4. Conclusion

The problem of obsolescence arises when the life cycle of a commercial product is shorter than that of the asset that needs it to be operational. Capital-intensive industries whose installations are designed to operate for a long time are directly concerned. While the problem is not new, the current industrial context is conducive to its emergence (technological advances, industrial restructuring, new regulations, extended operating life for investments, etc.). Although most industrial facilities are affected, obsolescence and its interactions with maintenance are still too often not considered as a process requiring a dedicated organization.

Whatever the practices implemented, obsolescence management involves three main phases: detection, prioritization and treatment, which must be sized according to the resources available to achieve the economic optimum. Depending...