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AI agent for electrical engineers

Component Obsolescence Watch Agent

Catch obsolescence early and have a checked alternate or buy plan for each risky part

Risk managementMonitoringIT and developmentProduct development
See how it worksGet access
Component Obsolescence Watch Agent: what goes in, what the agent does and what you get

What it does

A live product has hundreds of parts, and one end-of-life notice can stop production months later. Each month this agent reads the bill of materials and checks every part against lifecycle status and distributor stock. It flags parts marked not recommended for new designs, last-time-buy dates, long lead times and single-source parts at risk. For each flagged part it searches for alternates and compares their datasheets with the original on the key parameters and footprint. It lists the fit with the design: drop-in, needs a layout change or needs a firmware change. It also estimates a last-time-buy quantity from forecast demand. The engineer approves any substitution or purchase. Edge case: a drop-in alternate has a different thermal pad, so the agent marks it as not drop-in.

How it works

Follow the arrows from top to bottom. The orange dashed arrow is the loop: when a check fails, the agent goes back and tries again.

Start and resultWhat it doesA check on its own workWaits for your OKGoes back and retries
Yes, continueApprovedNo 1 STARTS WHEN Monthly check or vendor notice 2 USES A TOOL Read the bill of materials 3 USES A TOOL Look up lifecycle status, lead time and stock foreach part 4 DOES Score risk and flag parts above the threshold 5 USES A TOOL Search for alternates and read their datasheets 6 DOES Compare key parameters and footprint with theoriginal 7 CHECKS THE RESULT Does an alternate meet all key parameters and fitthe design? If not: widen the search to more manufacturers andaccept a layout change option. Back to step 5. 8 DOES Estimate last-time-buy quantity from the forecast 9 YOU APPROVE Engineer approves substitution or purchase 10 RESULT Obsolescence report with actions and dates
Read the steps as a list
  1. Monthly check or vendor notice
  2. Read the bill of materials
  3. Look up lifecycle status, lead time and stock for each part
  4. Score risk and flag parts above the threshold
  5. Search for alternates and read their datasheets
  6. Compare key parameters and footprint with the original
  7. Does an alternate meet all key parameters and fit the design?If not: widen the search to more manufacturers and accept a layout change option. Back to step 5.
  8. Estimate last-time-buy quantity from the forecast
  9. Engineer approves substitution or purchaseThe agent waits here for your OK.
  10. Obsolescence report with actions and dates

How it decides

It scores each part by lifecycle status, stock months and number of sources, and proposes an alternate only if key parameters meet the design's needs.

  • Flag parts with under 6 months of stock at forecast demand
  • Flag any part with a last-time-buy date within 12 months
  • Mark an alternate drop-in only if footprint, pinout and ratings match
  • Add a 10% safety margin to last-time-buy quantities

Make it yours

Every agent is a starting point. You choose these settings for your own situation.

  • Stock months that trigger a flag (default 6)
  • Last-time-buy warning window (default 12 months)
  • Data sources for lifecycle and stock
  • Safety margin on buys (default 10%)
  • Who receives the monthly report

What keeps you in control

It always asks you first

  • Engineer approves any substitution
  • Purchasing lead approves a last-time buy

Hard limits

  • Never place an order, only recommend one
  • Never mark an alternate as drop-in without comparing the datasheets

It stops when

  • Done: all flagged parts have an approved plan
  • Stop: no alternate exists and the product needs redesign

Set it up

We guide you through the set-up, step by step

Members get the full set-up guide for this agent. No technical skills needed: you copy, paste and upload.

10 minto set it up in your AI
5 AIsChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
  • One set of instructions to paste into your AI, with the clicks for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini and Grok
  • The agent then walks you through connecting your own data, one source at a time
  • A downloadable copy with the flow chart, the rules and the full guide
Get access to this agent

An example run

What happensThe April check covered 312 parts. A voltage regulator got an end-of-life notice with a last-time-buy by September, and stock was 3.2 months at a forecast of 1,400 boards per month. The first alternate failed because of a thermal pad difference, so the check failed. A second one matched. The agent estimated a last-time buy of 6,200 pieces including 10% margin. The engineer approved qualifying the alternate and buying.

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