Planned Obsolescence

How many ever heard of this term? If you hear remarks like, "They don't make things like they used to." and "Things don't last as long as they did in the past."—then you'll know what I mean.

Planned obsolescence is a profitable but short-sighted strategy: it drives repeat sales by intentionally limiting a product's lifespan, yet it shifts hidden costs onto consumers and the environment. While it can sustain business cycles, it often undermines trust, encourages waste, and runs counter to more sustainable, circular approaches to design and manufacturing.

The term gained currency in the 1950s, but the concept is older. Manufacturers discovered that durable products—products that lasted decades—limited repeat sales. The solution was to design products with intentionally limited lifespans. This is accomplished through one or more of the mechanisms listed in the above table.

Refurbishing directly counters systemic and functional obsolescence by keeping products in service. It does little against psychological obsolescence—you cannot refurbish a status symbol back into fashion. 

What is your take on this manufacturer-related issue?

 

What's the Difference?

Since I'm setting out to write a book about the three R's, it's worth establishing a clear boundary at the outset. (see above table)

Refurbishing is the most accessible of the three strategies: 

• It requires no specialized tooling (screwdrivers, cleaning supplies, basic test equipment) 
  
• It can be performed in a small workshop or even a garage 
• It has the lowest barrier to entry for small businesses and entrepreneurs 
• It delivers value quickly (days, not weeks)

Refurbishing is also the most scalable in terms of volume. A remanufacturing line for automotive engines is a capital-intensive operation. A refurbishing line for laptops can be set up in a warehouse with rented tables and hired labor. 

And refurbishing is often the only economically viable strategy for low-to-medium value products. No one remanufactures a $50 coffee maker. But thousands of coffee makers are refurbished every day. In short, refurbishing works because it aligns economic incentives with life extension. It is not charity. It is good business. 

 

Refurbishing

In my previous company, I've done quite a fair bit of refurbishing work on top of PCB testing and repairs. One such project I still recall fondly was the control panel of a lighthouse installation on the controversial island-rock of Pedra Branca.

The unit was sent to my work centre for repair—not just the PCB within but also the front panel which suffered defacing from constant use. After assessing various options, I reckoned that the easiest and safest way was to recreate the panel layout using Microsoft Visio, print out in color and laminate the pieces, which were then affixed over the original damaged artwork using double sided tapes.

Crude, but it worked and was aesthetically appealing as far as the customer was concerned. That was my first attempt at refurbishing and I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Industrial refurbishing, however, is more than just a cosmetic operation. Once you define what refurbishing is as the starting point of combating obsolescence, the process—from assessment to aesthetics becomes obvious. Then the decision naturally rests on when to choose refurbishing over repair and replacement.

This is the route I'm taking as I started out to write for the first of three parts for my upcoming book on Solutions to Obsolescence. It'll be a good idea to also throw in an actual case study to cement the practice, if necessary.

We'll see how that works out...

 

The Three R's Relationships

The relationships between the three R's can be quite intricate for the uninitiated to the world of obsolescence. So I've created a simple venn diagram to illustrate their intertwining similarities and differences.

As a first cut, I've come up with a preliminary paragraph for my book blurb:

Obsolescence is not the end—it’s an opportunity.

Every year, millions of tons of equipment—from industrial machinery and medical devices to electronics and building systems—are discarded not because they have failed, but because they are “outdated.” In an era of supply chain fragility, rising material costs, and mounting environmental pressure, the ability to extend product life is no longer a niche skill—it is a strategic imperative.

I will not divulge much on what I intend to cover as there are still grey areas that need to be sorted out. In fact, writing on a topic of this magnitude can be quite a challenge. Perhaps if I have the opportunity to explore further with ASTER's business model and process, it will become clearer what direction the book should take.

Until then...

The Three R's in the Work

I've spent a couple of day designing the front cover for my next engineering book. I decided that the best way to accelerate and build my knowledge on the subject of remanufacturing is to write a book on it, alongside two others I'm familiar with—refurbishing and retrofitting. Hence the title of the book.

Back in 2009, my former company had sponsored me to attend a course "Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS)" conducted by Donald Seger. This was in view of the threat of obsolescence stemming from a shortage of critical electronic components and the importance of stocking up based on predict forecast of the repair works we were doing.

On hindsight, it was an eye-opening experience though I did not link it to the three R's as the plausible Solution to Obsolescence. Now that I revisited the subject after my eventful visit to the ASTER facilities, I'm beginning to see how all these things tie up.

As usual, I will need to write a book blurb to keep me focus on what I want to write. Chapter outline will then follow, subject to changes as the work progresses, of course. It will be both interesting and challenging. And I suspect it will take me beyond electronics—well into the broader industries facing this same problem.

We'll see how it goes...

Solutions to Obsolescence

My recent visit to ASTER has set me thinking about the problem of obsolescene, not just in the electronics industry but other sectors as well—commercial and military.

Granted, in my previous company I had taken on several jobs by the military to address their obsolescence concern, albeit on a smaller, customized scale, which included refurbishing and retrofitting their aging equipment. But ASTER has up the ante by doing remanufacturing—which is on an institutional scale.

It's not hard to see that there are three options to the obsolescence problem:

1. Refurbishing
2. Retrofitting
3. Remanufacturing

So which option is suitable? That depends on the kind of issue you have on hand. If it's just  low-cost cosmetic and basic functional restoration, then refurbishing is the way to go. If it's adding new features to an old platform, retrofitting would fit the bill. But if you want to return a high-value asset to like-new reliability with a full warranty, consider remanufacturing—but be prepared to fork out cash.

In other words, refurbishing is the light-weight solution, retrofitting provides strategic upgrades, while remanufacturing entails deep industrial processes.

ASTER

The name may not ring a bell to many people in Singapore. And no, it's got nothing to do with the leading provider of chemical and energy solutions in Singapore and Southeast Asia by the same name.

Right after my last post, I was informed by my former manager that someone from ST Engineering, a deputy president of International & PSS/SG BizDigital Systems, asking for my contact. Soon after, someone by the name Leo contacted me. He introduced himself as a deputy general manager of ASTER, a subsidiary of ST Engineering specializing in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services for the Singapore Armed Forces.

Leo claimed that he and his team had read my books on PCB Reverse Engineering, and would like to invite me to tour their remanufacturing facility. That piqued my curiosity and I readily accepted the invitation.

We fixed a date in early April. I was given a VIP reception upon arrival and the heads of each section in turn introduced their workplace and process flow, accompanied by the DGM himself and a few support staff. It was quite an eye-opening experience to be given free access to their electronics lab, mechanical workshop, engine bay, and the various test setups. There were similarity in some of their work practices that I could identify with my former work centre, but the majority of what I observed were new to me.

I was deeply impressed by what I saw.

At the end of the tour, we adjorned to a cozy meeting room where refreshments awaited. The DGM asked for my opinion on their setup, and whether there are room for improvements in terms of the processes and practices. In all honesty, I was humbled by the thought that someone of my status, a secluded self-published author, was given such recognition and honor at an institutional-scaled setting.

We had a good time of discussion and the engineers present eagerly asked questions to tap on my experience in reverse engineering and obsolescence solution. I reckoned this first meeting would not be the last, as the DGM generously offered his team and facilities at my service for a possible future collaboration.

I took note of his kind offer and promised to get back to him and his lead engineer, once I am able to provide a viable solution to their black box issue in PCB reverse engineering. In the meantime, there will be a lot of catching up on my part to get up to speed on the subject of remanufacturing.

Ps: As I made my way out, one of the security guards, a retired civil servant, came and shook my hand. He recognized me as the author of an eschatological book he read, and expressed his appreciation for the insights gained from my theological work. Now, that really surprised me and make my day!