Component Cancelled or End-of-Life? What to Do Next

1. Establish which event you are handling

A customer cancellation, design change or cancelled production order is an internal demand event. It does not by itself make a component obsolete. Start by identifying the affected programme, who owns the material and which future builds or service obligations still need it.

A manufacturer discontinuance is a separate event. Obtain the original notice, record the affected complete ordering codes and identify the last-order and final-delivery dates. Do not infer EOL from an unavailable distributor listing, a search result or the status of another device in the same family.

Texas Instruments states a standard withdrawal schedule of twelve months for final orders and a further six months for final delivery, with accelerated exceptions. That is TI’s policy, not a universal schedule. The specific notice determines the affected codes and deadlines.

• Record whether the trigger is a programme cancellation or a manufacturer notice.
• Identify the owner of the decision and the approved BOM revision.
• Keep the source notice or internal release record with the affected lines.

2. Choose between disposition, a last-time buy and redesign

For cancelled production, reconcile purchased quantities with the remaining demand. Separate inventory that can be released from service stock, disputed ownership, quarantine material and parts still reserved for another programme. The released quantity may be smaller than the total visible in the inventory system.

For an EOL component, calculate demand before considering a last-time buy. Include remaining production, service obligations and the assumptions your programme owner approves. Compare the cash commitment and storage requirements with the cost and timing of a redesign. A large final purchase is not automatically the best response.

Any alternative needs engineering review. Similar descriptions do not establish matching pinout, operating limits, package dimensions, timing, firmware behaviour or qualification. Keep the original part and each candidate separate in the decision record.

• Use an approved demand calculation rather than a rough stock target.
• Record which ordering codes can change and which cannot.
• Assign engineering approval before accepting an alternate.

3. Prepare the appropriate enquiry

For a sourcing enquiry, send the exact ordering code, manufacturer, quantity, destination, required date and source-document requirements. Identify any acceptable partial quantity. Ask the written offer to distinguish confirmed availability from an estimate that still needs verification.

For a sale enquiry, prepare a lot-level list of released material. Include MPN, manufacturer, quantity, packaging, date or lot codes, condition and location. Describe opened reels or repackaged containers accurately. Do not merge them into a line described as factory-sealed.

Discuss the evidence and acceptance scope with the prospective counterparty before material moves. Inspection responsibility, quantity reconciliation, payment and transfer terms should cover the actual lines under consideration, including what happens if the physical lot differs from the submitted list.

• Buyer route: part-specific RFQ and approved acceptance requirements.
• Seller route: released lot list with accurate condition and quantity.
• Either route: document gaps and unresolved decisions explicitly.

4. Protect the next production decision

Keep a single version of the affected-parts list and name the person responsible for updates. If demand changes, a lot is put on hold or a proposed replacement is rejected, update the enquiry rather than letting an old spreadsheet continue to circulate.

Before confirming a purchase, match the offered ordering code to the approved requirement and record the agreed delivery and acceptance terms. Before confirming a sale, check that the offered lines remain released and that their containers and quantities can be reconciled.

icultra accepts both sourcing RFQs and excess-stock enquiries. Send the appropriate list to tina@senico-electronics.com or start a WhatsApp conversation. A review is not a stock reservation or a completed buyback; the next step is a written, lot-specific agreement.

Sources and further reading

• Texas Instruments: product-change and discontinuance policy

Manufacturer documents support the technical guidance above. They do not confirm our stock, authorisation or the condition of any offered lot.