Product End of Life

Good morning all, I am researching how a company handles discontinuing a Product, does anyone know of any resources that relate to this? Any good case studies or checklist would be welcome, I am looking at putting together a top level process and then making recommendations to assist our individual departments with their own processes contributing to the company wide one. Any suggestions would be welcome.

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  • Stop advertising it, remove it from catalogue. Possibly publish notice of intent to discontinue.

    Advise current users when you will stop maintaining it and providing spares - maybe option for them to lifetime buy them.

    Stop making it.


    Politely decline future orders.
    Be aware that for about 25 years after folk will expect to be able to down load the handbooks and so on.

    Anything more detailed rather depends what the 'it' actually is. Battleships, hand held radios and custom chips all require different timescales and approaches. Software is a law unto itself.

    Mike.

  • Advise current users when you will stop maintaining it and providing spares

    I've a feeling there was some EU legislation saying that support/parts must be maintained for a certain period after a product is discontinued - which has probably copied into in UK law regardless of (misnamed) Brexit.

       - Andy.

  • If you're making any of the following then there may be requirements for this, see https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/745/contents/made

    CHAPTER 1 WELDING EQUIPMENT

    CHAPTER 2 REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES WITH A DIRECT SALES FUNCTION

    CHAPTER 3 HOUSEHOLD DISHWASHERS

    CHAPTER 4 HOUSEHOLD WASHING MACHINES AND WASHER-DRYERS
    CHAPTER 5 REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES
    CHAPTER 6 ELECTRIC MOTORS AND VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES

    CHAPTER 7 ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS

    It's all very specific, for example for washing machines and washer-dryers it states:

    (2) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of household washing machines and household washer-dryers must make available to professional repairers at least the following spare parts, for a minimum period of 10 years after placing the last unit of the model on the market—

    (a)motor and motor brushes;

    (b)transmission between motor and drum;

    (c)pumps;

    (d)shock absorbers and springs;

    (e)washing drum, drum spider and related ball bearings (separately or bundled);

    (f)heaters and heating elements, including heat pumps (separately or bundled);

    (g)piping and related equipment including all hoses, valves, filters and aquastops (separately or bundled);

    (h)printed circuit boards;

    (i)electronic displays;

    (j)pressure switches;

    (k)thermostats and sensors;

    (l)software and firmware including reset software.

    (3) Manufacturers, authorised representatives and importers of household washing machines and household washer-dryers must make available to professional repairers and end-users at least the following spare parts, for a minimum period of 10 years after placing the last unit of the model on the market—

    (a)door, door hinge and door seals;

    (b)other seals;

    (c)door locking assembly and plastic peripherals such as detergent dispensers.

  • Thanks for the start point, i should of stated from the start that it is ventilation equipment, mostly domestic. 

  • Thanks for this Andy, we do Ventilation products and are putting together a process this month which we will hopefully pick a test case for a trial.

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