Many companies involved in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries use software to monitor the lifecycle of products and components, particularly those items nearing their specified end of life (EOL). But is this approach effective? Sometimes managers don’t realize that software is not necessarily a reliable lifecycle management tool until it is too late, after device decommissioning has had an impact on patients and public health safety.
Most large suppliers have designated EOL dates for products and components, but the end of life for certain medical device components is not as simple as just replacing the components. It requires a company to evaluate what’s being replaced, identify the impact, make necessary updates, and conduct rigorous testing and reviews to verify and validate the new product.
As we previously reported, if a product goes EOL without proper advance planning, it has the potential to disrupt the company’s supply chain, negatively impact revenue, diminish customer loyalty and incur unexpected costs. Companies failing to track EOL effectively also risk using technology that is no longer supported by its manufacturer, which can be dangerous and incur liability.
Managers may rely on software to plan for EOL, to be notified of upcoming EOL dates, and to manage change requests during an EOL migration. However, software solutions alone fall short, because the necessary end-of-life information often must be manually supplied by product manufacturers or suppliers. This human factor introduces risk and negates the accuracy of the software.
In those cases, the software designed to track EOL issues can provide companies with a false sense of security, leaving them in danger of being caught unprepared. Because software solutions always present an inherent risk of not delivering essential EOL information, companies need a reliable and automated means through which to obtain timely and accurate EOL information from their suppliers and OEMs.
Human Involvement Required for Complete EOL Transparency
Dynamic Technology Solutions has developed EOL and lifecycle management services to meet this need. We deliver on this requirement by proactively contacting the product suppliers regarding EOL issues to gain accurate, first-hand insights into current conditions and forecasts.
Armed with these insights, we can provide a consolidated view of lifecycle roadmaps with data integrated from our 800+ OEM and technology partners, enabling us to deliver automated alerts to key company stakeholders to inform them of EOL dates, which trigger a proactive EOL transition process.
Dynamic helps ensure seamless transitions and continuity for any changes that affect the components in our customers’ devices, while reducing risk. Learn more about Dynamic’s proactive EOL planning services by clicking here.
Software solutions provide efficiencies for countless business applications across different industries. But until there is a 100% reliable means to collect and disseminate EOL information from hundreds of suppliers, software applications for EOL management can never be expected to provide the level of safety and assurance required for medical device and pharmaceutical applications, where lives and human welfare is at stake. That’s why Dynamic invests the time necessary to ensure complete EOL transparency.
