Televic GSP
How to Keep Your Technology Up-to-Date Proactively
This article first appeared in the Railway-News Magazine Issue 1 2024.
PIS technology advances rapidly, but the more it is enhanced, the faster it becomes obsolete.
Considering train projects have a lifetime of about 30 years before total overhaul, obsolescence is a pressing issue. When obsolete parts or devices need to be replaced, development can take up to one year. That’s why we offer a more proactive approach with obsolescence management.
Replacing Obsolete Parts: Slow and/or Expensive
As technology becomes more complex and evolves faster, the lifespan of parts and devices shortens. Just think of real-time video: that wasn’t possible ten years ago. During the warranty period, that issue remains manageable. After that, suppliers can’t guarantee the availability of parts anymore.
What happens when you request parts that are considered obsolete? There are two options:
- We build replacement parts ourselves or have them built for us. That requires extensive development and testing and can take up to one year.
- We buy the existing parts from brokers at up to 20 times the original price. That’s very expensive and only possible if we find a broker to source the parts.
Tackling Cost and Time with Obsolescence Management
That is why we decided to offer you a more proactive approach. In our obsolescence tracking programme, you get a quarterly availability overview with an impact on component level and an action plan on how to tackle the obsolescence issue.
