-time buys, lifetime buys, and obsolescence monitoring.

See also

References

  1. "Definition obsolescence noun". Merriam-Webster. 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  2. "Definition of obsolescence". Dictionary.com. 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  3. IEC 62402:2019 Obsolescence Management - published 15 July 2019 ISBN 978 0 580 96776 4
  4. Fowler HW and Fowler FG (1st ed.), Thompson Delia (ed.) (1995). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 9th Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-861319-9.
  5. Bjoern Bartels, Ulrich Ermel, Peter Sandborn and Michael G. Pecht (2012). Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence, 1st. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. ISBN 1-11-814064-8 .
  6. ^ Abramson, Daniel (2012). "From Obsolescence to Sustainability, Back Again, and Beyond". Design and Culture. 4 (3): 279–298. doi:10.2752/175470812X13361292229078. S2CID 143319829.
  7. Bolton, R.P. (1911). Building for Profit: Principles Governing the Economic Improvement of Real Estate. New York: De Vinne.
  8. Dell, Managing Inventory Obsolescence for Improved Retail Performance, published 2012, accessed 25 February 2021

Further reading

  • Bjoern Bartels, Ulrich Ermel, Peter Sandborn, and Michael G. Pecht: Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence, 1st. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2012, ISBN 1-11-814064-8, (online copy (Google) at Google Books)

External links

Categories: