Authors :
Nagore Hanifa Sikkandar Basha
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/5b8t738m
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/46v9e643
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr1241
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Control system obsolescence management has become a critical aspect of industrial asset governance, particularly
in process industries where operational continuity, safety, and reliability are essential. As automation platforms age,
organizations face escalating challenges related to spare parts scarcity, vendor support discontinuation, cybersecurity
vulnerabilities, and increasing maintenance complexity. This article presents a proactive framework for managing control
system obsolescence through structured asset inventory, lifecycle monitoring, risk assessment, mitigation planning,
cybersecurity integration, cross-functional governance, documentation, lifecycle extension planning, and workforce
knowledge transfer. The framework supports systematic decision-making and aligns obsolescence management with
proactive project control practices. The study concludes that obsolescence management should be treated as a continuous
governance process embedded within organizational asset management strategies rather than as a reactive maintenance
activity.
Keywords :
Obsolescence Management, Control Systems, Reliability, Cybersecurity, Lifecycle Management, Industrial Automation, Asset Governance.
References :
- Purna Kiran 2024, A guide to obsolescence studies on control systems.
- Thomas E. Herald, Obsolescence Management Forecasting: for Strategic Operational System Sustainment Decision Making, 2012.
- Guidance on managing obsolescence and upgrading industrial automation and control systems, first Edition published by Energy Institute, London.
- Bjoern Bartels , Ulrich Ermel , Peter Sandborn and Michael G. Pecht, Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence (Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management) First Edition.
- Book of Obsolescence Management Includes EU Automation's seven steps to obsolescence management.
Control system obsolescence management has become a critical aspect of industrial asset governance, particularly
in process industries where operational continuity, safety, and reliability are essential. As automation platforms age,
organizations face escalating challenges related to spare parts scarcity, vendor support discontinuation, cybersecurity
vulnerabilities, and increasing maintenance complexity. This article presents a proactive framework for managing control
system obsolescence through structured asset inventory, lifecycle monitoring, risk assessment, mitigation planning,
cybersecurity integration, cross-functional governance, documentation, lifecycle extension planning, and workforce
knowledge transfer. The framework supports systematic decision-making and aligns obsolescence management with
proactive project control practices. The study concludes that obsolescence management should be treated as a continuous
governance process embedded within organizational asset management strategies rather than as a reactive maintenance
activity.
Keywords :
Obsolescence Management, Control Systems, Reliability, Cybersecurity, Lifecycle Management, Industrial Automation, Asset Governance.
